TfL announces bus and Tube fares will be increasing by almost six per cent

Transport for London has announced an increase of nearly six per cent for Tube and bus fares, marking the biggest price hike in over 10 years.

The daily and weekly cap on pay-as-you-go Tube fares will increase by up to 6.7 per cent, and the daily cap on Tube travel between Zones one to four will now be £11.70 instead of £11.

Bus fares will also rise by 10p, making them £1.75.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said TfL’s increased revenue from fares will go towards “vital frontline public services” like the police and Fire Brigade, which he claimed have been underfunded by the government.

He said: “I froze 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.”

In an effort to keep travel expenses “as low as possible” for daily commuters, he said the fare increases outside Central London have been kept minimal to let tourists around Zone one bear the brunt of the price hike.

He also scrapped plans to increase the qualifying age for the 60+ Oyster, but the ban on free travel before 9am for owners of the card during the pandemic has been made permanent.

These increases, alongside a 57 per cent spike in council tax since he was elected, have not been well received. Peter Fortune, deputy leader of the GLA Conservatives, said the TfL price increases represent “a major cost of Khan crisis.”

The Mayor said: “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.”

Here’s a breakdown of the main TfL price changes:

• Zone one peak-hour tube fares will increase by 12 per cent, with prices rising to £2.80.
• Zone one off-peak tube travel fares will increase by 20p to £2.70.
• The daily cap on tube and rail fares will rise from £11 to £11.70.
• The majority of single tube fares will rise by 10p.
• Weekly Zones one to six Travelcard prices will increase from £70.50 to £74.50

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