|
|
|
|
London Tube and bus fares rise by 6 per cent 9/5/2008 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
Boris Johnson risked the wrath of commuters yesterday when he announced a 6 per cent increase in Tube and bus fares. The Mayor of London blamed the hike on his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, claiming that he had left him with a black hole in Transport for London funding this year of more than £80 million. Mr Johnson said: “I have been left to tackle the unfunded legacy of Livingstone’s largesse.”
Mr Livingstone described the claim as totally false.
Some fares will rise by more than 6 per cent, with the cost of a single bus trip increasing from 90p to £1, more than 10 per cent. Mr Johnson said there would be “tough choices” ahead regarding transport projects and said that he was not willing to spend much money on the proposed Cross River Tram, a link between North and South London.
The fares increase was welcomed by business. Baroness Valentine, chief executive of London First, said: “It’s vital that TfL balances its books, so this may be an unpopular decision, but a brave one.”
|
|
|
|
|