FOI request detail

Who makes the decision to increase fares

Request ID: FOI-1254-2122
Date published: 24 September 2021

You asked

Under the Freedom of Information Act, therefore, could you please confirm for each of the years Sadiq Khan has been Mayor 0f London: • Who made and endorsed the decision for each of the yearly increases? • What was the reason(s) for each of these yearly increases?

We answered

TfL Ref: 1254-2121

Thank you for your letter received by us on 6 September 2021 asking for information about fares and the Mayor of London.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked for the following:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, therefore, could you lease confirm for each of the years Sadiq Khan has been Mayor of London:
 
    • Who made and endorsed the decision for each of the yearly increases?
 
    • What was the reason(s) for each of these yearly increases?

The information you have asked for is explained in the following executive summaries taken from the Greater London Authority’s website, which are provided for each year of the Mayor’s term, starting from the most recent:
https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2730-march-2021-fares-changes

MD2730 March 2021 fares changes
Type of decision: 
Mayoral decision
Code: 
MD2730
Date signed: 
14 January 2021
Decision by: 
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Executive summary
As part of the funding settlement with Government dated 31 October 2020 (“the funding settlement”), the Mayor committed to implementing an overall increase on fares of Retail Price Index (RPI) +1 per cent.  In this decision, the Mayor is requested to approve a Fares Revision to deliver this commitment while ensuring the increase in fares is as affordable as possible for Londoners.  It is proposed that the fares increase will be implemented from 1 March 2021.
The funding settlement ensured that TfL can continue to deliver an effective and efficient transport service to Londoners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with the funding arrangement to cover the period to the end of March 2021.
A summary of the proposed fares revision is as follows: Bus and tram single fares increase by 5p to £1.55 and the daily bus and tram cap is raised to £4.65. The Bus & Tram Pass season price is increased to £21.90 for a 7 Day ticket.  The Hopper fare, which was introduced in September 2016, will remain in place, permitting multiple free bus and tram transfers within an hour. 
On the Tube in Zones 1-6 and other rail services in London where Tube fares apply PAYG fares will typically increase by 10p or 20p.  A number of fares, including PAYG fares for children, remain unchanged. 
Travelcard prices and the associated PAYG caps will increase from 1 March by RPI+1 per cent.  These increases reflect national government rail fares policy over which the Mayor has no control.  As a result, Travelcard season ticket prices and the associated all day PAYG Travelcard caps increase by 2.6 per cent overall.
Fares on TfL services for journeys from outside London are subject to guidance from the DfT, with the same fares applying on Train Operating Company (TOC) and TfL services.
    •                        ?

https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2537-january-2020-fares-changes

MD2537 January 2020 fares changes
Type of decision: 
Mayoral decision
Code: 
MD2537
Date signed: 
04 November 2019
Decision by: 
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Executive summary
The Mayor is committed to delivering a more affordable transport service by freezing Transport for London (TfL) fares for the duration of his Mayoral term. This paper sets out how the Mayor’s commitment will be implemented in 2020, with a freeze in all TfL bus and Tube fares, a freeze in fares on all other rail services in London where Tube fares apply, and the protection of all TfL fare concessions. TfL have advised that the Mayor’s freeze is not having an adverse impact on TfL’s ability to run and invest in the transport services that London needs to remain successful.
Where fares are set by the Train Operating Companies (TOCs), i.e. on most rail services not devolved to the Mayor, PAYG fares typically increase by 10p or 20p. Travelcard fares and the associated PAYG caps will increase from January 2020 in line with the 2.8% annual increase in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in the benchmark month of July 2019. These increases reflect national government rail fares policy over which the Mayor has no control. As a result, Travelcard season ticket prices and the associated all day PAYG Travelcard caps increase by 2.8% on average. These increases reflect the latest guidance from the Secretary of State.
A new TfL Rail service to Reading will commence in December 2019. On this new service and the adjacent Great Western TOC service, contactless pay as you go is introduced outside London on 2 January 2020. Fares outside London on the TfL service are subject to guidance from the DfT, with the same fares applying on Great Western and the TfL service. The fares applying from 2 January 2020 are expected to increase outside London fare income on the TfL service by 2.8% after allowing for the introduction of pay as you go. The new fares have been approved by the Secretary of State.
Decision
The Mayor:
1. Approves the proposed revisions to fares to be implemented from 2 January 2020 as set out in the decision; and
2. Signs the attached Direction to TfL issued pursuant to the power in section 155 (1)(c) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to implement these fares on 2 January 2020.


