News from Westminster Labour

Labour Councillors Slam Mayor’s 6 Per Cent Tube And Bus Fare Increases

Labour Councillors have slammed the Conservative Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who has increased fares on the underground and on buses by six per cent, way above the rate of inflation. Some fares will rise even further. The price of a single bus journey by Oyster will rise by eleven per cent from 90p to £1. Labour say that these fare increases will hit Westminster residents hard, especially the poorest, at a time of economic difficulties and make a mockery of Conservative claims to be helping residents through these testing times.

Labour say that Mayor Johnson is following in the footsteps of Conservative Westminster City Council who have also made a number of financial decisions which will damage the local economy. For example, in Westminster the local Conservatives have:

increased rents by 25 per cent for Church Street shopkeepers battling to keep their businesses going

refused to pass on the 2.5 per cent VAT cut to users of local services

imposed a £150 a year charge on local motorbike owners simply to park their bikes – this is equivalent to a 22 per cent Council Tax rise!

used CCTV cameras to rake in thousands of pounds in parking fines outside shopping parades in Moscow Road, Shirland Road, Lupus Street and Abbey Road which has badly damaged local trade

demanded a 1,000 per cent increase in rent for tennis coaches at Paddington Rec thereby destroying their businesses

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said:

“There is no justification for 6 per cent fare increases when inflation is considerably less and residents are grappling with economic difficulties. You have to wonder what planet the Mayor is living in to be so insensitive to the reality of everyday life. Just like his pals in Westminster, Boris Johnson thinks that local residents are there as his own Mayoral ‘cash machine’.

“The Conservatives just don’t get it. Prices need to kept low if we are to get through the current economic difficulties. The retailers know this and so do the supermarket chains. But the Conservatives just keep charging us more.”

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• Westminster Labour welcomes dog micro-chipping plan - 11 March 2010
• Use CCTV cameras to catch criminals first say Westminster Labour - 10 March 2010