12.03.13
‘Super-peak’ fares hike plans scrapped
A proposal to bring in ‘super-peak’ fares to raise revenue and better manage demand – which appeared in the McNulty report – has been scrapped, DfT sources have briefed reporters.
Passenger groups, unions and the Transport Select Committee have all warned against putting more pressure on commuters, many of whom have no choice about when they travel.
One official told the FT: “It doesn’t take a genius to work out that this would be electoral suicide…Why give ourselves another policy headache?”
Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle MP said: “The fact that ministers were even planning to hike rail fares by another 40% at peak time over just five years to price people off the busiest trains shows how out of touch they are.
“Commuters will not be celebrating this decision when they still face annual increases of up to 9% because the Government now lets train companies average out the so-called cap on fare rises.”
She said Labour would “strictly enforce the cap on fare rises on every route” – though she admitted earlier this year that Labour “should have been bolder in taking on the train companies” when it was in office.
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