• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

Mayor Ups Ante in Bus Row

February 13, 2007 - Staff

The row over free bus travel escalated today when Mayor of London Ken Livingstone published figures setting out how many under-18s in constituencies represented by backers of an alternative budget benefit from the scheme.

Mr Livingstone said 385,000 young Londoners “are now benefiting from the free bus and tram travel, which nine members of the London Assembly have voted to abolish.”

The number of under-18’s receiving a free Oyster card per constituency are:
Barnet & Camden (Brian Coleman AM) – 26,252
Bexley & Bromley (Bob Neill AM) – 26,533
Brent & Harrow (Robert Blackman AM) – 28,880
Croydon & Sutton (Andrew Pelling AM) – 1,236
Ealing & Hillingdon (Richard Barnes AM) – 29,523
Havering & Redbridge (Roger Evans AM) – 25,572
Merton & Wandsworth (Elizabeth Howlett AM) – 22,175
Hounslow, Kingston-upon-Thames & Richmond-upon-Thames (Tony Arbour AM) – 27,065
Hammersmith & Fulham, K&C and Westminster (Angie Bray AM) – 20,036
Explaining his decision to publish the figures the Mayor said “every Londoner has the right to know if their local Assembly member is seeking to remove a benefit that saves families with children hundreds of pounds a year.”

Members who backed the alternative budget proposed a ‘pilot’ school bus scheme in 6 boroughs in place of the current free fares concession which they previously described as “fully costed at £24 million” and is intended to be “a replacement of free travel, not a ‘scrapping'” which “if successful, and cost effective…would be rolled out London wide.”

Mr Livingstone’s decision to publish the figures was attacked by the One London Party on the Assembly.

One London Party leader Damian Hockney said publishing the figures was “a massive waste of time and resources” adding that “the Mayor is trying to make a story from nothing.”

Hockney said it was important that Londoners understood that the Assembly “has no powers to abolish free bus travel for under-18s, or indeed anything else in the Mayor’s budget, because we can only amend bottom line figures, not specific items. Even if we did reject his budget in favour of the Tories’ alternative, the Mayor can simply reintroduce his own with the amended bottom line, but with exactly the same provisions except some alterations in other areas to put into affect the altered total.”

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Tagged With: Fares, Oyster

RECENT UPDATES

Record number of candidates stand in London’s Mayoral election

TfL and Siemens unveil new Piccadilly line Tube train designs

852 new homes to be built in Acton by Transport for London

HGV operators in London urged to apply for a Direct Vision Standard permit




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 MayorWatch Publications Limited · MayorWatch is Registered Trademark · All Rights Reserved · Contact Us · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

MayorWatch Publications Limited · 20-22 Wenlock Road · London N1 7GU · Company Number 6291816

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.