PARTY IN THE SKY ON CABLE CAR OVER THAMES
PLAN TO REVIVE STRUGGLING RIVER LINK
PASSENGERS on the Thames cable car will be able to drink alcohol and party into the night at 300ft, under new plans to revive Boris Johnson’s struggling cross-river link.
London transport bosses have applied for a licence to sell alcohol to passengers arriving for 10-minute trips on the Emirates Air Line between the Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks.
Under the proposals, champagne could be served from 10am till 1.30am every day from bars on platforms at each end of the crossing, which was launched by the then mayor in June 2012
pagne, including the London Eye and the View from the Shard platform.
But critics have warned the scheme will turn the cable car link into a “West End nightclub in the sky” that will bring misery to local residents, particularly on the north side of the river.
The Met’s licensing officers in both Newham and Greenwich have threatened to oppose the scheme, which comes before councillors at committee meetings next week, unless strict con- ditions governing security, CCTV cameras and staff training are agreed.
They also demand that alcohol only be drunk inside the terminal and capsules — and that empty glasses and bottles are cleared away when customers leave cars at the end of their trip.
Neighbours att acked the idea as “desperate” — raising concerns about noise, anti-social behaviour and the prospect of drunks falling from pods.
The plan comes eight years after Con- servative Mr Johnson banned alcohol from the entire TfL network of tubes, trams, buses and the DLR.
Robert Leftwich, who lives near the Royal Docks terminal in Newham, wrote: “The very idea of encouraging the sale of alcohol on the cable car reeks of utter stupidity and desperation.
“Is it really sensible to allow inebriated people to ‘fly’ 300ft up in the air, with doors on the cabins? Inevitably at some point someone will try to make a jump for the river below.
“This application seems simply a desperate idea to try and rescue what has unfor tunately become a nonprofitable white elephant.”
Dr David Wilson said it demonstrated “disregard” for the welfare of children, public safety and the prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Trevor Jones and Joanne Roughton said: “The proposals will lead to people becoming drunk in a residential area, fighting and acts of damage, drugs and potential sexual acts in and around our home.” Tony Vaughan said: “The music will probably be the usual cretinous cacophony. We don’t want roaring stag nights and shrieking hen parties, particularly not in the early hours.
“I’m 69 and will be in hell soon enough. I don’t want a foretaste.”
London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon said: “It seems that those running the cable car have the vision to run it like an expensive West End night club experience.
“Instead of providing some expensive tickets involving glasses of champagne for a few people the cable car should be run for the many as an affordable form of transport across the Thames.
“The Thames cable car was in large part funded by the taxpayer and its original purpose was to ensure daily trips across the river could be made by the widest range of people. It is time the Mayor of London finally got to grips with these issues and decided what the future of the cable car really is.”
Sadiq Khan, during his mayoral campaign, threatened to shut the line — calling it a “vanity project” which cost the city £5 million a year in subsidies. He stepped back from the threat after TfL said ending the contract before 2021 would cost £20 million in penalties.
A decision on the bid will be made by Greenwich council on September 5.