Tube, Bus Fares and Congestion Charge Going Up

TUBE and bus fares are to shoot up in the New Year in a move by London Mayor Boris Johnson that he admits means “grim times” for commuters.

As an example, from January, bus fares paid via Oyster card go up to £1.20 from £1.00 and single Tube fares rise from £1.60 to £1.80.

Overall, bus fares face a 12.7% increase and Tube fares a hike of 3.9%. General inflation is currently running at 1.1%.

The Congestion Charge is on the way up, too, from £8 to £10, though the date for that bump has yet to be finalised.

“Nobody wants to make a decision like this, especially when Londoners are feeling the effects of the recession,” said Johnson, who went on to blame previous Mayor Ken Livingstone for the hikes.

“These look like grim times, but we have to have a reality check from the fantasy that perpetuated beforehand,” he said.