Delight at City Airport Expansion Decision

The decision by the High Court to reject an attempt by a campaign group to block an increase in the number of flights using London City Airport has been greeted with delight by thousands of local residents and workers, and international business visitors and tourists. As a result of the ruling, the airport will be able to increase the total number of flights to 120,000 annually, while still maintaining the peace for local residents with its restricted hours of operation.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel and City Airport told us "This is fantastic news. I look forward to being able to fly to a wider choice of destinations with more frequent flights from London City Airport in the future. This is definitely the right decision from the High Court to reject the objections from noisy campaign groups representing a minority of residents. The judges chose to support the true democratic process and the correct behaviour of Newham Council. The silent majority of local residents will be quietly overjoyed at the boost this will give to the local economy and opportunities for people who live and work in the area".

A close friend of a regular user of City Airport told us "Flying in and out of City Airport is always a pleasure, with rapid check-in and security procedures, comfortable lounges, short walks to the planes and short wait at baggage claim. This decision will probably help to cut my personal carbon emissions as I will be able hop on the Docklands Light Railway to and from the airport more often, instead of using my car, struggling in traffic to reach one of London's other airports".

Mayor Attacked for Two-Wheeled Waste

Just over two weeks after the launch of the much heralded London Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme, struggling London Mayor Boris Johnson has come under fire for squandering huge sums from Transport for London's budget on an ineffective scheme.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "Today is a fine, sunny day. A snapshot of the number of cycles available in the cycle hire scheme docking stations right at the heart of the rush hour at 5.27pm¹ showed that only 15% of the estimated 5000 available cycles were in use at this time. I do not think there any other mode of transport in London, be it bus, tube, train or major road, used to only 15% of its capacity during rush hour. Mayor Johnson has poured millions of pounds into this wasteful scheme which is proving under used and ineffective. Instead of focusing on this vanity scheme aimed uniquely at the able bodied in a tight zone of Central London, Mr Johnson should be funding transport improvements of greater benefit to all".

A close friend of a regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "I have heard that there is anecdotal evidence that many of the journeys made by the hire bikes were previously made on foot which means the scheme is possibly having even less impact on overcrowded public transport and roads than projected, and possibly making road congestion even worse as tens of inexperienced cyclists may be straying across lanes and hindering the progress of cars and buses at any one time".

Mr Johnson made a pledge to decrease "street clutter" in his 2008 "Way to Go" transport document. The Barclays Cycle Scheme has seen the introduction of over 300 bank branded cycle docking stations in Central London.

Thousands of users of the Blackwall Tunnel remain frustrated at the Mayor's central London cycling obsession and the complete absence of any clear direction or decision on enhancing road capacity across the River Thames in East London following his axing of the Thames Gateway Bridge scheme.

¹Data extracted via the the excellent API at http://borisapi.heroku.com/ using data from the London Datastore.

Tunnel Failure Explains "Invisible Johnson"

With the UK General Election now less than 2 weeks away, Eton-educated struggling Tory London Mayor Mr Boris Johnson has been conspicuous by his absence in Conservative campaigning in South East London.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "Mr Johnson is never usually shy of a photo opportunity, however absurd, but my guess is the Tory Party election chiefs are forcing him to keep a low profile as they try not to be associated with Johnson's failures and broken election promises. Mr Johnson's failures to deliver on his election pledges include failing to re-instate the tidal flow at the Blackwall Tunnel, failure to deliver running London Underground trains later on Friday's and Saturdays, failure to keep a promise to keep all London Underground ticket offices manned, his vicious slashing of police numbers in London putting the security of millions at risk", and hitting the low paid hard by increasing bus fares by up to 20%."

A second user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us exclusively "We could expect the same long list of broken promises from Eton educated Tory leader David Cameron. Despite their attempts to distance themselves from Mr Johnson, I do not see why we should trust the Tories. Thousands of Londoners have been hit by Mr Johnson's failures and decisions. They may continue to talk about "Change", but if "Change" is pushing the country back into recession, forcing thousands of people out of work, making it easier for the super wealthy to get even richer and hitting those most in need hardest, then that is the type of change that will be rejected by millions on election day".

