(posted 7543 days ago)South London Press
NewsKen hikes fares to make up for C-charge shortfall
Aug 22 2003LONDON Mayor Ken Livingstone hiked Tube and bus fares this week to help make up a £65million shortfall in congestion-charging revenue.
A single from Zone 2 into central London - a ticket bought regularly by large swathes of commuters travelling from Clapham, Stockwell, Kennington and New Cross - will go up from £2.00 to £2.20.
The price of a weekly Travelcard will increase to £20.20 from £19.60. Tube users travelling from Zone 3 into town, from Tooting and Balham, will see the price of a single go up from £2.30 to £2.50. Weekly Travelcards will go up to £23.80 from £23.10.
Tube users who travel from Zone 1 from stations like Vauxhall, Waterloo, Southwark, Lambeth North, London Bridge and Borough - face even bigger hikes.
The price of a single Zone 1 ticket rises from £1.60 to £2 - an increase of 25 per cent. A Zone 1 weekly Travelcard goes up £2, from £16.50 to £18.50.
And things are not much better on the buses. Bus fares in large parts of South London will rise from 70p to a £1.
The changes will come into place on Sunday, January 4.
Also from next year, children under 11 will travel free on all London buses. Tube passengers will continue paying 2003 fares, but only if they use the new 'Oyster Smartcard' on the daily commute.
The total predicted net revenue increase from the revised fare structure for 2004 is £42million on the Tube and £39million on the buses. The success, or otherwise, of the congestion-charging scheme is due to come under the spotlight at City Hall in early September when the Mayor will reveal figures on exactly how much the scheme has raised in its first six months of operation.
What do you think about the fare increases?
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