Boris and Ken clash over Tube fare rises

The Tory mayoral candidate seized on the fact that travelcards went up by an average of 3.8 per cent this month and accused Mr Livingstone of "serial dishonesty" over fares.

The Mayor hit back, blaming train operators for forcing up the cost of the travelcard and pointing out that single Tube and bus Oyster fares had been frozen for 2008.

Mr Johnson said the "freeze" masks the Mayor's record of increasing fares in virtually every year since his re-election in 2004.

He pointed out that when Mr Livingstone was last running for re-election, he promised to hold any future fare increases to "no more than the rate of inflation".

But in his second term, the Mayor increased Tube fares over three consecutive years - twice above inflation.

Mr Johnson also highlighted Transport for London figures showing London Underground received more than £130 million extra revenue over the past three years than they had anticipated.

"Why has he consistently increased fares on the Tube over the last three years, if he has consistently got more money in than he expected? And where has this extra money gone? All this amounts to serial dishonesty," he said.

A spokesman for Mr Livingstone said that the Mayor had decided to put up fares above inflation to raise money to repay interest on billions borrowed from the City for investment in the Tube network.

He added that when fare revenues exceeded projections last year the Mayor cut single bus fares from £1 to 90p and froze all fares he controls this year - a cut in real terms.