Joy at Tunnel Upgrade News

The news that the western bore of the Blackwall Tunnel is set to benefit from a £70 million pound refurbishment program has been greeted with joy by many regular users of this jewel of London's transport infrastructure. The works, due to commence in February 2010, will see improved ventilation, lighting and communications systems installed to enhance the beauty of the Victorian tunnel. To minimize disruption during the 3 years the work is expected to take, the western bore will be closed between 21:00 and 05:00 Sunday to Friday, and northbound traffic will be diverted via the eastern bore which will be closed to southbound traffic. Traffic heading south will be required to use other river crossings during this period. The only exception to this closure will be the 108 bus route between Stratford and Lewisham which will be escorted southbound every 30 minutes between 01:00 and 05:00 while northbound traffic is held.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "This refurbishment work is fantastic news. I hope that the contractors BAM Nuttall treat the 19th century splendour of the tunnel with the sensitivity this triumph of Victorian engineering deserves while at the same time incorporating 21st century safety features. When the work is completed, thousands of travellers and visitors to the capital will be able to experience the undisputed beauty of the tunnel 24 hours a day".

Mayor's 20% Fare Whammy Hits Tunnel Users

Users of the 108 bus route between Lewisham and Stratford, the only London bus route to cross the River Thames via the Blackwall Tunnel, have been rocked by the 20% increase in their fares which came into effect on Saturday 2nd January. The shocking decision by failing Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson to increase the cost of a single bus journey in London from £1 to £1.20 for users of pay-as-you go Oyster cards, with a similar percentage rise for bus passes, has been described in some quarters as "obscene". Users of London Underground are thought to be relieved at facing much smaller increases.

A friend of a regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "This massive increase in the cost of bus travel is an obscene and vicious attack set to hit hard working Londoners on a low wage most. A pay-as-you-go commuter taking 2 buses per day will spend in excess of £100 more on travel costs over a year. This massive price hike appears to have been deliberately targeted by the Conservative Party's London Mayor Mr Johnson at those least able to afford it".

A close relative of a regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel also told us "Mr Johnson is doing nothing to tempt visitors and tourists to explore the capital. Previously, it was possible to take a 108 bus on a magical chauffeur driven journey through the Blackwall Tunnel for just £1 with Oyster card pay-as-you-go. Any tourist wishing to do this now will be hit by this disgusting 20% price increase."

Mr Johnson is set to deliver a further massive financial blow to users of the Blackwall Tunnel who continue their car journey in to central London later in the year when a 25% increase in the Central London Congestion Charge comes into force.

Mayor's Policy Void Exposed

Struggling London Mayor, Boris Johnson, finally appeared as himself in his much-trailed cameo role in the struggling BBC soap opera "Eastenders" yesterday evening. The soap opera, set in the fictional East London Borough of Walford, has been running on the BBC since 1985, but has seen ratings plunge in recent years. The publicity stunt backfired badly when Mr Johnson was seen inviting the landlady of the Queen Victoria pub, Ms Peggy Mitchell to contact him if she had any ideas on how to improve Walford. Seventeen months into his tenure as Mayor, Mr Johnson was cruelly exposed as being devoid of ideas and vision for the capital on national television.

Ms Mitchell's family history suggests that high on her agenda for the Mayor would be acceptance and leniency for the bullying and intimidation by younger members of her family, gun crime, attempted insurance fraud and fake passport scams.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "Mr Johnson could have used the opportunity to show that he understood the daily problems faced by residents in the fictional borough, and how he might have been able to improve transport opportunities if they ever wished to travel 'sarf of the river' using the Blackwall Tunnel or other crossings. Instead, he devoured this opportunity for vacuous self-publicity but was exposed as flailing and scraping around for policy ideas in a fictional public house. Mr Johnson has a notoriously poor record in appointing advisers and deputy mayors, so there his no surprise he seemed open to granting a special role to Ms Mitchell".

Tunnel Joy at New York Link Launch

Scenes of joy swept across East London this lunchtime as the first scheduled flight between London City Airport and New York's John F Kennedy airport left the gate ahead of schedule at 12.44 and was seen soaring over the northern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel just minutes later. The flight, an Airbus A318 with the iconic flight number BA001, is scheduled to land in New York at 17.15 local time.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "With just 32 seats, on-board Internet connection and the opportunity to clear US immigration during the refuelling at Shannon Airport in Ireland, this service will be a massive boost to business travellers on both sides of the Atlantic, strengthening the ties between the two great cities, and encouraging US businesses to invest in the east of London. It could also give more American visitors the opportunity to visit the Blackwall Tunnel, one of London's finest working transport heritage attractions".

