19.07.17
London passengers left fuming at news of increasing fares
An influential transport watchdog has said that commuters in and around London will be left frustrated by the news that national rail fares will rise 2.6% in line with inflation.
It follows transport secretary Chris Grayling revealing that fares would be capped at inflation, although consumer champion London TravelWatch has now argued that this will be no comfort to long suffering passengers.
The woeful performance of Southern and ongoing strike action has seen services in the south and London become a nightmare for those making regular trips in and around the capital.
London TravelWatch also highlighted that often, passengers are not entitled to compensation, and that anomalies in the cost of travel remain from various different points around the commuter belt.
“Passengers will be relieved at the decision to cap average fare increases to 2.6%,” said the organisation’s chair, Stephen Locke. “But the past year has seen performance in some areas drop to an unacceptable level and for many the wait for the much-promised 15-minute compensation policy continues.”
Locke added that there was a lot to be done to improve the fairness and transparency of the system.
“There continues to be large and confusing variations in commuter fares, especially in and around the edge of London – for example, passengers travelling from Redhill are sometimes paying more to travel into London than those travelling from Gatwick Airport Station, despite Gatwick being over five miles further out,” he explained.
“There is a danger that the complexity of fares becomes a barrier to people taking up employment. We will continue to press the government and rail industry to work towards a simpler, fairer and more unified fares structure across the London area.”
Top Image: Lauren Hurley and PA Wire
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