Ken Livingstone has launched a new scheme which will allow Londoners in receipt of income support to benefit from a reduced bus far of just 50p per journey.
The initiative follows the Mayor’s deal with Venezuelan Oil Company PetrÓleos de Venezuela Europa which provided a 20 per cent reduction in the price of fuel for London’s bus fleet.
The savings are to be passed on to the poorest Londoners via the new concessionary fare which will see those on the lowest incomes will pay only 50p for a single bus journey, half the £1 adult Oyster fare and a quarter of the £2 cash fare
Speaking s today’s launch the Mayor said the scheme would “make it cheaper and easier for people to go about their lives and get the most out of London.”
Last year the deal was criticised by the One London Party
who dismissed the Mayor’s claimed costings. At the time One London
Party leader Damian Hockney claimed lost fare revenue could be as high
as £70 million but this was strongly denied by Mr Livingstone’s office
who told this site “the total cost of the travel concession in terms of
fares will be of the order of £15m.”
Describing President Chavez as “a dictator with a monstrous human rights record” Conservative AM Angie Gray said the deal was “morally indefensible”.
However Mr Livingstone said Venezuelans would also benefit as London would be “providing expertise in areas of city management in which London is a world leader, such as public transport, planning, tourism and protection for the environment.”
London’s Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said the Oyster card “has been a huge success with more than 10 million cards issued since its launch in 2003” and that “agreement enables us to cut fares even further in support of the least well off Londoners, who now have even greater access to jobs, leisure and all this great city has to offer.”
Venezuela provides a number of cities with low cost oil. Joseph P. Kenney II, whose Citizens Energy programme in the US cities of Boston and New York, receives an oil subsidy which provides heating for elderly and less well off residents said he sent his “congratulations to Mayor Livingstone and the people of London for welcoming the tremendous efforts by Venezuela and PDVSA to provide help and assistance to poor people.”
“The poor today, whether in London or New York, have to face cruel choices between heating and eating and other basic needs. It is a rare event for the political leadership of a major city to join in an effort with PDVSA to address these terrible circumstances – a hearty well done to all of those who made this happen.”
How to apply:
Bus and Tram Discount Card application forms are available at all Post Office branches in Greater London.
Application forms and leaflets will also be issued at a number of face-to-face events across London. The form will also be available to download from Transport for London’s website: www.tfl.gov.uk/discountcard
Applicants must live in a London Borough to qualify for the concession.
