Press Release

50p bus travel – a quarter of a million Londoners on income support can now benefit from half price bus and tram fares

Monday 20th August 2007

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, today launched a scheme that will mean up to 250,000 of the least well-off Londoners can now benefit from half priced bus and tram travel.

He was joined by Peter Hendy, London's Transport Commissioner, Karen Buck MP and representatives of groups that will benefit from the initiative, which will mean that all Londoners on income support are eligible to receive the benefit, including lone parents, carers, the long-term sick and disabled people.

The discount will mean that those on the lowest incomes will pay only 50p for a single bus journey, half the £1 adult Oyster fare and a quarter of the £2 cash fare.  From September 30th this year it will be even cheaper as a 10 per cent across-the-board fares cut is also introduced. This will make a single bus journey just 45p for those on income support.

The scheme follows an agreement signed earlier this year by the Mayor, Transport for London and Venezuelan Oil Company PetrÓleos de Venezuela Europa. This provided a 20 per cent reduction in the price of fuel for London's bus fleet, which will be passed on to cut fares for some of the least well off Londoners. At the same time, London will provide Venezuela with advice and technical expertise in fields of city management in which London is a world leader such as transport, town planning, tourism and the protection of the environment.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said:
“From today, all Londoners on Income Support are eligible for half price travel on London buses.
"This will make it cheaper and easier for people to go about their lives and get the most out of London.
"The agreement which makes this possible will also benefit the people of Venezuela, by providing expertise in areas of city management in which London is a world leader, such as public transport, planning, tourism and protection for the environment.

 "London and Venezuela will be exchanging those things in which they are rich to the mutual benefit of both."

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said:
"Oyster has been a huge success with more than 10 million cards issued since its launch in 2003. It already provides the cheapest fares for millions of Londoners.

"This agreement enables us to cut fares even further in support of the least well off Londoners, who now have even greater access to jobs, leisure and all this great city has to offer."

Joseph P. Kenney II, whose Citizens Energy programme in the US cities of Boston and New York, receives an oil subsidy from Venezuela that is then invested in the heating of homes for the elderly and for the least well off residents, said:

“A huge congratulations to Mayor Livingstone and the people of London for welcoming the tremendous efforts by Venezuela and PDVSA to provide help and assistance to poor people who are so vulnerable to the huge increase in the cost of using oil and gas for transportation and other vital necessities.

“The poor today, whether in London or New York, have to face cruel choices between heating and eating and other basic needs. It is a rare event for the political leadership of a major city to join in an effort with PDVSA to address these terrible circumstances – a hearty well done to all of those who made this happen."