The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today confirmed that from January 2012 fares on London’s Tubes, Buses, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Trams will rise by the level set out two years ago in Transport for London’s (TfL) Business Plan.
This will ‘maintain essential day to day public transport services and help continue record investment in London’s extensive transport network, which is experiencing surging passenger demand’, TfL said.
All free and concessionary travel for older people, students, Veterans and disabled Londoners has been ‘protected in full’, which means that 40% of bus passengers will continue to travel free or at a substantial concessionary rate.
From 2 January 2012, fares on TfL’s services will rise by an average of RPI + 2%, the assumption outlined in TfL’s Business Plan in October 2009.
Based on July’s RPI figure of 5%, this represents an average 7% fare increase across TfL services and Oyster pay as you go.
Within this average there will be some TfL fares that ‘go up less than 7%, and some slightly more either due to small increments in rounding or because they are fares involving National Rail services but every effort has been made to ensure that this is distributed as evenly as possible across individual fares’, Transport for London said.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
“Despite some of the toughest economic times in living memory, I have secured unprecedented levels of investment for London’s transport network totalling £12bn over my four year term of office.
“Not since the days of our Victorian forefathers has there been improvements of this scale which includes upgrades and capacity increases ahead of 2012 and beyond to Crossrail.
“At the same time, we are focusing as never before on providing value for public money by committing to find significant savings of £7.6billion at TfL, over two thirds of which have now been secured.
“Income from fares is vital to ensure the on-going health of London’s transport network, keeping services running for the billions of passengers who rely on them day in, day out.
“This is a fares package that continues my aim to put Transport for London’s finances on a steady footing, moving us away from the boom and bust approach undertaken by my predecessor when we saw a succession of draconian increases and knee-jerk, unaffordable pre-election freezes.
“This year, as Londoners begin to experience the benefits of that investment through more frequent and reliable journeys, I am also once again able to protect all free and concessionary travel for people who rely on public transport most, including older people, disabled veterans and those on lower incomes.
“I understand that any increase in tough times is difficult. This is a package that has sought to balance the needs of today’s passengers whilst ensuring we continue apace with plans to overhaul London’s transport system in the face of unprecedented demand.”
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