https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2377-january-2019-fare-changes

MD2377 January 2019 Fare Changes
Type of decision: 
Mayoral decision
Code: 
MD2377
Date signed: 
27 November 2018
Decision by: 
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Executive summary
The Mayor is committed to delivering a more affordable transport service by freezing Transport for London (TfL) fares over the next two years. This paper sets out how the Mayor’s commitment will be implemented from 2 January 2019, with a freeze in all TfL bus and Tube fares, a freeze in fares on all other rail services in London where Tube fares apply, and the protection of all TfL fare concessions.
The Bus and Tram pay as you go (PAYG) fare is frozen at £1.50 and the One Day Bus and Tram cap at £4.50. The Bus & Tram Pass season price is frozen at £21.20 for a 7-day ticket. Freezing these fares adds to the benefits created by the bus Hopper free transfer fare introduced in September 2016. The scope of the bus Hopper was expanded earlier in 2018 to permit multiple free transfers within an hour.
On the Tube and other rail services in London where Tube fares apply, PAYG single fares are frozen. Where fares are set by the Train Operating Companies (TOCs), i.e. on most rail services not devolved to the Mayor, PAYG fares typically increase by 10p or 20p.
Travelcard fares and the associated PAYG caps will increase from January 2019 in line with the 3.2% annual increase in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in the benchmark month of July 2018. These increases reflect national government rail fares policy over which the Mayor has no control.
The Mayor has called on the Government to join with him in freezing fares. However, increases in the cost of London Travelcards and the associated caps in line with the RPI have been mandated by the TOCs.
As a result, Travelcard season ticket prices and the associated all day PAYG Travelcard caps increase by 3.1% on average. This is close to the maximum permitted by the guidance from the Secretary of State for Transport to the TOCs that no regulated fare should rise by more than the percentage increase in the RPI.
Decision
The Mayor:
1. Approves the proposed revisions to fares to be implemented from 2 January 2019 as set out below; and
2. Signs the attached Direction to TfL issued pursuant to the power in section 155 (1)(c) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to implement these fares on 2 January 2019.

https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2189-january-2018-transport-london-fare-changes

MD2189 January 2018 Transport for London Fare Changes
Type of decision: 
Mayoral decision
Code: 
MD2189
Date signed: 
06 November 2017
Decision by: 
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Executive summary
The Mayor is committed to delivering a more affordable transport service by freezing Transport for London (TfL) fares over the next three years. This paper sets out how the Mayor’s commitment will be implemented from 2 January 2018, with a freeze in all TfL bus and Tube fares, a freeze in fares on all other rail services in London where Tube fares apply, and the protection of all TfL fare concessions.
The Bus and Tram pay as you go (PAYG) fare is frozen at £1.50 and the One Day Bus and Tram cap at £4.50. The Bus & Tram Pass season price is frozen at £21.20 for a 7 day ticket. Freezing these fares adds to the benefits created by the bus Hopper free transfer fare introduced in September 2016. The scope of the bus Hopper is to be expanded in 2018 to permit multiple free transfers within an hour.
On the Tube and other rail services in London where Tube fares apply, PAYG single fares are frozen.  Where fares are set by the Train Operating Companies (TOCs), i.e. on most rail services not devolved to the Mayor, PAYG fares increase by 10p or in some cases 20p.
Travelcard fares and the associated PAYG caps will increase from January 2018 in line with the 3.6 per cent annual increase in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in the benchmark month of July 2017. These increases reflect national government rail fares policy over which the Mayor has no control.
The Mayor has called on the Government to join with him in freezing fares. However, increases in the cost of London Travelcards and the associated caps in line with the RPI have been mandated by the TOCs.
As a result, Travelcard season ticket prices and the associated all day PAYG Travelcard caps increase by 3.4 per cent on average. This is close to the maximum permitted by the guidance from the Secretary of State for Transport to the TOCs that no regulated fare should rise by more than the percentage increase in the RPI.
Decision
The Mayor:
(i)            Approves the proposed revisions to fares to be implemented from 2 January 2018 as set out below; and
(ii)           Directs TfL, pursuant to the power in section 155 (1)(c) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, to implement these fares on 2 January 2018 (as set out at Appendix 2).

