- Council provides funds to help small businesses
- Financial help for keeping warm this winter
- Improve your health at York House
- Heathrow's airtrack train plan criticised
- Have your own say on Academies
- Mayor's Christmas invite
- Net closing on Council Tax cheats
- Step pedal jump your way to rugby!
- Borough has the lowest level of alcohol fueled crimes in London
- Play safe at Halloween warning
- Enjoy a week of entertainment at Heathfield centre
- Spreading the safety message
- New funding agreed to combat the recession
- Support your local lollipop person
- Disappointment as Boris' public transport costs rise
- Ham and Petersham win £100,000 for low carbon zone
- Borough children's favourite nursery rhyme revealed on Bookstart Day
- Eastender at East Sheen Library
- Destination Richmond
- Green fingers win prizes for winning allotments
- Free flood warnings for residents at risk in Richmond
- Huge turnout for older people's event
- RISE event success
- Best Cemetery Award for Richmond and East Sheen
- Take part in Black History Month celebrations
- World Sight Day celebrated
- Question time comes to Richmond
- 2M fears local people may loose out to Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC)
- 1,000 people control their social care budgets
- £2.85 million for new homes
- Richmond Council confirms sponsor for Shene Academy
- Richmond Council extends CO2 parking
Release Date: 19/10/2009
Disappointment as Boris' public transport costs rise
Richmond Council has criticised Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s decision to increase fares for public transport in London, and has called for an explanation of how the extra money will benefit commuters using the borough’s tube, overground and bus network.
The Mayor said on Thursday 15 October that bus fares would rise by 12.7 per cent and pay as you go Oyster bus fares will rise by 20 per cent from £1 to £1.20. Tube fares will rise by 3.9 per cent next year.
Cllr David Trigg, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Traffic, Transport and Parking, said: “Putting up bus fares by almost 13 per cent while the Retail Price Index and inflation are at historically low levels – in the region of zero - will only encourage more people to get in their cars and start driving to work or taking their kids to school again. That will only serve to block up our already congested roads and to pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
“In Richmond upon Thames we’ve worked hard with Transport for London through our Smarter Travel programme to encourage people to walk, ride bikes or use public transport, to reduce congestion on our roads and improve their health. This decision is disappointing for our residents given the otherwise positive work we’ve done with TfL recently.”
Cllr Trigg will this week write to Mr Johnson’s transport advisor Kulveer Ranger to express the Council’s views and to ask for details of how much extra money TfL expects to raise from the fare increases, and a breakdown of how it will be spent. He will urge Mr Ranger to reconsider the rise and ensure the money is spent in boroughs and on projects which will protect the environment.
Cllr Trigg added: “We have been encouraging residents to use public transport when they are travelling to work, to our local shops and schools, and the Mayor could have played a big role in this by freezing ticket prices in the same way that he’s frozen his share of Council Tax.
“We appreciate the support and funding which comes from Transport for London for other schemes in Richmond upon Thames, but in this particular case we would urge the Mayor to think again, especially when we are trying to get people to switch from cars to walking or other forms of transport.”
The Council believes the Mayor should instead look for increased efficiencies at TfL in the same way as he has done in City Hall to create extra money for front line improvements, rather than increase fares from customers to generate extra cash during the recession.
View the full press release