The cost of a trip to London could shoot up by 29 percent when travelling from Wokingham if the capital’s mayor Sadiq Khan decides to scrap Day Travelcards.
That’s according to a letter to the London Mayor sent by Wokingham Borough Council as it hit out against the plans.
Khan is “exploring the option” of ending the Day Travelcard scheme as part of cost-saving measures.
The tickets allow unlimited travel on Transport for London services within travel zones 1-6. They cost from £15.20 for off peak or anytime travel in Zone1 to £27.20 for anytime travel between Zones 1 and 9.
People travelling into London by train can add a Travelcard onto their rail ticket. But if the London mayor scraps them, travellers from outside would have to both pay for their rail fare and then buy new tickets in London or use pay as you go contactless cards.
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In a letter to Khan, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for travel Paul Fishwick said this could mean “significant” increases for travellers from Wokingham or Twyford stations.
He explained in the letter that a ticket with Travelcard currently costs £26.40 from Twyford and £32.40 from Wokingham. But he said that could rise to as much as £41.70 from Wokingham if the Travelcard is scrapped.
That’s based on an off-peak return rail ticket to London costing £18.60 and a maximum pay as you go fare of £14.90 between Zones 1 and 6. From Twyford, the ticket could cost as much as £33.50.
Cllr Fishwick told Khan: “Cost increases of 27-29% are significant, especially set against the backdrop of the current increases in cost of living which have resulted in residents having less disposal income.”
He also said: “Residents in Wokingham Borough travel to London for many purposes including peak travel for employment and off-peak family leisure travel.
“For residents travelling from all Wokingham Borough stations, especially families with children, the proposal will mean making multiple purchases and more than likely additional paper ticket purchases.
“Inevitably journeys will become less seamless and less convenient between Wokingham and London than they currently are.”
Khan is considering scrapping the tickets as the government has demanded cuts in return for funding packages aimed at covering the money Transport for London lost during the pandemic.
Transport for London says its deal with the government means it has to “develop and implement changes that will generate between £0.5-£1.0bn per year of additional revenue from 2023.”
Fishwick said in his letter that the council understands the effect of the pandemic on transport services. But he said increasing costs would reduce demand for rail services even further, meaning even less income for Transport for London, and increasing car use.
He said that meant the council “is unable to support the Mayor’s proposal to withdraw the Day Travelcard and urges the Mayor to reconsider the true impacts of scheme.”
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