Round the world plane ticket now cheaper than London travelcard

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Round the world plane ticket now cheaper than London travelcard

By London Assembly Labour ⋅ November 17, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
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New research has shown how the cost of transport in London is now so high that many Londoners could purchase an around-the-world plane ticket or two-week cruise holiday for less than their annual travelcard spend.

The new figures have been highlighted by Val Shawcross, Labour’s transport spokesperson and Deputy Mayoral running mate, ahead of next week’s Fare Deal rally. The rally will see hundreds of Londoners come together to campaign for fairer fares.

The figures show:

* Thanks to Boris Johnson’s fare hikes, an Annual Zone 1-3 travel card (£1,288) is now more expensive than a round-the-world flight visiting Dubai, Bangkok, Sydney, Christchurch, Auckland, Melbourne, and Kuala Lumpur (£1,199).

* It would cost less to purchase five return flights from London to New York (£366 each) than to buy an annual travelcard for Zones 1-5 (£1,880).

* Commuters in zone 6 could spend this Christmas and New Year on a luxury cruise (£1,903) calling at Casablanca, Tenerife and Lisbon for less than the cost of their annual travelcard (£2,016).

Val Shawcross said: “Most Londoners can only dream of taking a far-flung trip around the world or a luxury cruise, but unbelievably the cost of travel in London is now equivalent or even higher than this.

“Londoners struggling on low pay are spending vast proportions of their wages on simply getting around their city – yet Boris Johnson is so out of touch with this daily struggle that in just a few weeks he will hike fares up even further.

“In contrast, Ken’s fare deal means that the average Londoner will be on average £200 a year better off. That’s why we’re calling on Londoners from every corner of the capital to get behind Labour’s campaign for fairer fares and join us at next week’s rally.”

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Discussion

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http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1423689957 Stephen Handley

This affects everyone regardless of class or income. We all have to use trains and public transport. Please bring the fares down to make life easier for all of us. Travelling by train is more greener for the planet as well. Cheaper fairs less cars on the roads means less pollution so a greener London, Less traffic congestion so no need for an expensive congestion charge.Cheaper for family’s and business users.