Tube passengers are set to see the cost of their daily commute rise if Sadiq Khan wins a second term at City Hall.
Single fares across the Transport for London network have been frozen throughout the Mayor’s first term, though opponents say this didn’t match the spirit of his 2016 pledge that passengers wouldn’t “pay a penny more” for their journeys as Travelcards and Oyster caps have increased during his four years in charge.
However the freeze as implemented has already cost TfL £640m in lost revenue on top of the loss of its £700m government grant which had been announced prior to Mr Khan’s 2016 pledge.
The combined impact of these measures on TfL’s finances has seen the agency scale back investment, cut jobs and delay a number of projects.
Its finances have worsened further following the delay to Crossrail which is set to cost an additional £1.3bn in lost fares income.
Mr Khan says Tube fares will rise if he’s re-elected but that bus fares would remain at £1.50 and he would retain his ‘Hopper’ fare which allows passengers to take an unlimited number of bus and tram trips within an hour of starting their journey.
