Transport News October 2009
The WoW factor
Pupils from Rosemary Works School were among those in Hackney to join in the Big WoW (Walk once a Week) campaign.
A 100-strong group walked to Rosemary Gardens, N1, to collect material for a project creating collages. The theme for this year’s Big WoW is ‘Exploring British Nature’ and forms part of a national campaign to reduce school runs by car and promote walking throughout the year. Incentives include rewarding young walkers with WoW badges, and giving out magnifying glasses and wallcharts.
The Big WoW is an annual event organised by Transport for London (TfL), London boroughs and charity Living Streets.
Cllr Alan Laing, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said:
“This is a very worthwhile campaign, it is great to see our youngsters out and about exploring green parts of the borough by foot.”
More information
For more details including resource packs go to: www.walktoschool.org/bigwow
19 October 2009
Magical mystery tour
Youngsters from Hackney were among 170 children with serious illnesses who enjoyed a trip of a lifetime to Disneyland Paris.
The annual Children’s Magical Taxi Tour, organised by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, set off from Canary Wharf on 2 October.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The cabbies who give up their time and their earnings to take part in this annual armada are London’s unsung heroes. Thanks to their hard work thousands of very ill children have enjoyed a quite wonderful break from their troubles.’’
Over 100 licensed London taxis took part in this year’s event. The tour is paid for entirely by sponsorship and fundraising, with taxi drivers giving up their time for free.
Since it began in 1994, 3,200 seriously ill children have taken part. To find out more, visit: www.magicaltaxitour.com
19 October 2009
Homerton’s flower power
Thousands of wild daffodils, snowdrops and bluebells will soon be blooming at Homerton Station with the help of housing association Servite Houses.
The flowers were planted by 11 Friends of Homerton Station volunteers, alongside Servite’s head of organisational development, Tamara Grigulis.
More will be planted on a second embankment later in the year after engineering works have been completed.
“We’re very pleased to support such an innovative project. Our home owners in Homerton Quarter will benefit from enhancements to the local environment and we are delighted to help volunteers conserve wildflowers and wildlife at the station,” said Tamara. Servite contributed £3,250 to the project.
19 October 2009
Free as a bird
It was two wheels good for cyclists as cars were banished from the roads for a day in central London.
Around 65,000 bike owners took in some of Capital’s most famous sites as part of the Mayor of London’s Skyride event to encourage more people to get on their bikes. Roads were closed to traffic in Westminster and the City of London over the weekend of 19-20 September to make way for riders and spectators who came to see the conclusion of 86km road race the Tour of Britain. Olympic gold medalist Chris Hoy and the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, joined in the following nine-mile Skyride event, which took in Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the Tower of London.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said:
“One of the major deterrents people had for not cycling was lack of confidence and the fear of safety. The day was a chance for people who hadn’t cycled for a long time to get more confident on the roads.”
The Council provides two hours free cycle training to all those who live, work and study in the borough.
More information
For more information visit the Move by Bike page.
05 October 2009
Walk to school and get fit
Thousands of children from across the UK will be joining forces with those in over 40 countries worldwide this month to celebrate the benefits of walking to school.
Walk to School Month is a national campaign run by charity Living Streets. This year’s theme is ‘count me in’ and will focus on measuring physical activity and helping pupils discover how easy it is to reach the recommended daily 60 minutes of moderate physical activity.
Around half of children don’t walk to school regularly, 41 per cent are driven, despite the average distance to primary schools being around a mile.
Teachers often report that those pupils who walk to school are more attentive.
By walking to school and back each day, the average child will already be doing more physical activity than is provided for by the national curriculum.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets, said: “When children are bundled from front door to car door, they miss out on the opportunity to socialise with friends, get to know their community, and burn off some energy before getting their heads down in the books.”
The Walk to School campaign is delivered in partnership with local councils including Hackney.
05 October 2009
Ticket to ride
Fare dodgers got an unexpected surprise when police and ticket inspectors stepped up checks on a busy bus route.
On 18 September, eight police officers alongside 11 community support officers and 15 ticket inspectors patrolled the Graham Road part of the 38 route in a move to target fare evaders. It resulted in 1,677 passengers and 43 buses being checked. Inspectors issued 72 penalty fares and 34 people were reported for consideration of prosecution by Transport for London (TfL). The police also made one arrest.
Elizabeth Ajala, from TfL, said: “Fare evaders cost Londoners in the region of ?30million in 2008. This money could and should be used to further improve the service.”
Penalties for fare evasion range from £50 to £1,000.
05 October 2009
Make it count
Free workshops in drama, film production, theatre and media theory are being offered to young people during October half-term. The ‘Make your Messages Count’ workshops aim to give 15 to 19-year-olds a first-hand taste of real media work by giving them a say in how the Council communicates local services and safety measures to young people. It has been organised by the Council’s Road Safety Team and will also give attendees experience in radio, new media and publicity.
Cllr Alan Laing, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “I hope many will take this opportunity to help us improve how we communicate with all our residents.”
The workshops will run from 27 to 30 October, 10am-4pm, at Abbot Street Studios, E8. For more info, or to book a place, contact Sandra Agbabiaka on: 020 8356 8364 or email: sandra.agbabiaka@hackney.gov.uk
05 October 2009
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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