The Liberal Democrat Party has joined a campaign lobbying for the introduction of one-hour bus tickets in London.
A petition has been launched, calling on the mayor, Boris Johnson, to change his stance on the matter, which would enable the capital’s commuters to switch buses within a one-hour timeframe for the cost of a single journey.
Caroline Pidgeon, the Lib Dem’s London Assembly transport spokeswoman, said: ‘You can already switch from Tube to Tube on the same ticket, so it makes real sense to allow people to do the same with buses. It really is unfair that people who use Oyster pay-as-you-go have to pay a new fare every time they change buses.’
Pigeon pointed to other similar schemes running successfully in Paris, Rome and Brussels. ‘One hour bus tickets would also make bus travel very attractive to a lot of people who often don’t use the bus at present.
‘[They] could even lead to a shift away from people using their cars for short trips, and help to reduce congestion across London,’ she added.
A spokesperson for Johnson said the mayor did not plan to introduce the scheme because it would be complex and expensive, and would only benefit the minority.
‘Approximately 33% of journeys are made free of charge using Freedom, income support, zip or veterans passes. To introduce a time-limited pass would also mean TfL having to cover the expense of doing so by either increasing fares or seeking additional funding from elsewhere.’
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
