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Oyster card bus and tram fares cut by 10p
Last updated at 12:08pm on 01.10.07
All bus and tram fares paid for by Oyster card have been cut from today from £1 to 90p.
The price of a weekly bus pass on Oyster was reduced from £14 to £13 in moves unveiled by Ken Livingstone. Cash fares remain at £2 per journey.
The Mayor said transport would become part of the "election battle ground" between him and Conservative challenger Boris Johnson.
Mr Livingstone said: "When I came in, the buses were a rundown service, underfunded and underused. We now have more people than ever using the buses. That is why it will be an election issue."
He added that the cut would help some of the poorest people in London.
He said: "The buses go equally north and south of the river and across all the zones so it is fairer to cut fares on them as opposed to the Tube.
"I would love to be able to announce a cut to Tube fares as well but the train operating companies have the right to ask for a rise of inflation plus one per cent as part of their deal on the Tube.
This cut has cost around £36 million which we have raised from the increases in passengers. But a cut on the Tube would cost hundreds of millions of pounds and we don't have that kind of money."
Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy, who joined Mr Livingstone at the launch of the new fares, said the system would be able to cope with extra passengers tempted on to the buses by cheaper fares.
He said: "We have the best bus service in terms of reliability that we have had since 1958.
"This was borne out last year when almost two billion people travelled on London buses, the highest number since the Sixties. The cut to the price of the weekly bus pass also means this is the cheapest big city in the country to travel around by bus."
The cut was introduced overnight - a move made possible by the electronic system which is centrally programmed. It is the latest variation in fares made possible by Oyster.
Discount fares for people on income support were introduced in August, with half-price bus and tram travel.
More than 10 million of the swipe cards have been issued. Its popularity has led to credit card companies producing a "super Oyster" which can be used to pay for items under £10 in some shops. Experts believe London is heading for a "cashless Zone 1", with almost all financial transactions taking place electronically.
Reader views (11)
Still otherwise the public transport service gets worse and worse and I am scared what will happen when the Olympics visitors will arrive in town... They have no blue card... All seems so unprepared.
- Pete, London
How long before the data collected about Londoner's journeys made by Oyster are passed on to government departments?
- Casper, Ibiza Spain
London transport has gotten considerably worse over the last few years. Buses are unreliable, tubes overcrowded and dirty, taxi's way too expensive. And then the mayor is pushing his blue plastic card as if that resolves anything? He has been doubling cash fares and still that silly blue card is unpopular just like him!
- Jeff, London
Well done Ken, you've reduced the fare 10p. After giving the unemployed and under 16's free bus travel which is funded by us taxpayers, you give us a 10p rebate, thanks, that'll come in really handy. How about for once you don't have your portion of the council tax go up by 7 times inflation as you have year on year since you came into power?
Come in mayor Ken, your time is up!
- Terry Roll, London
Great - but what about the people like me who bought a bus 'season ticket' at the beginning of this year - will I get a refund when I buy my next one or get a 'free' week/month? I only bought it as it was cheaper than paying £1 for every journey.
- Lynda, Victoria, London
Buses used to cost 80p a few years ago, and as for the cost of using the tube -only house prices have managed to increase more!
A journey on the Tokyo underground is 70p - 90p. Air-conditioned, double-length and double-width trains and no delays closed lines. The peak of rush-hour is bliss compared to the London underground.
- Mark, Fulham
As someone whe gets a train and a tube on my daily commute, why do I get the feeling that this is going to cost me more money somehow?
- Paul, London
That's great for all the people who can have Oyster. Being that I live in Essex and travel into central London every day for work, I have to buy a travelcard. My rail company (One) does not support Oyster.
Nice discounts if you can get it. My annual ticket costs over £3000. No discount for me!
- Lesley, Essex
The Oyster card technology simply does not work reliably. I feel so sorry for Oyster card users who have to put their cards on the readers three or four times to get through. On the other hand, travel cards work first time every time. The type of passive card technology used on Oyster cards works well in some applications and environments, but not on London Underground.
- Phil Jones, London, UK
Election around the corner anyone?
- Mike, Sussex
Funny that, my wife was only getting charged 90p per journey yesterday!
- Mark, South-East London
