Twenty five days into his new Mayoralty, Boris Johnson today announced his plans to double the bus fares of Londoners on income support.
City Hall announced today that it would end the agreement negotiated between London and Venezuela which guaranteed half price bus fares for Londoners on income support.
In exchange for contributions towards energy to power London buses from the oil rich South American state, TFL had previously offered advice on how to manage transport policy. However The Mayor this morning said that he believes this mutually beneficial agreement made many Londoners feel "uncomfortable" and thus the deal would not be renewed, effectively doubling the cost of bus fares for the poorest people in London.
The changes will take place six months after the deal runs out in August, meaning that as people's Oyster cards expire they will have to pay an 100% increase for their journeys.
Former Mayor Ken Livingstone was quick to comment calling the move "a direct attack on the poorest Londoners" which "gives us a taste of what we can expect from the Johnson administration. Thousands of Londoners are being attacked by the Mayor of their city by this decision."
"Boris Johnson's London will be a Tory laboratory" read the Telegraph's headline on May 4th. It has become clear today what that means; right wing cronyism and sustained attacks on the most vulnerable groups in society.
http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=17053
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2 comments:
According to the BBC this isn't true. The Venezuelan deal will end, unsurprisingly considering the politics involved, but the half price fares will stay. Boris isn't that stupid.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/7419227.stm
Paintdry,
He will honour the deal untill it expires, at which point
(I think February next year) fares will double.
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