Transport for London warns Londoners that travelcards and daily fare caps will increase in the New Year
Londoners have been warned not to get caught out by New Year public transport price hikes despite promises to freeze fares in the capital until 2020.
Transport for London (TfL) said it did not have the power to stop a 2.3 per cent increase in the cost of travelcards because their pricing is set by the government.
Read more: Khan faces cross-party fury over promise to freeze fares
The Mayor of London confirmed plans earlier this year that public transport prices would not be increased until 2020 at least.
But unfortunately for many of London's commuters, this promise is not extended to some of the most popular methods of travelling round and getting in and out of the capital.
The fare freeze only applies to buses and trams as well as other London services – such as the underground, DLR and Emirates Airline – where users buy non-travelcard tickets.
Daily cap-up
Also, the Mayor doesn't have the power to stop an increase in the daily fare cap that many Londoners rely upon.
For example, a the daily cap for zones 1-2 will increase from £6.50 to £6.60 – a 1.5 per cent increase.
Read more: Cabinet minister: Government won't pay for Khan's fare freeze
Nevertheless, Shashi Verma TfL's chief technology officer and director of customer experience defended the use of Oyster cards and contactless payments that will be bound by the new caps.
"Using pay as you go with Oyster and Contactless means that you should never have to pay more for your travel than necessary," he said.
TfL is urging all customers to check they are using the right travel product to ensure they get value for money.