'Fares is the one word Boris dare not utter' - Caroline Pidgeon
12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 5th Oct 2009
Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, commenting on Boris Johnson's speech at the Conservative Party Conference said:
"Boris Johnson can try to peddle the line in Manchester that he is controlling costs and giving Londoners a good deal. However, there was one vital word missing from the Mayor's speech - fares.
"Before last year's Conservative Party Conference the Mayor at least had the decency to inform Londoners that he was planning to hike up fares by an inflation busting 6% for 2009. This year the Mayor has delayed making an announcement for fares in 2010 in the naïve hope that people won't notice.
"While the Mayor boasts about freezing his section of the council tax from April 2010 he remains silent over fares which are a far bigger bill for most Londoners.
"The Mayor needs to come clean and inform Londoners over the real costs they will face in 2010."
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. The 2009 fares package covering bus, tube and tram was announced by the Mayor on the 4th September 2008. http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=18677
2. Regulated train fares for 2010 have already been announced. A small cut in regulated train fares was announced in mid August: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8206942.stm These fares are set by the Department of Transport
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