MD2047 January 2017 Fare Changes
Type of decision: 
Mayoral decision
Code: 
MD2047
Date signed: 
17 November 2016
Decision by: 
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Executive summary
The Mayor is committed to delivering a more affordable transport service by freezing TfL fares over the next four years.  This paper sets out how the Mayor’s commitment will be implemented from 2 January 2017, with a freeze in all TfL bus and Tube fares, a freeze in fares on all other rail services in London where Tube fares apply, and the protection of all TfL fare concessions.  
The Bus and Tram pay as you go (PAYG) fare is frozen at £1.50 and the One Day Bus and Tram cap at £4.50.  The Bus & Tram Pass season price is frozen at £21.20 for a 7 day ticket.  Freezing these fares adds to the benefits created by the bus Hopper free transfer fare introduced in September.
On the Tube and other rail services where Tube fares apply, PAYG single fares are frozen.   Where fares are set by the Train Operating Companies (TOCs), i.e. on most rail services not devolved to the Mayor, PAYG fares increase by 10p.
Travelcard fares and the associated PAYG caps will increase from January 2017 in line with the 1.9% annual increase in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in the benchmark month of July 2016.  These increases reflect national government rail fares policy over which the Mayor has no control.  
The Mayor has called on the Government to join with him in freezing fares.  However, increases in the cost of London Travelcards and the associated caps in line with the RPI have been mandated by the TOCs.  
As a result, Travelcard season ticket prices increase by 1.8% on average.  This is close to the maximum permitted by the guidance from the Secretary of State for Transport to the TOCs that no regulated fare should rise by more than the percentage increase in the RPI.  The all day PAYG Travelcard caps, which are set at 20% of the relevant 7 Day Travelcard prices, increase proportionally in line with the increases in London Travelcard season tickets being mandated by the TOCs.    
 

Decision
The Mayor:
(i)    Approves the proposed revisions to fares to be implemented from 2 January 2017 as set out below; and
(ii)    Signs the attached Direction to TfL issued pursuant to the power in section 155 (1)(c) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to implement these fares on 2 January 2017.
 

The following press release was issued in 2016 when Sadiq Khan became Mayor:

