Transport for London could introduce a part-time Travelcard as part of new ticketing offers, Mayor Boris Johnson has said.
In January Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon asked the Mayor to consider introducing a new Travelcard, giving part-time workers access to the same low and flexible fares as existing Travelcard holders.
Pidgeon’s call was echoed this week when Conservative Assembly Members called on the Mayor and TfL to do more to make home and part-time working more affordable and attractive.
In a letter sent to Ms Pidgeon earlier this week, Johnson confirmed he has “asked TfL to consider the scope for addressing the issue of part-time workers” as part of the body’s Future Ticketing Project.
TfL is in the process of updating the Oyster network, including adding the option to pay by contactless credit and debit cards to the Tube, Overground and DLR.
Earlier this week Shashi Verma, Director of Customer Experience at TfL, told MayorWatch that “the new Oyster software provides TfL with an ideal opportunity to review the range of ticketing products on offer, including the possibility of introducing a part-time Travelcard at some point in the future.”
Commenting on the Mayor’s letter, Ms Pidgeon said: “I have long advocated a part-time travelcard so I very much welcome the Mayor agreeing for TfL to examine this fare change.
“A huge number of Londoners work part-time, but the current weekly and monthly travelcards are rigidly based around the needs of people who work a conventional five day week. A part-time travelcard would make travel more affordable for people who work part-time as well as the many people who work from home on a regular basis.”
“Most importantly by encouraging more flexible working and travel patterns it could play a useful role in reducing overcrowding on our transport network.”
Conservative AM Roger Evans said: “The Mayor’s decision to seriously consider introducing flexible Travelcards is a big step in the right direction. It will mean millions of Londoners have the option of, for example, buying a three-day per week Travelcard. This would make part-time working more affordable for commuters and should encourage those who are able to work from home to do so more often.”
Mr Evans added: “However, the Mayor and TfL should go a step further and combine flexible ticketing with commuter rebates. It would mean that workers could pay for their season ticket and then receive a rebate for every day that they choose not to travel. This has the potential to make significant savings for Londoners.
“If we start from the assumption that a full-time worker buying an annual season ticket would expect to work 225 days per year, then a Zone 6 commuter pays approximately £9.88 per day for their travel ticket. If a rebate was set at somewhere between £5 and £7 per day, a commuter who worked from home for 50 of those days could expect to receive a rebate of between £250 and £350.”
