Last winter was the most severe we’ve had in 30 years, and inflicted massive damage on the road network, not least here in Streatham where many residential streets have been badly affected.

To deal with this, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a new £100 million fund to repair potholes in the recent Budget. As a result, Lambeth will benefit from £67,500 in additional funds to deal with potholes, while Transport for London, which manages main roads, has been allocated £764,100. This funding will help get Streatham’s roads back to an acceptable condition and minimize dangers to road users.

Over the past ten years, Labour has trebled funding for road maintenance. The latest three-year settlement means that funding will be £809m in 2010/11 nationally, up from £265m in 2000-01.

In the video above, Chuka discusses improvements to Streatham’s rail stations, funded by investment from the Labour government.

Labour has invested £5.5 million in local train stations in the last two years thrrough the National Stations Improvement Programme.

Streatham Common and Streatham stations have already benefitted from CCTV and new ticket barriers, and upgrades are currently taking place at Streatham Hill.

For more on Chuka’s transport campaigns, follow this link.

Recenty, Chuka joined local people to hand in the Bring the Tube to Streatham Petition to Number 10 Downing Street. In the above video, Chuka discusses the campaign outside Number 10.

Follow this link to read more about the campaign.

Recently, Chuka and local residents made the trip up to 10 Downing Street to hand in the Bring the Tube to Streatham Petition – which now has over 1,000 signatures – to the Prime Minister.

Chuka said: “The fact that we’ve already got well over a thousand signatures demonstrates the strength of backing local people have given to bringing the tube here.

“Although TfL has authority over London Underground, a project of this size would need the support and funding from central government, which is why we have submitted the petition to the Prime Minister.

“I urge those who have not yet done so to sign the petition so we can keep up the pressure on TfL and make our voices heard.

“This is a long term project – we need to make the case for Streatham now so that when there is more funding available for expanding the tube, we are at the front of the queue.”

If you have not done so already, sign the petition here.

Follow this link to find out more about the campaign.

This week Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham, and local residents made the trip to Number 10 Downing Street and handed in the petition to Bring the Tube to Streatham, which now has over 1,000 signatures, to the Prime Minister.

Last Summer, it emerged that London Mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London (TfL) were considering an extension of the Bakerloo Line to Bromley in Kent via Lewisham. In response to this, Chuka joined with local residents to launch the campaign for Streatham to also be considered as an option for the tube extension.

Following this, TfL is now considering a range of options for extending the line into South London, including one which would see it come to Streatham.

The Mayor’s Transport Strategy document, released in October 2010, highlighted the shortcomings of the transport system in South London and that the current situation is not good enough.

Chuka and local campaigners will also be handing the petition in to London Mayor Boris Johnson at City Hall.

Neelofar Khan, owner of Chilli Chutney restaurant who was one of the group who handed the petition in to Number 10, said:

“Both Londoners and visitors to London have always asked which tube station is the nearest to Chilli Chutney in Streatham. When told that it is not on the tube, they often decline to travel to the area.

“To drive further footfall to the area and help with regeneration, it is vital that Streatham is brought back on the map. Only by bringing the tube to Streatham will we be able to attract people and business, thus enhancing the economic prosperity of Streatham.”

Chuka Umunna said: “The fact that we’ve already got well over a thousand signatures demonstrates the strength of backing local people have given to bringing the tube here.

“Although TfL has authority over London Underground, a project of this size would need the support and funding from central government, which is why we have submitted the petition to the Prime Minister.

“I urge those who have not yet done so to sign the petition so we can keep up the pressure on TfL and make our voices heard.

“This is a long term project – we need to make the case for Streatham now so that when there is more funding available for expanding the tube, we are at the front of the queue.”

The online petition to Bring the Tube to Streatham can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/bring-the-tube-to-streatham.html

When Boris Johnson was running for Mayor in 2008 he included a pledge in his Transport Manifesto that said he would halt “the proposed Tube ticket office closures”, and ensure “there is always a manned ticket office at every station”. During his campaign he signed a petition that condemned plans to close Tube ticket offices and drastically reduce the opening hours of many others.

However, recent proposals from Transport for London suggest that the permanent closure of eleven ticket offices is under consideration and dozens more could face drastically reduced opening hours. The proposals would affect tube stations including Brixton, Clapham South, Clapham Common and Balham and result in hundreds of jobs being axed.

Under the proposals, Clapham South station ticket office would see its opening times cut by 46 hours per week, while Clapham Common station’s ticket office would be open for 32 fewer hours each week.

While currently Clapham South’s ticket office closes at 9.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays, under the Mayor’s planned changes it would be without a ticket office after 3.45pm on Saturday and 4.00pm on Sundays.

The ticket offices at Balham and Clapham Common will close at 7.45pm from Monday to Friday and Clapham South’s at 7.15pm, also closing for most of the afternoon, between 1.30pm and 5.00pm on weekdays.

If you would like to register your disappointment with the current proposals then you can contact to Transport for London at enquire {at} tfl.gov(.)uk, we will post any consultations on the proposals as soon as they are available.

Chuka Ummuna, who is opposing the planned reduction in ticket office opening hours, commented:

“Thousands of people use our underground stations on a daily basis and they form a vital connection with central London.

“The Mayor’s drastic cuts to opening times would see our local tube stations without ticket offices for hours on end at peak times.

