Transport usage figures obtained by Green Party Assembly Member, Jenny Jones, illustrate the groups of Londoners who are being hit hardest by January’s above-inflation bus fare rises. (1)
o Four times as many part-time workers and students use the buses than those in full-time employment.
o Over 72% of all black ethnic groups’ public transport usage is on the buses and only 15% on the underground (compared to averages of 52% and 28% respectively).
o 53% of women use the buses more than two days a week, compared to 44% of men.
Official documents also show that during this Mayor’s term of office, the annual bus subsidy will have dropped £180m to £539m, whilst the annual Underground subsidy will have doubled from £588m to £1,065m (excluding capital investment). As twice as many trips are made by bus than the Underground, in the coming financial year the taxpayer will contribute over four times as much to each tube passenger trip than bus (£.1.01 and 25p respectively).
Jenny Jones said:
"The Mayor and Transport for London have clearly decided that there should be less subsidy for bus users and a lot more subsidy for tube users. That means the heaviest burden of fare increases is falling on people who are often the least able to afford them. It’s deeply worrying that part time workers, students, women and ethnic minorities are the biggest users of buses and they appear to be hit disproportionately by the Mayor’s decision to favour tube users."
"This situation is clearly unfair, especially as bus passengers are going to be paying a lot more, for less services, as the Mayor cuts buses across London. Given the proof that more vulnerable groups are suffering most from bus fare rises, I will again urge the Mayor to reverse the increase. If there is a gap in the finances he should keep the western extension of the congestion charge and cancel pet projects like getting rid of bendy buses." (3)
Notes to editors
1) Figures from TfL’s London Transport Demand Survey in 2007/08.
2) TfL Business Plan 2009
Johnson’s Mayoralty
2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
2008 business plan
Bus network income 1,080 1,102 1,148 1,199 1,259
Bus network costs -1,739 -1,822 -1763 -1,854 -1,938
Net bus subsidy -659.3 -719.8 -615 -655 -679
Bus subsidy per bus kilometre £1.41 £1.51 £1.26 £1.34 £1.39
Bus subsidy per passenger trip £0.30 £0.32 £0.27 £0.29 £0.30
Real Bus subsidy per passenger trip with 2.7% inflation £0.25 £0.26 £0.27 £0.28 £0.28
% change in real subsidy per passenger @ 2.7% inflation -10.00% 2.90% 3.00% -0.30%
Underground income 1,655 1,769 1,755 1,844 1,965
Underground costs -2,136 -2,357 -2426 -2,720 -2,750
Net underground subsidy -481.7 -588.1 -671 -876 -785
Underground subsidy per kilometre £6.83 £8.33 £9.54 £12.00 £10.55
Underground subsidy per passenger trip £0.45 £0.54 £0.60 £0.77 £0.67
£0.37 £0.44 £0.60 £0.75 £0.63
% change in real subsidy per passenger @ 2.7% inflation -19.80% 17.00% 25.60% -15.60%
2009 business plan
Bus network income 1,080 1,102 1,115 1,185 1,237
Bus network costs -1,739 -1,822 -1690 -1,709 -1,776
Net bus subsidy -659.3 -719.8 -575 -524 -539
Bus subsidy per passenger trip £0.30 £0.32 £0.26 £0.24 £0.25
Underground income 1,655 1,769 1,609 1,656 1,748
Underground costs -2,136 -2,357 -2459 -2,836 -2,813
Net underground subsidy -481.7 -588.1 -850 -1180 -1065
Underground subsidy per passenger trip £0.45 £0.54 £0.81 £1.14 £1.01
3) According to the TfL Business Plan 2009, there will be a decline of 3.5m bus kilometres being run between this and next financial year, and a total of 7.5m by 2014/15. These cuts will affect all passengers, regardless of fare-paying status:
o The proportion of public transport trips made by bus amongst Londoners with a disability is almost one and a half times that of those with no disability.
o Three quarters of bus journeys are made outside of Zone 1, meaning that they are the ones to be hit hardest by bus service cuts.
4) The Mayor’s office refers to the bus service as requiring an "ever-escalating, and ultimately unsustainable, level of taxpayer subsidy". Further, the statistics used in working out the new average fare paid as well the average fare rise takes into account long-term passes and Travelcards, which are arguably unavailable to vulnerable groups who cannot afford them. (http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_mayoral/fares-2010)
Jenny Jones is our candidate for London Mayor 2012. For more information on her campaign, please visit www.jennyforlondon.org