Boris rebuffs Lib Dem calls for one hour bus passes (From Surrey Comet)
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London Mayor Boris Johnson rebuffs Lib Dem calls for one hour bus passes
8:50am Sunday 26th April 2009 in News By Kim Lusher
Kingston and Surbiton’s MP has been rebuffed by Boris Johnson in his bid to bring in one-hour bus passes for travellers.
The Liberal Democrats launched a petition for unlimited bus travel within an hour for the price of a single journey.
But a spokesman for the Mayor of London said the idea is not practical or worthwhile.
MP Edward Davey said: "I think it’s a strong innovative idea and seems logical.
"Public transport needs to be encouraged and one-hour bus passes, like the Oyster card, should be taken seriously.
"If the Mayor doesn’t want to be seen as promoting this idea then he seriously needs to reconsider."
Mr Davey said he wanted the public to have a say on the idea.
European cities like Rome and Paris already use the one-hour bus tickets but the Mayor does not support the idea for London.
A spokesman for Boris Johnson said: "It would be an extremely complex and expensive exercise that would only benefit a small number of passengers as the majority of bus users in London pay for journeys using pre-paid season tickets or concessionary passes."
• What do you think about one hour bus tickets? Tell us by calling Mike Didymus on 0208 330 9553 or leave a comment below.
Comments(4)
Fred1
says...
12:00am Mon 27 Apr 09
I certainly wouldn't want to see complexity added to transport ticket pricing system for its own sake. It's complicated enough as it is.
martnal
says...
10:12am Mon 27 Apr 09
I travel a lot less as 2 or 3 £1 bus trips and the return get expensive. It's a great idea, but one hour seems a bit short. Try completing two trips in 60 minutes and see.
James P
says...
12:04pm Mon 27 Apr 09
Also Ed it's not innovative if they do it in Rome and Paris.
Tony from Surbiton says...
10:49pm Sun 26 Apr 09
Of course cheaper bus fares would be good, but the money has to come from somewhere. If a ticket was valid for an hour, then the cost would need to rise to make up for the lost money, making a ticket for someone who wants a single bus ride even more expensive than the current £2 charge.