• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

But you started the process not setting out the full information for people. You could have played a responsible part in that debate by warning people of the environmental impact in terms of traffic increases, in terms of air quality and pollution and so on. You chose not to do that because you did not want to damage the credibility of your scheme.

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

On the subject of consultation, when TfL consulted on changes to Apex Corner on the A41 in my constituency, Barnet's professional highways officers strongly advised against the proposed changes, and after £1 million of expenditure Barnet's officers have been proved right and TfL have had to make changes to that junction. Will TfL not listen to the views of Barnet officers with regard to the Stirling Corner so-called junction improvements, where again Barnet's officers have expressed severe reservations?

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Thank you, Mr Mayor. If only the staff had that knowledge that you have. We have got numerous complaints and enquiries from our constituents and others who have contacted us, and no doubt others have, in terms of how they are contacted, what advice they have been given, not just in call centres in the normal day-to-day stuff about Congestion Charging but about penalties and those who want to pay. Those who want to pay. There is a real problem here, and I would really want to gauge whether you think there is a real problem, in terms of what...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

And, Mayor, intervene in the system to stop it doing what it keeps doing.

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

I am spending an inordinate amount of my time on Radio Shropshire, where one poor guy has received so many demands, never been to London - same old story. Even after selling his car, he continuously gets erroneous penalty notices. He is not alone; I know of a woman in Oxford. He was articulate and a lawyer and threatened legal action. She was a little old lady in Oxford - very vulnerable. It is unacceptable, both in terms of the aggravation and worry you give to vulnerable people and the time taken by almost anyone who tries to deal with...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Would you agree that a £31 million bail-out is not going to be much help to that lady for that sort of service?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Another example of that is demonstrated by a constituent of mine, who took from 1 May to 23 December to resolve the problems over her registration for a Blue Badge discount, culminating in a letter of apology on 23 December from a named officer of Capita; only to find that on 2 January this year the same officer sent a letter saying that she had not submitted the correct forms for registration and in fact giving the wrong date for the registration, which was previously the only bit of information they got right. There has got to be something seriously...

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Chair, maybe we could have cross-party support and a few people from the Transport Committee to do a constructive response to you to give you an insight of how we see it and some of the problems we see from this side of the table.

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Can I just clarify? The issue is lack of knowledge of the staff dealing with the issues. It is not just Capita, but also in the appeals process outside that. The poor standards of customer care, which are becoming so obvious now, of trying to get through. This is not something to give a few months to; this is something that has been there from the beginning. There is no excuse for poor customer care. We have heard it earlier in terms of some " not all " of our bus drivers. It is a real issue, because it does...

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004