Sadiq Khan increases daily Tube cap by up to 70p in blow for commuters

Sadiq Khan announced a nearly 5 per cent rise in London Tube and train fares, a further blow to commuters.

The Mayor of London said the 4.6 per cent increase would come into force on March 2, with daily caps expected to increase by between 40p and 70p depending on the areas crossed.

The 40p increase in the daily cap for Tube users in zones 1 and 2 will take the price to almost £9 a day, while someone traveling between zones 1 and 3 will pay up to £10.50 £ per day, which equates to a 50p increase.

Mr Khan said government ministers had told him that such an increase was necessary to secure “funding for key transport projects” and is in line with the 4.6 per cent increase in rail fares across the country outlined in Rachel Reeves’ budget.

This change comes a month after the government announced bus fare cap will also increase from £2 to £3.

Last month, Louise Haigh, the former transport secretaryreported that the newly introduced cap could even be removed altogether.

However, Mr Khan reassured commuters by confirming bus and tram fares in London would be frozen at £1.75 for unlimited journeys within an hour.

In a press release on Friday, the mayor said: “Londoners know from my track record that wherever possible I have made TfL (Transport for London) fares more affordable and fairer for Londoners – whether through the introduction of the Hopper bus fare or freezing TfL fares for five years as mayor.

“I’m really happy to announce that I will be freezing bus and tram fares again next year, making it the sixth time since 2016.

“More Londoners use the bus than any other form of public transport, and this will particularly benefit those on the lowest incomes.

“Following the Government’s Budget, ministers have made clear that to secure national funding for key transport projects in the future, tube and TfL train fares should increase in line with national rail fares.

“Vital funding from National Government will allow us to progress exciting future projects, such as Superloop 2 and other improvements to the tube network, as we continue to build a fairer, safer and greener London for all .”

Michael Liebreich, a former TfL board member who served on the finance committee, told the Telegraph: “Metro and rail users are seen as wealthier. If you look at the politics around Labour’s election platform, buses are seen as “people’s transport”, while the metro is seen as urban worker transport.

“Bus ridership has been declining since 2017 and has not fully recovered since the pandemic. What is actually needed is a complete overhaul of London’s bus routes.

“When you’re giving away gifts worth a few hundred million pounds a year, over an eight-year period, you suddenly realize you’re missing billions and billions. Sadiq never made any real cost reductions. It never carried out a real overhaul of routes and services. He only gave poorly targeted tariff giveaways for political reasons.

“There is now a real black hole at the center of TfL’s finances. There have been before, and always, his reaction has always been to go to the central government and force them to give him more money. I’m sure that’s his plan now too.

Alex Williams, Transport for London’s director of customer and strategy, said: “This fares package aims to keep fares as affordable as possible while supporting London’s continued economic growth. »

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