East London Assembly Member John Biggs AM has condemned Mayor Boris Johnson’s latest above-inflation fare hikes, which come into effect on Sunday, as continued evidence of his lack of concern for ordinary working Londoners.
Following last year’s 20% fare rise, single bus fares will rise by yet another ten pence to £1.30 for a pay-as-you-go journey. A weekly bus pass will go up from £16.60 to £17.80. Single one zone tube fares including zone 1 will also cost an extra ten pence, at £1.90.
John Biggs AM said ‘Once again, it’s bus passengers who are feeling the pinch of these increases. When Boris Johnson became Mayor, it cost 90p for a single pay-as-you-go Oyster bus journey – it will now cost £1.30 – that’s an increase of 44%. At the same time, we know that Transport for London are reducing bus subsidy and even cutting the miles that our bus services will cover – we are quite simply paying more and getting less’.
He added ‘TfL and the Mayor say these latest inflation-busting increases are necessary given budget pressures, but the Mayor has just scrapped the Western extension of the congestion charge zone, which was bringing in £7million a year. Instead some of London’s lowest paid workers – who tend to rely on the bus as the most affordable form of transport will be footing the bill instead – and getting a worse service for it!’
Rail commuters will also feel the pinch this year, as the Chancellor recently announced rail fare increases of three per cent above inflation.
John concluded ‘These increases will make a big difference to Londoners who may already be struggling financially. It all adds up to a not very happy new year present from the Mayor to Londoners’.
ENDS
Editor’s notes
- John Biggs is London Assembly Member for City & East London, covering The City, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking & Dagenham.
- Fare increases take effect on Sunday 2nd January 2011. The increases are based on July's RPI figure of 4.8% plus a further 2%.
- The Assembly's Budget and Performance Committee found that an above-inflation fare increase was not justified see: /media/press_releases_london_assembly/case-not-yet-made-above-inflation-fares-rise-assembly-says
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