“As well as the loss of customer service for tube users, I am concerned about the impact the changes could have on the safety of stations, particularly late at night.”

Chuka Umunna, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Streatham, is opposing cuts to ticket office opening times at tube stations in Clapham, Balham and Brixton.

Details of the cuts were announced by London Mayor Boris Johnson this week, and would affect tube stations including Brixton, Clapham South, Clapham Common and Balham and result in hundreds of jobs being axed.

Under the proposals, Clapham South station ticket office would see its opening times cut by 46 hours per week, while Clapham Common station’s ticket office would be open for 32 fewer hours each week.

While currently Clapham South’s ticket office closes at 9.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays, under the Mayor’s planned changes it would be without a ticket office after 3.45pm on Saturday and 4.00pm on Sundays.

The ticket offices at Balham and Clapham Common will close at 7.45pm from Monday to Friday and Clapham South’s at 7.15pm, also closing for most of the afternoon, between 1.30pm and 5.00pm on weekdays.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the Streatham constituency, which includes significant parts of Clapham and Balham, said:

“Thousands of people use our local underground stations on a daily basis and they form a vital connection with central London.

“The Mayor’s drastic cuts to opening times would see our local tube stations without ticket offices for hours on end at peak times.

“As well as the loss of customer service for tube users, I am concerned about the impact the changes could have on the safety of stations, particularly late at night.”

Last year, Mr Umunna launched a campaign to bring the tube to Streatham after learning that TfL was examining plans to extend the Bakerloo line to Lewisham and Bromley in Kent. Following this, TfL is now considering a range of options for extending the line in South London, including one which would
bring the line to Streatham.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham, has condemned the Award of Business of the Year to First Group at the 2009 Rail Business Awards.

At the awards, First Group scooped the Business of the Year 2009 prize, while First Capital Connect (FCC), the subsidiary of the company which runs the Thameslink franchise, won two other awards including for “Internal Communications Excellence.”

Passengers of FCC have experienced severe disruption since November 2009 including many delays and cancellations, following an industrial dispute over staff pay and technical problems arising from the recent snowfall.

Other passenger complaints have included poor and/or non-existent communication at stations and shortened and overcrowded trains.

Mr Umunna said: “This is a complete slap in the face to the passengers who have been let down by First Capital Connect.

“Given what passengers have experienced, to name First Group Business of the Year is a complete joke.
“What’s more, First Capital Connect won an award for ‘communication’ yet there has been a severe lack of proper communication with the people who actually use their service here – these awards beggar belief!”

Last month, Chuka Umunna and Tessa Jowell, MP for neighbouring Dulwich and West Norwood, met with FCC bosses to go through in detail the huge number of complaints they have received about the service and demand immediate improvements.

As a result of the meeting, company bosses held a “Meet the Managers” event at Tulse Hill station earlier this month to address Thameslink users’ concerns.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has told FCC that the disruption experienced by passengers is unacceptable, and warned the operator that it could lose its franchise if the situation continues.

The delays, cancellations and poor communication experienced by Thameslink users in recent months have been unacceptable. When myself and Tessa Jowell MP met with First Capital Connect (FCC) bosses last week, we made this clear and went through the deluge of complaints we have received on this issue.

We also told the company that passengers deserve to be properly informed of what is happening with their service. At our request, the operator agreed to run a ‘Meet the Manager’ event at Tulse Hill station, giving passengers the opportunity to discuss their concerns and problems directly. We also asked FCC to look into ways of improving its communication with passengers, including a daily email update service before passengers leave for work.

FCC acknowledged to us that their business model has failed to provide an acceptable level of service and informed us that they are in the process of overhauling their operations to improve reliability. We await to see whether passengers’ experiences improve, and are in regular contact with Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to monitor the situation and will not let up until a decent service is provided.

If the company fails to keep its promises we will press the government to take further action so I would be grateful if local residents could let me know if they notice any improvement by emailing me at chuka {at} streathamlabour.org(.)uk

Chuka Umunna
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham

Published in the Streatham Guardian, 4 February 2010

First Capital Connect have forwarded Chuka a copy of the details below:

“Following the disruption to services on the Thameslink route between November 2009 and January 15, 2010, affected season ticket holders are being offered discounted tickets and refunds. This is in addition to
the delay-repay compensation scheme which can be used when a service has been delayed by 30 minutes or more.

“Summary of offer: Annual season ticket holders will be entitled to claim either a 5% discount off their next purchase (equivalent to over 2 weeks free travel) or tickets for 10 days free travel.

“Monthly season ticket holders will be entitled to claim either a 50% discount off their next monthly card following the start of the scheme (equivalent to 2 weeks free travel) or tickets for 10 days free travel.

“Weekly ticket holders with four weeks of tickets during the period will be entitled to claim tickets for 5 days free travel. Weekly ticket holders with eight or more tickets during the period will be entitled to claim ticket for 10 days free travel.

“First Class ticket holders will additionally be entitled to claim for a refund of the difference between First Class and standard fare for the period 12 November 2009 to 23 January 2010 when First Class accommodation was declassified.

“Please note: Discounts will be available when buying at First Capital Connect stations and online from the FCC website. Unfortunately where tickets are purchased at non-First Capital Connect Thameslink outlets we will only be able to offer the free tickets.

“We are currently setting up IT and ticket office systems and staffing an office to deal with claims under the scheme. Exact details of how to claim will be published in early February.”