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Sadiq Khan has declared that Transport for London (TfL) fees will remain unchanged until March of next year.
The mayor of London, who is in charge of TfL, stated that he was not willing to tolerate an increase in fares for public transportation.
Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate running against him in the upcoming mayoral election in May, referred to the policy as a final attempt.
The freeze will be implemented for one-time payment fares for bus, Tube, DLR, and tram rides, as well as most of the fares for London Overground and Elizabeth line trips.
According to Mr Khan, the cost will be covered by allocating £123 million from the Greater London Authority’s budget.
In May 2016, after being elected, Mr Khan was criticized by conservative politicians for implementing a fare freeze for four years. They argued that this negatively impacted TfL’s finances and led to the organization relying on government bailouts during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Khan emphasized the necessity for financial support, which was prompted by the decline in revenue resulting from a decrease in passenger count due to the current pandemic.
The City Hall announced that a freeze on fare increases will benefit those who commute from Hornchurch to a central London station five days a week. This will save them from a potential 20p increase in their fare, resulting in annual savings of up to £90.
The government imposed a maximum increase of 4.9% for regulated fares on mainline train services in England starting March 3rd.
According to the City Hall’s calculations, TfL fares will be 14% less this year compared to what they would have been if they had increased at the same rate as England’s rail fares since 2016.
Mr Khan said: “While people across the country face another hike in their rail fares, I simply wasn’t prepared to stand by and see TfL customers face a similar hike.
As the mayor, I have implemented five fare freezes, resulting in a 21 percent decrease in transportation costs within our city compared to what it would have been with inflation.
This demonstrates that I always freeze fares when possible.
My goal is to create a fair, environmentally-friendly, and prosperous city for all Londoners. Improving the affordability and appeal of public transportation will remain a crucial aspect of my plan.
Ms Hall stated that the current freeze on fares is Sadiq Khan’s final attempt to improve his political standing, as he is aware that his eight years of unsuccessful leadership will come to light in the upcoming May election.
“Despite consistently citing financial struggles during his time as mayor, Sadiq Khan now claims to have magically acquired this money. However, the reality is that taxpayers will bear the burden through higher council taxes, the unjust expansion of the Ulez, and a new tax that charges individuals for each mile they drive.”
A representative for Mayor Kahn has stated that he has rejected the idea of implementing a pay-per-mile charging system and it is not being considered as an option.
The temporary suspension of fare increases will not apply to physical Travelcards, which can also be utilized for train travel within the city.
According to City Hall, a majority of Tube journeys (80%) and bus journeys (74%) are paid for using a pay-as-you-go system.
Mr. Khan stated that the penalty for individuals who do not pay their fare will increase from £80 to £100, but can be reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days, starting on March 3rd.
Last January, the Department for Transport raised the fine for rail services to £100.
Source: independent.co.uk
