News from London Assembly Labour

Anger as Scrooge Boris cancels free travel for Christmas

There will be no free New Year’s Eve rail travel for the first time in six years after Boris Johnson scrapped the scheme which has been running since 2003. Labour’s deputy leader on the London Assembly, John Biggs, described the Mayor’s decision as “Scrooge-like” and pointed to the bumper £17m paid out by TfL in bonuses.

Since 2003 Londoners have enjoyed free travel on buses, trams, trains and the Tube. But this year thousands of rail passengers will have to pay to get home after TfL scrapped the scheme to save money. The decision comes just weeks after it was revealed that TfL paid a total of £17.2 million in bonuses to its staff in 2008/09.

John Biggs, Labour’s deputy leader on the London Assembly, said: “The Mayor goes around telling everyone how much money he’s saving them but at the same time he’s paying out millions in bonuses. Any Londoner struggling or having to pay to get a train home on New Year’s Eve will have Boris Johnson and his Scrooge-like approach to Christmas to thank.

“This will hit commuters in the suburbs the hardest as they are the ones with least access to the Tube. The Mayor did promise to stick up for outer London but this is just another betrayal of that promise.”

Other news from London Assembly Labour

• TfL reports another huge operating surplus of £310m – it's time to cut the fares - 2 February 2012
• Murder detection rates down 10% in London as police numbers fall - 2 February 2012
• Christine Quigley becomes latest London Assembly Labour candidate - 1 February 2012