Lewisham councillor and Chair of the London Assembly, Darren Johnson, will be aiming to freeze bus fares when he seeks to amend the Mayor’s draft budget. The £75m that the Mayor is raising from the 12% bus fare increase would instead be raised mostly from motorists, with the reinstatement of the £25 emissions charge on gas guzzlers and retention of the western extension of the congestion charge.
Responding to the London Mayor’s consultation budget proposals for 2010/11, Darren Johnson said:
"I will seek a reverse of this year’s fare rises on the buses by urging the Assembly to support an amendment to the mayor’s budget. The Mayor’s budget proposals will mean less money raised from car drivers, whilst public transport users are paying more.
"I want to see the Mayor protecting the poorer Londoners by freezing bus fares and making those who pollute more, pay more. The Mayor claims that he has to increase bus fares whilst cutting bus services in order to fill a financial black hole, but a large part the deficit is created by for vanity projects such as scrapping bendy buses and dropping charges designed to discourage polluting cars".
Notes to editors
1. £75m is raise from the 2010 increase in bus fares.
2. Darren’s amendment is likely to feature: £40m from emissions charge; £20m from cancelling abolition of western extension of CC (assuming Dec 2010); £5m saved on physical works removal if no abolition of extension; £10m bringing forward CC increase.