to wonder why London Transport fares have more or less doubled in the past 15 years?

[mothertruck3r]

Just wondering why the costs have gone up so much? What do the extra costs go towards?

Growing up I always heard how technology was going to make life cheaper. Seems the opposite has happened. Everything has got so much more expensive, especially tube and bus travel!

[hefzi]

I thought Sadiq Khan wasn't going to increase fairs during his tenure? Or are you pondering in general? I work a long way from where I grew up, and train fares home have gone from 63 to 72 in the space of 6 years. I seem to think, though, there's always been a couple of percentage points increase for my adult life, in terms of train prices.

[Temporaryname137]

I haven't looked it up but - Didn't they privatise it in about 2002?!

[Nicketynac]

I don't live in London, but got the bus to work a few weeks ago and couldn't believe that a single for a pretty short journey cost more than I used to pay for an all day ticket about 15 years ago.
Diesel is much more expensive though, we have minimum wage etc which all play a part.

[brasty]

Privatisation

[kerryob]

Eh no transport for London is non profit

[vj32]

Public transport in London is really cheap compared to the rest of the country.

My MIL was here a few months ago and got in a real muddle as the bus route from my village to the nearest town (only a couple of miles) is served by two different companies. She tried to use her return ticket on the wrong bus assuming, as in London, one ticket would cover all buses. She had to pay twice for her journey, which was probably 2 or 3 times what it would have been in London anyway.

[YesThisIsMe]

Are you comparing paper single tickets with Oysters? One-off singles have definitely gone up a lot, but that's deliberate to push people onto contactless.

[AndShesGone]

The buses are £1.50 for up to two journeys - so you can travel all across London for that

The tube to me is really cheap too, £3 a day.

Just for some perspective about public transport elsewhere. It was £6 return from one Hertfordshire town to another Hertfordshire town 3 miles away when I was there last year.

I'm not sure London could be cheaper
I think it's the cheapest thing about London

[FormerlyFrikadela01]

Seriously London buses are only £1.50?

Wow. Its £2.10 single fair for me to town which is a 15 minute journey. Or a day ticket is £4.20 but that's only for one bus company.

[LouisvilleLlama]

Over £6 to get to my closest town cebtre a 10 minute car journey

[AndShesGone]

Yep, all buses, all journeys. All night mostly.

[LouisvilleLlama]

Tbf that's an educated guess I got one about 6 years ago and it was £5.80 so I imagine it's gone past that 20p

[formerbabe]

I was thinking the same op about people saying that stuff is cheaper now.

My personal opinion is that actual things are cheaper...Homewares, white goods, clothes etc, but services and leisure facilities are much more expensive.

[chipsandchilli]

In Gateshead a single from my house into Newcastle city centre is £2.85 return £4.80 - 8.5miles

[Davros]

For one thing, the buses in London are a million times better than they were 15 years ago!

[MadisonAvenue]

Where I live in the Midlands we have Arriva buses, I only use them if it's raining heavily and/or have a lot of shopping as a journey of a mile and a half costs £2.20 for a single ticket.
I can get a single train ticket to London for £6.

[QueenLizIII]

When I was in my early 20s bus fares in London were 50p. Then 70p then 80p. Now £1.50.

It isnt 1.50 for two fares you have to change within the hour to get two for £1.50.

[kaputt]

Tube isn't £3 a day is it? Is that a Zone 1 travelcard? Zone 1/2 is about £6 a day I think.

Still fairly reasonable though I reckon. I guess it's an economy of scale thing, plus, if public transport wasn't cheap how on earth would all the min wage workers get into town to serve the poshos!

[corythatwas]

Down here, a single bus journey within the centre of town is £2 and you can't change. You can get a return for £3, but must make sure to come back on the same bus company- the route I travel to work is covered by 3 different bus companies.

[WAFFLEO]

We live in a rural location and for me, my 7 year old and 5 year old on the bus (the only bus company that serves the village) to the nearest town (3 miles) it was £7.20 one way for all of us - I haven't done that again!

When we visit London it seems really great value for money considering all the things there are to see and do and the ability to use trains and buses vs my local town that has Tesco, Aldi and a park.

[caroldecker]

UK average wages have gone from £300 a week in 2000 to £500 a week today. Diesel has gone from 77p/l to £1.26/l.
Tube drivers get paid £50k a year with 43 days holiday.

[AndShesGone]

Yes you do have to change within the hour for £1.50. I go from Greenwich to Kensington for £1.50 and change at Trafalgar Square. Since buses are about every 7 minutes it's very easy to get really far for £1.50.

[PhilODox]

Well fuel costs have doubled, surely.

[travellingfamily]

How much do you think it should have risen by? Half of it is inflation. This Bank of England Calculator here shows general inflation over the past 15 years means it 'should' have risen by 50%. But 15 years is a long time, so a small above inflation increase each year and there you have it. Most lines have been improved, so seems OK to me.

[Creampastry]

Because tube and train drivers get paid stupidly high salaries.