Johnson Admits Manifesto Failure on Tunnel Tidal Flow

Thousands of users of the Blackwall Tunnel were unsurprised to hear on Friday that the manifesto pledge of struggling Tory London Mayor, Mr Boris Johnson, to re-instate the morning rush hour contraflow in the eastern bore of the Blackwall Tunnel would not be fulfilled. As a guest of BBC London's stunning blond presenter, Vanessa Feltz, Mayor Johnson was forced to admit the humiliating end to yet another election pledge and disclosed that reinstating the tidal flow in defiance of police recommendations would leave the Mayor's senior officials open to prosecution under corporate manslaughter laws in the event of a serious accident or fatality.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "This was a cheap, populist pledge for easy votes in the south eastern suburbs of London and has now been exposed as a lie. Mr Johnson either chose to neglect studying the feasibility and legal implications of reinstating the tidal flow prior to making his manifesto pledge or chose to deliberately mislead the electorate in his quest for power. On the positive side, all northbound traffic will continue to have the opportunity to experience the structural finery of the western bore of the tunnel, saving the 1960s quasi-brutalism of the eastern bore for southbound journeys only".

Research by TunnelBore staff has failed to find any previous release of the end of this manifesto pledge by either the Mayor's office or Transport for London. Another user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "This appears to have been an exclusive for Ms Feltz's show. It looks like Mr Johnson and his £102,750 per year transport guru, Mr Kulveer Ranger, were desperately trying to cover up the legal problems, hoping everyone would just forget the tidal flow. Opaqueness seems to reign at the Mayor's office when it comes to decisions affecting the daily life of millions, but they seem only too happy to make vacuous announcements such as a world premiere for Disney's A Christmas Carol in London".

Mr Johnson's office have not been contacted to address the question of why they failed to make the announcement that reinstatement of the peak time tidal flow faced legal difficulties which was of interest to thousands of London's road users . The Mayor's humiliating climb down and admission that he has been "struggling" can be heard 24 minutes 30 seconds into the audio clip on the BBC site.

Mayor Sponsored Traffic Chaos Ends

Traffic on London's streets has returned to normal on Monday morning following the misery and frustration endured by thousands of drivers on Sunday due to the Skyride cycling event, endorsed and funded by Tory Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Chaos in central London followed the closure of several miles of roads to motor vehicles for the exclusive benefit of cyclists. Many visitors to London were plunged into confusion when they found their preferred routes blocked by the Mayor's cycling mayhem on seeking to take advantage of the excellent annual Open House weekend, an opportunity to gain entry to buildings and spaces many of which are rarely open to the public.

A regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "Mr Johnson's apparent cycling obsession is a disaster for the city. Driving through the centre of capital on a Sunday is often a pleasure compared to other days of the week, and this is a simple pleasure which Mr Johnson seems determined to destroy. Several thousand pounds were poured into publicising the event, but information on road closures was difficult to find. The Mayor obviously enjoys publicity stunts, but fails consistently to deliver on detail or vision."

City Airport Prison Plane Horror

Several users of the Blackwall Tunnel were forced to face minutes of misery yesterday on board a plane which had just landed at East London's favourite airport after a short flight from Paris. Late arrival of the steps at the plane to enable disembarkation resulted in an estimated 60 passengers being trapped on the plane facing a traumatic time.

A passenger on the plane and close friend of a regular user of the Blackwall Tunnel told us "It was becoming like hell on earth in the confined spaces of the plane. Despite the regular reassurances of the cabin crew, some suited businessmen were beginning to sweat profusely, probably eager to return to their families or to reach some adulterous rendezvous in a local hotel or knocking shop. With London City Airport set for an exciting increase in the number of flights, I can only hope that they order enough steps to cope with the demand."

Passengers are reported to have disembarked safely a maximum of 10 minutes after the arrival of the plane. Trauma counselling was not offered to the passengers impacted.