FURY AT HUGE RISE IN FARES ; Pounds 4 for Short Tube Ride in New Year Increases

By DICK MURRAY

COMMUTERS today faced a New Year triple whammy of huge fare rises on the Tube, buses and trains.

Mayor Ken Livingstone faced mounting anger as he pushed up cash fares on the Tube and buses by 33 per cent, with a onestation journey on the Underground in Zone 1 costing Pounds 4. A similar journey on a bus goes up to Pounds 2.

Oystercard fares have been frozen in a bid to encourage people to use the smart card system.

Mainline rail fares increased by up to 11 per cent – sparking accusations that train operators are trying to deal with growing overcrowding by pricing people off the busiest trains.

On average, London’s 500,000 mainline rail commuters face an increase of 4.3 per cent which is above July’s inflation rate of three per cent – the date and level set by the Government for calculating the price rises.

Some fares will rise far higher.

Passengers travelling from Reading to Paddington on First Great Western will

suffer the biggest rise with the cost of a standard return going up from Pounds 25.90 to Pounds 28.30.

Today London commuters voiced their concern, saying the service did not justify the increases.

Steve Collins, 42, an electrician who travels from Bethnal Green to central London, said: “It’s not fair that they’ve frozen the fares for Oystercards and not for monthly travel cards. To be honest I’m actually thinking about cycling into work every day – I’m sick and tired of paying extortionate fares to travel on the Tube.”

Katherine Burr, 23, a sales executive who travels from Sevenoaks to Charing Cross and has seen her monthly season ticket go up almost 10 per cent to Pounds 207, said: “It really ticks me off to pay more money but what can you do?

“The train service was really bad towards the end of last year. The connections never add up, services are always breaking down and then they charge more money.”

Hayley Goodfellow, 23, a Topshop sales assistant, travels from Bexleyheath to Charing Cross. Her monthly fare has risen by Pounds 6 to Pounds 96.

She said: “I begrudge this because it goes up so much during the year anyway and then they sting you come the New Year. The service isn’t great and I’m getting fed up with bus replacement services. I think it’s a cheek that they want to charge me more money for a terrible service.”

There was also anger from passenger watchdogs and Opposition politicians.

Ministers were accused of increasing fares on mainline rail in an effort to ease chronic overcrowding.

Shadow transport secretary Chris Grayling said the Government was “deliberately putting train companies under pressure to push up fares”.

He added: “It’s the only way they can think of to deal with the increasing problem of overcrowding.”

Geoff Pope, spokesman for the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly, condemned the Tube and bus increases as “scandalous”.

TravelWatch chairman Brian Cooke said: “We are extremely concerned about the exorbitant cash fares on both buses and the Tube where a single-stop journey now costs an astronomical Pounds 4.”

But the Mayor urged travellers to use the rises as a prompt to change to Oyster. Mr Livingstone said: “2007 is the year to get onto Oyster if you haven’t already, and today is the best day to start.

“The headlines about big cash fare increases today show that the savings are now to be found on Oyster with many Oyster fares now half the cost of the cash alternative whilst the Oyster daily price cap for adults remains 50 pence below the one-day Travelcard price.

“A single journey on the Tube in Zone 1 is frozen at Pounds 1.50 when using Oyster and peak bus fares with Oyster frozen at Pounds 1.”

Meanwhile, Northern line users were warned they face a possible strike.

Union leaders are balloting in protest over the sacking of a train driver following an incident with signals at Moorgate in September. A series of 24-hour stoppages could take place this month.

TUBE FARES

Overall, fares across the network will rise by an average of just under four per cent (inflation plus one per cent). There is no change to the cash fare for journeys outside zone one.

A single journey on the Tube in zone one is frozen at Pounds 1.50 when using Oyster. The same journey using cash will be Pounds 4.

Travelcards will rise by just under five per cent.

BUS FARES

Fares will increase by an average 6.5 per cent.

The Oyster peak single fare remains frozen at Pounds 1. The off- peak fare goes up from 80p to Pounds 1.

The one-day bus pass is frozen at Pounds 3.50 and the seven-day bus pass increases in line with inflation, from Pounds 13.50 to Pounds 14.

All Oyster single fares are frozen across London.

(c) 2007 Evening Standard; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.