06/07/2014 BBC London News

That's it from us. Now for the news where you are, have a very good

night. Welcome to BBC London News,

with me Asad Ahmad. London's buses have

stopped accepting cash. It's a move

which will save Transport for London millions of pounds a year, although

they say only a small number But there are still concerns

about the change. NEWSREEL: With a nimbleness

that would do justice to a much older hand, she

smiles and punches, No longer can we jump on a London

bus and pay with cash. Now you need an Oyster card,

a prepaid or concessionary ticket Transport for London says over 9%

of passengers already pay But according to residents in

East Dulwich today, the new rule is already affecting

people. A lady got on the bus when we was at

Herne Hill, and she couldn't get on the bus because she wanted to pay

cash, and he said they are no longer taking cash, so she had to get

off because she had no Oyster card. What you think of that?

I think it's wrong. Why shouldn't you be

able to pay cash? It's a good idea,

because people go on the bus and never have change, but they

always have an argument with TfL says it has put measures

in place to help. We have put in One More Journey

so if you have an Oyster card but not enough for a bus journey,

but have a zero balance, you can make one more journey, and that has

been used by a million people There are fears it is not always

easy to top up an Oyster card, and that vulnerable people could be

left stranded. Transport for London really have to

make sure that first of all there are lots of places where you can top

up your Oyster card, to increase the number of them, and second, they

must make sure that drivers won t leave vulnerable passengers,

perhaps late night because they have lost their Oyster card or haven t

any money to top it up. There is an element

of inevitability about this change. Given that a single bus trip in

the capital has been costing ?2 14 TfL says that not handling cash will

save ?24 million a year, which it plans to reinvest in

improving the capital's transport. For years, businesses,

politicians and Londoners have debated whether the Thames needs a

new bridge to the east of the city. Well that debate starts again this

week, as plans for Here's our Political Editor,

Tim Donovan. East London has two tunnels,

Blackwall and Rotherhithe, and a boat, the Woolwich Ferry,

but no bridge. The first serious attempt to build

one at Galleons Reach was thwarted Plans for the Thames Gateway Bridge

were promoted by Ken Livingstone, but rejected

by a planning inspector. Boris Johnson originally rejected

the idea too, but now seems to have changed his

mind, as new proposals emerged this We all know we can

actually build bridges. It's the planning and consultation

process which is difficult. That is why we have been keen

to emphasise the benefits And Labour are pledging once

again to build a new bridge. The case for the bridge in terms

of being able to sustain housing and economic development in East

London is overwhelmingly strong and And there is support

for more crossings from the celebrity behind a proposed

new garden bridge for London. It's vitally important.

It's terribly important. If you can't get across the Thames,

you either get stuck in one of those tunnels,

or you have got to wake your way of those tunnels,

or you have got to make your way extremely far east to go over that

great big bridge or clog up London, both south and north,

making your back to try to fight On the London cable car,

one Tory figure says his opposition The bridge on the south side

touches down at Gallions Reach, the the bridge would be going up roads

that simply can't take it. It would be ten times the volume

of traffic that's there now. Tomorrow, Transport for London start

consulting again on the plans Historically, we were promoting one

crossing in the vicinity We are promoting a series

of crossings now. People do want a series

of crossings. But who knows

when a decision will come? A mainly dry day with

the odd short shower in places, It will still feel warm with

a top temperature of 22 Celsius Don't forget the Tour de France

comes to London tomorrow leading to lots of road closures

from the morning. Find out more on our website,

radio station or join us from 6.30 on BBC One.

For now, have a very good night Hello. We are going to carry the

weekend weather into the first part of the working week. A mix of