Sadiq Khan freezes London Tube and bus fares until 2025 in boost for commuters

19 January 2024, 07:48

Sadiq Khan has announced London Tube and bus fares will be frozen until 2025
Sadiq Khan has announced London Tube and bus fares will be frozen until 2025. Picture: Alamy

By Asher McShane

Transport for London (TfL) fares will be frozen until March next year, Sadiq Khan has announced.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The Labour mayor of London, who chairs TfL, said he "wasn't prepared to stand by" while passengers pay more for public transport.

Susan Hall, his Conservative opponent in May's mayoral election, described the policy as a "last roll of the dice".

The freeze will apply to pay-as-you-go fares for bus, Tube, DLR and tram journeys, and the majority of those fares for London Overground and Elizabeth line trips.

Mr Khan said this will be paid for by allocating £123 million of Greater London Authority funding.

Read more: Home Office hires aircraft hangar to practise forcing migrants on Rwanda deportation flights

Read more: Kate's family 'rally around' after operation as they clear diaries to help with George, Charlotte and Louis

Conservative politicians previously criticised Mr Khan for freezing fares for the first four years after he was elected in May 2016, claiming this damaged TfL's finances and contributed to the transport body being reliant on Government bailouts following the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Khan has insisted the need for funding was caused by the collapse in revenue from the drop in passenger numbers due to the virus crisis.

City Hall said an example of the benefits of the freeze include someone commuting from Hornchurch to a central London station five days a week avoiding a potential 20p increase to their fare, saving up to £90 a year.

By contrast, the Government set a cap of 4.9% for rises in regulated fares on mainline train services in England from March 3.

City Hall calculated that TfL fares will be 14% lower this year than if they had risen in line with England's rail fares since 2016.

Mr Khan said: "While people across the country face another hike in their rail fares, I simply wasn't prepared to stand by and see TfL customers face a similar hike.

"This is the fifth fares freeze I've done since becoming mayor, making transport in our city 21% cheaper than it would have been had fares risen by inflation.

"This shows that whenever I can freeze fares, I do so.

"As we continue building a fairer, greener and more prosperous London for everyone, making public transport more affordable and appealing will continue to be a key part of my plan."

Ms Hall said: "This fares freeze is Sadiq Khan's last roll of the dice, because he knows that his eight years of failure will catch up with him this May.

"After pleading poverty throughout his mayoralty, Sadiq Khan expects us to believe that he has miraculously conjured up this money, when the truth is we will be paying for it through increased council tax, his unfair Ulez expansion and a new tax that will charge you for every mile you drive."

The fares freeze will not include paper Travelcards, which can also be used for mainline rail journeys in the capital.

Some 80% of Tube journeys and 74% of bus journeys are made on a pay-as-you-go basis, City Hall said.

Mr Khan also announced that fines for fare dodgers will rise from £80 to £100 - reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days - from March 3.

In January last year, the Department for Transport increased the penalty fare on rail services to £100.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Donald Trump has said he has no choice but to launch mass deportations

Trump says US 'has no choice but to deport illegal immigrants' en masse, as he starts to build top team

Prince William said the past year has been 'brutal'

Prince William says past year has been 'probably the hardest in his life' after Charles and Kate's cancer diagnoses

Ian Botham was saved from the crocodile by his former rival Merv Hughes

Ian Botham saved from crocodiles by former Australian cricket rival after falling into remote river

Sara Sharif was found dead

Sara Sharif’s ‘evil’ stepmum tied her up with packaging tape, father tells court

Three people have been charged in connection with the death of One Direction star Liam Payne

Three people charged in connection with death of One Direction star Liam Payne after he fell from hotel balcony

Mohammed Aslam and Mohammed Nazir have been jailed for their involvement in the 'hitwoman in a hijab' plot

Father and son jailed after hiring 'hitwoman in a hijab' for botched revenge killing in Birmingham

Kira Rudyk has warned against Trump's 'illusion' of negotiating with Putin over Ukraine

Putin congratulates 'brave' Trump on election victory as Ukrainian MP warns against 'illusion' of peace negotiations

Women are swearing off men following Donald Trump's election win.

American women are swearing off sex with men after Donald Trump's election victory

The HS2 chairman has defended the £100m cost of a bat shed

HS2 facing backlash after cost of 'bat shed' exceeds £100m

Exclusive
Andrew Bailey has warned against the fragmentation of the global economy

'Tariffs can fracture the global economy': Bank of England governor warns against trade barriers after Trump win

Two women were arrested after locking themselves to the Scottish Parliament in a climate protest

Climate activists arrested after locking on to Scottish Parliament

Gary Neville has been forced to close his Michelin star restaurant

Gary Neville's restaurant forced into liquidation with £1m debts

President Joe Biden addressed the nation for the first time since the election

Biden pledges 'peaceful transition of power' as he promises to work with Trump in last days of administration

Dylan Willis who has been freed by the Court of Appeal

Teenager jailed after unrest to be released as court of appeal alters sentence

The 'disgusting' balls shut down beaches in Sydney

Revealed: Mysterious origin of 'disgusting' black balls that washed up on Sydney beaches

Kanya Ntuli absconded from Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford on Friday

Urgent appeal to find man who absconded from mental health facility in East London