Transport for London says:

There is an ongoing programme of initiatives to improve the safety of the Rotherhithe Tunnel. The tunnel is now over 100 years old and was never built to carry the current level of daily traffic.

As part of these initiatives, in March 2012 we put up a 6’6″ (1.98 metres) width restriction sign at the Rotherhithe Tunnel entrances.

The narrowing of the width restrictions on both northbound and southbound approaches to the tunnel will significantly reduce the risk of vehicle collisions, spillage of flammable materials, and fires in the tunnel.

Physical width restriction barriers will be introduced at the tunnel entrances, and enforcement will begin on Tuesday 19 March 2013. Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) and police officers will be in attendance during the first week.

You will only be able to use the tunnel if you have a car, or car-derived van, less than 6’6″ (1.98 metres) in width.

The affected vehicles (an average of 103 per day out of 33,000, or 0.3%) will be required to use Tower Bridge or the Blackwall Tunnel, both of which are outside of the Congestion Charging zone, to complete their journey.

Free wireless internet access is now available at Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays stations, London Overground has announced.

“We are always looking for ways to make the London Overground even more convenient than it already is and believe the introduction of free wifi can only improve and enhance our passenger journeys,” said Peter Austin, managing director of London Overground Rail Operations.

“It complements the modern commuting railway service we already offer and is also fitting for what is one of the best performing railways in the UK.”

The Cloud offers 60 minutes of free access per day to its hotspots at Overground stations.

Canada Water Station a paid-for Virgin Media wifi service.

Transport for London has confirmed plans to lengthen all trains on the London Overground from four carriages to five.

The £320m programme includes the construction of longer platforms at some stations and the delivery of an extra 57 carriages by the end of 2015.

The heavily constricted Rotherhithe and Canada Water stations are unlikely to be expanded so trains will used selective door opening (SDO) at these stations.

This means passengers in the rear coach of a five-car train are likely to have to walk through to the next coach in order to alight.

At Surrey Quays there is more space for potential platform extensions.

“Passenger numbers on our London Overground services have been going through the roof, but this important programme of investment will enable us to provide the extra carriages required for Londoners to take advantage of what has become the most popular suburban railway in the country,” said Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.

Transport for London’s Howard Smith said: “Demand for London Overground – the UK’s most punctual rail service – is growing at an incredible pace.  By the end of 2012, London Overground carried 120 million passengers – nearly four times the number carried when we launched in 2007.

“To enable this positive trend to continue and maintain our high levels for safe, reliable and frequent travel, we need to deliver more capacity by adding more carriages”.

A new pedestrian and cycle bridge was lowered into place over Rotherhithe New Road near South Bermondsey station on Saturday.

The new bridge was installed on Sunday as part of the Lottery-funded Sustrans Connect 2 project. It replaces a disused Victorian railway bridge which was removed in September and cut up for scrap.

The 4 metre wide modern bridge made of steel will carry pedestrians and cyclists over Rotherhithe New Road to South Bermondsey Station and beyond.

“It is fantastic to see the old rusty bridge gone and a purpose built crossing put in its place,” said Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport.

“The good news is that despite the forecast bad weather, we finished ahead of schedule and the bridge is now in place.

“This has been another hugely successful and efficient operation led by Southwark council and its contractors.

“There was minimal disruption and the footpath was only closed for 30 minutes whilst the bridge was put in place.”

“We are looking forward to this modern replacement bridge being officially opened to the public from January 2013.

“It is going to make a significant difference to everyone, pedestrians and cyclists alike, who needs direct access to and from South Bermondsey station.”

Bryn Lockwood from Sustrans said: “It’s great to see this new dedicated walking and cycling bridge go in after all the effort of local people and thanks to their vision and perseverance in making this project happen.

“The bridge looks great and will really make a difference to people’s lives on a daily basis. People will now be able to start the day with a quiet stroll rather than dodging the trucks and traffic on the Rotherhithe New Road and it’ll encourage many more people to make their everyday journeys on foot or by bike.”

New consultation just launched:

Southwark Council is proposing road safety and public realm improvements in Lower Road, Plough Way and Rotherhithe New Road. The proposals include the introduction of measures to assist cyclists through the link between Oldfield Grove and Plough Way, and the introduction of suitable paving and street furniture to enhance the street scene.

Funding for the scheme comes from Transport for London. The measures are part of the Connect 2 project, supported by SUSTRANS, to create a cycling and walking route from Burgess Park, Camberwell to Durand’s Warf, Rotherhithe.

Full details here.

Question to the Mayor from Val Shawcross AM:

I have received complaints about poor reliability in bus services in this area, currently served by the C10 and 381 buses. It has been suggested that an easy means of improving this service may be to consider extending route 199 to loop round Salter Road and Lower Road or run the 47 or 188 via Redriff/Salter Road instead of Lower Road. Please could bus routes in this area be reviewed?

Response from Boris Johnson, Mayor of London:

TfL will review this issue and contact you with the results.

Sustrans has reopened the voting to decide who should be depicted alongside Barry Mason (of Southwark Cyclists and Surrey Docks Farm fame) in a new work of public art at South Bermondsey:

• William Cubitt
• Sir Michael Caine
• David Haye
• Sam King
• Una Marson
• Phyllis Pearsall
• Mary Wollstonecraft

Read SE1’s story from the first round of voting; voting ends Friday 8 June and all other details are the same as before.

Bermondsey and Canada Water stations are among the first 80 London Underground Stations to be fitted with wifi equipment as part of a deal with Virgin Media. The service should be up and running before the start of the Olympic Games at the end of July.

Internet access will be free during the summer; pricing has not yet been announced for the autumn and beyond.

“Our customers will soon be able to connect to the internet for live travel information while they are on the move through stations,” says Gareth Powell, London Underground’s director of strategy and service development.

“Bringing a next generation wifi service to one of the world’s oldest underground transport networks is progressing as planned and the forthcoming service is testing well.

“The first stations include some of our busiest and most well-known destinations and we’re on-track for a successful launch this summer – all delivered at no additional cost to fare payers or taxpayers.”

Parts of Canada Water Station will also be covered by the London Overground’s new wifi service which will be provided by The Cloud.