The Rail, Engineering, Energy, Renewables, Power Blog

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson announced this week that bus, tube and rail fares are to rise above the rate of inflation of 7% from 2012 which will be the fourth increase in a row.

This price rise will hit all London commuters from January 2012 and has provoked criticism as the increase will add to the already high prices. Boris Johnson has struck back saying that this increase is necessary to ensure the transport system runs effectively for the capital.

The current system is dependent on fare money to achieve a sustainable and efficient operation of the bus and tube network. Once these fare rises are implemented, opposers say they will affect the most vulnerable such as those on low incomes.

In a bustling city such as London, a modern and efficient transport system is of course required and an integral part of most Londoners lives. In recent years, £12 billion of investment has seen the network become healthy and well-oiled but will the higher travel costs put off commuters? But are there any alternatives? Even with rising petrol costs will people resort to using their own vehicles?

As normal, we want to hear your comments? Perhaps you are commuter? Leave your comments below.

Tags: Boris Johnson, London transport, london underground, mayor of london, Rail Fares, TfL, Transport for London, tube

This entry was posted on Friday, September 16th, 2011 at 8:22 am and is filed under Rail. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.