As Boris Johnson prepares for Tory conference speech RMT exposes full extent of London fares rip off
As Boris Johnson prepares for Tory Conference speech RMT reveals Tube fares have risen six times faster than wages on his watch

As the London Mayor prepares for his annual Tory conference show-boating speech, tube union RMT said today that he stands accused of hammering the travelling public on both fare increases and attacks on quality of services through cuts to staffing and capacity.

Boris Johnson was elected Mayor of London in May 2008. Since then the cost of using the Underground has risen sharply – and has significantly outstripped average wage increases, inflation, and even the rise in London property prices.

The total rise in wages in this five year period was 7.7%, the total rise in inflation was 16.3% and house prices have increase by 16.8%.

Yet Tube fares have risen six times faster than wages and three times more than inflation.

For example an Oyster peak single Tube fare in Zones 1 – 4 rose from £2.50 to £3.80. This represents a total rise over the period of 52%, over six times as much as wages and three times as much as inflation.

A cash single Tube fare in Zones 1 - 4 rose from £4.00 to £5.50. This represents a total rise over the period of 37.5% - almost five times as much as wages and over twice as much as inflation.

Even the option of buying monthly and annual season tickets has not protected hard pressed Tube users.

Monthly Travelcard Zones 1 – 4 rose from £132.90 to £167.50. This represents a total rise over the period of 26% - almost three and half times as much as wages and over one and a half times as much as inflation.

Annual season tickets have also risen by 26% for zones 1 – 4 rising from £1,384 to £1,744 - again three and a half times as much as wages and over one and a half times as much as inflation.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“Leave aside the conference grand-standing, the stone cold fact is that on Boris Johnson's watch hard-pressed travellers have been forced to endure inflation busting fare increases while the Mayor and his officials have also taken the axe to safety and staffing levels and are currently cooking up further cuts that would destroy ticket offices, access and security the length and breadth of the network.

"Instead of wheeling out all the usual union-bashing rhetoric the Mayor should be facing up to the truth and start hauling back his double whammy of fare increases and cash cuts before we hit meltdown. "