Formal Mayoral Decision confirms TfL fares frozen until 2020
18 November 2016
  • Formal Mayoral decision today to freeze TfL fares across London’s transport network next year.
  • Average household will save around £200 from the Mayor’s fares freeze over the next four years. 
  • The Mayor calls on the Government to follow his lead and freeze fares on London’s suburban rail services
Around four million journeys a day across London will benefit from TfL fares being frozen, the Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed today, as he officially published the 2017 TfL fares package.
The freeze in TfL fares for the next four years means that everyone buying a bus or tram ticket in London will not pay a penny more next year than they did in 2016. Pay as you go (PAYG) journeys on the Tube, DLR, Emirates Airline and rail services where TfL fares apply will be frozen. Hire and access on Santander Cycles will also be frozen to encourage even more people to try cycling to get around London.
Every year, before any decisions on fares are implemented, there has to be a formal ‘Mayoral decision’ that the Mayor signs and publishes on the GLA website.
The freeze will put £40m back into the pockets of Londoners next year and encourage more people to use London’s extensive public transport network. Over the four years, an average household will save around £200.
The freeze in TfL fares officially announced today follows successive years of fares increases under the previous Mayor. The Mayor is scrapping a planned 17 per cent hike in TfL fares after they went up 42 per cent since 2008. Londoners now pay some of the most expensive fares in Europe.
 Examples include:
  • A peak pay as you go Tube fare from Morden to London Bridge (Zone 1-4) increased from £3.60 in 2012 to £3.90 in 2016 - up 8.3 per cent. For the next four years, the fare will remain at £3.90.
  • A peak pay as you go tube fare within Zone One increased from £2.00 in 2012 to £2.40 in 2016 – up 20 per cent. For the next four years, the fare will remain at £2.40
  • An adult 7-day bus and tram pass increased from £18.80 in 2012 to £21.20 in 2016 – up almost 13 per cent. For the next four years, the pass will remain at £21.20
The 2017 fares package also follows the successful introduction of the new ‘Hopper’ fare in September which has meant an end to having to pay two fares when changing bus routes within an hour. Already in just over two months, more than 10 million journeys have been made using the Hopper fare.The Mayor is also freezing all TfL travel concessions, ensuring that children, those over 60, veterans, apprentices and those on Job Seeker’s Allowance continue to benefit from free or discounted travel. 
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said:
“After years of huge fare increases for London passengers, I’m delighted to be formally announcing our plans to freeze TfL fares across London’s transport network. Before taking office I was determined to ensure we took significant action to make public transport more affordable and we’ve already taken major steps through the introduction of the ‘Hopper’ ticket that in just two months has saved Londoners money on over 10 million bus journeys. 
“Our TfL fares freeze will save an average household £200 over the next four years, putting money back into people’s pockets and playing an important role encouraging more Londoners onto public transport. 
“I’m now demanding that the Government follows my lead and freezes fares on London’s suburban rail routes, where passengers have been hit by unacceptable delays, cancellations and overcrowding. It’s simply not right that London’s rail passengers face another fares hikes caused by the Government next year - the onus is on the Government to ensure every passenger in London gets the fares freeze they deserve.” 
James MacColl, Head of Campaigns at Campaign for Better Transport, said:
"We support the Mayor's commitment to keeping fares affordable in London. This is an example of the power that he, working with Transport for London, has to represent the interests of passengers. The Government should learn from this by promoting devolution of responsibility for suburban rail services, there and elsewhere".
London’s Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown MVO, said: “Freezing fares help make our network more affordable for Londoners. Our efficiency programme allows us to deliver this while still providing the transport services London needs and also continuing to invest for future demand and growth."
As previously confirmed, the Mayor has the power to set fares on TfL services only. Travelcards, and the associated daily and weekly caps, are set by the Government in agreement with the private train operating companies (TOCs), which are permitted to increase their regulated fares in line with RPI inflation.
The TOCs have decided to raise their fares in line with this, with the increases in January reflecting the RPI level from July this year, which was 1.9 per cent, or in some cases higher, as there is also flexibility to increase fares by 10p per journey.  The TOCs are also responsible for setting pay as you go fares on their own services and are due to confirm these later this month.
If TfL assumes responsibility for more suburban rail services as the Mayor is campaigning for, fares on these services would also be covered by the fares freeze. The Mayor continues to call on the Government to follow his lead and freeze fares across London’s suburban rail services.
Notes to editors
A copy of the Mayoral Decision for the 2017 fares package is available here – https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2047-january-2017-fare-changes
Examples of pay as you go fares that will benefit from the fares freeze include:
  • A peak pay as you go Tube fare from Morden to London Bridge (Zone 1-4) increased from £3.60 in 2012 to £3.90 in 2016 - up 8.3 per cent. For the next four years, the fare will remain at £3.90
  • A peak pay as you go Tube fare from West Ruislip to Oxford Circus (Zone 1-6) increased from £4.80 in 2012 to £5.10 in 2016 - up 6.3 per cent. For the next four years, the fare will remain at £5.10
  • A peak pay as you go Tube fare from Upminster to Elm Park (Zone 6) increased from £1.50 in 2012 to £1.70 in 2016 – up 13.3 per cent. For the next four years, the fare will remain at £1.70
  • A peak pay as you go tube fare within Zone One increased from £2.00 in 2012 to £2.40 in 2016 – up 20 per cent. For the next four years, the fare will remain at £2.40
  • Single pay as you go bus fare increased from £1.35 in 2012 to £1.50 in 2016 - up more than 7 per cent. For the next four years, the fare will remain at £1.50
  • An adult 7-day bus and tram pass increased from £18.80 in 2012 to £21.20 in 2016 – up almost 13 per cent. For the next four years, the pass will remain at £21.20
Last month, the Mayor presented the Secretary of State for Transport with the business case for the further devolution of London’s suburban rail services to Transport for London (TfL). 
The plan sets out how a better integrated and more reliable suburban rail network would improve services for millions of passengers, and ensure any fares freeze would also apply to devolved suburban rail routes. https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/devolution-plans-to-deliver-transformed-services
The DfT’s timetable for existing franchises means that, under the Mayor’s plan, southeast London suburban services could be transferred to the Mayor when the current franchise ends in 2018, followed by southwest London suburban services in 2020 once capacity works at Waterloo are complete. Suburban services running to London Bridge and Victoria serving south central London, and to Moorgate serving parts of north London, would transfer when that current franchise ends in September 2021.
Fares will also be frozen on c2c services from Grays to Fenchurch Street and on Chiltern Railways from Amersham to Marylebone and West Ruislip to Marylebone as these fares are set by TfL.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely


Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
 

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