Today Boris Johnson announced that Barclays Cycle access and hire fees are to double from January, with the cost of travelling by public transport rising above inflation.
The Conservative Mayor has been accussed of trying to distract attention from the fare rises by making the announcement on the day of the US election results. From January, Barclays Cycle Hire access fees will rise from £1 to £2 per day, £5 to £10 a week and £45 to £95 a year. In addition, Londoners who travel by tube, DLR, bus or Overground will face an average 4.2% fare rise. Oyster fares for buses will increase by 5p to £1.40, whilst Oyster users on the tube will pay up to 20p more for a single ticket.
Green London Assembly Member Darren Johnson has responded to the Mayor’s announcement, arguing that rising costs will deter Londoners from using the cycle hire and that the Mayor must negotiate a better deal over sponsorship.
As yet it is unclear how much of the money current sponsors Barclays promised towards the scheme has been paid out. Both Darren and Green Assembly Member Jenny Jones have repeatedly questioned the Mayor over the value of the Barclays sponsorship deal, particularly after it emerged that the bank was involved in the Libor scandal.
Darren Johnson Green AM quizzing Mayor over Barclays
sponsorship during the Libor scandal
Darren Johnson commented:
“The Mayor should be doing more to help hard pressed Londoners who want to travel by public transport or bike. Instead, he is going in the wrong direction on fares and cycle hire access fees. The Mayor could keep fares at or below inflation this year by taking a polluter pays more approach and raising the congestion charge. He should also start introducing pay as you go driving across the whole of London. It is in his Transport Strategy as a longer term option and is a far better way forward than constantly raising fares above inflation.”
“Cycle hire is a great innovation which is meant to encourage all Londoners to get on a bike. I hoped that the long overdue expansion of cycle hire into new areas of London would encourage poorer Londoners to give it a go, but raising the access fee will put people off. Cycle hire needs to be more self financing as it expands and that means the Mayor must negotiate a far better deal over sponsorship.”