On Wednewday Mayor of London Boris Johnson told the London Assembly he intends to stick to his published business plan of rises of RPI + 2%. July’s RPI, the month used in TfL’s calculations, stood at 5%.
As Chair of Transport for London Mr Johnson sets fares for bus, Tube, DLR, tram and London Overground services.
The Mayor told Assembly Members he would not introduce “artificial freezes” only to put fares back up after next May’s election.
TfL say the increases will see the Oyster pay as you go bus fare rise by 10p to £1.40.
On the Tube, Oyster pay as you go fares will “typically” increase by between 10p and 30p while cash cash fares will increase between 30p and 40p. Travelcards will rise by 3% “overall”.
City Hall says the rises are only way to provide the “vital” money needed for new schemes and improvements to the capital’s public transport infrastructure.
Labour have previously claimed the increases have cost bus passengers “an extra £176 a year” since Johnson entered City Hall.
Earlier this year a City Hall survey revealed 48% of Londoners thought fares were “most in need of improvement” – up from 36% in 2009 – when asked to identify issues of concern to them.
In July Liberal Democrat AM Mike Tuffrey called on the Mayor to adopt a formal consultation period for fares to allow Londoners to comment on proposed changes.
Responding to the Mayor’s announcement, Green Party AM Darren Johnson said: “Fares in london are too high and keep getting higher.
“If the Mayor had not reduced the congestion charge area and scrapped charges for gas guzzlers we could have avoioded above inflation increases.”
Labour’s 2012 Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone said: “Fares will be a central choice in the election and in the coming weeks I will set out a fairer fares plan that puts Londoners first.”
Lib Dem transport spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon said: “Boris Johnson has failed to tack effective action to tackle fare evasion or cut waste which is widespread throughout TfL.
“If the Mayor got on top of these issues there would be no need for such severe fare rises, especially for low income Londoners.”
