Central London Tube fares are set to jump by 12 per cent as the Mayor of London says he wants to protect Londoners in outer boroughs from even higher costs.
Tube Pay As You Go fares in Zone 1 will increase by 30p from £2.50 to £2.80 as journeys in the centre of London are more likely to be made for tourism or leisure, according to Sadiq Khan’s office. The new fares will come into effect on 5 March.
The Mayor of London has said he hopes the increase in fares can protect outer Londoners travelling into Central London to work from bigger costs.
He said: “I froze Transport for London (TfL) fares for five years from 2016 to make transport more affordable for millions of Londoners.
“But my hands have been tied since the pandemic by the strict conditions set by the Government in the recent emergency funding agreement for TfL, which means fares have to be increase in London by the same amount as national rail fares – 5.9 per cent.
“This is a challenging time for our city, with a Government that is not fully funding our public services, but I’m determined to step up so that we can continue building a greener, safer and fairer London for everyone.”
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Tube fares set by Transport for London (TfL) will increase across the network by an average of 5.9 per cent.
Fares will remain lower in outer London to try and encourage people to keep using public transport. More people tend to use their cars in the outer parts of the city, according to TfL.
Fares across the TfL network increased by an average of 4.8 per cent on 1 March 2022 – but inflation has soared since, and the mayor previously said double-digit fare rises were on the cards for 2023.
Michael Roberts, Chief Executive for London TravelWatch, said: “Many Londoners are already feeling the pinch with cost-of-living pressures so this fares rise of 5.9% across TfL services will be challenging for many people.
“More people use the bus every day in the capital than any other type of transport. Buses are used most by lower income Londoners, so we are particularly disappointed that these fares were not capped.”
Meanwhile, London train passengers are expected to see fares increase by nearly six per cent from 5 March, the largest rise in more than a decade.
Passengers travelling from outer London to the city centre will see their season tickets jump significantly. For example, a monthly season ticket from East Croydon to London Victoria on Southern will rise from £172.10 to £182.25 – an increase of £10.15.
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