Fares
++


The
Mayor
of
London
Sadiq
Khan
has
yet
to
announce
how
much
fares
on
Transport
for
London
will
rise
this
year,
after
the
government
said
regulated
rail
fares
in
England
will
rise
by
5.9
per
cent
on
5
March.
The
Mayor
faces
a
reduction
in
government
funding
for
TfL
if
he
tries
to
cap
fares
revenue,
but
he
is
also
reported
to
be
reluctant
to
increase
bus
fares,
because
buses
are
often
the
choice
of
poorer
Londoners.
He
has
already
take
steps
to
increase
TfL’s
earnings
from
passengers
by
no
longer
allowing
Travelcards
bought
at
National
Rail
stations
in
the
south
east
to
be
used
on
TfL
services.

The
Mayor
told
the
London
Assembly
yesterday:
‘The
basic
principle
is
we
try
and
make
sure
that
public
transport
is
as
affordable
as
possible
for
those
who
need
it
the
most
and
are
least
likely
to
afford
it.
My
instinct
is
always
to
try
and
keep
bus
fares
as
low
as
we
possibly
can.’
City
Hall
said
TfL
is
now
starting
discussions
with
the
government
about
the
implications
of
the
forthcoming
increases
on
National
Rail.

Strike
++


Some
40,000
RMT
members
are
walking
out
today
and
tomorrow
on
National
Rail
as
they
stage
the
second
48-hour
stoppage
called
by
their
union
this
week.
There
has
already
been
a
two-day
RMT
strike
on
Tuesday
and
Wednesday,
and
ASLEF
drivers
staged
their
own
strike
yesterday.
As
with
previous
RMT
strikes,
train
services
will
be
very
restricted,
with
no
trains
running
on
many
lines
today
and
tomorrow.
Timetables
on
Sunday
are
also
set
to
be
disrupted,
and
problems
could
spill
over
into
Monday
in
some
areas. 

ASLEF
general
secretary
Mick
Whelan
said
he
‘wants
to
get
back
to
the
day
job’,
while
RMT
leader
Mick
Lynch
is
accusing
the
government
of
getting
in
the
way.
‘The
government
is
blocking
the
union’s
attempts
to
reach
a
negotiated
settlement
with
the
rail
employers.
We
have
worked
with
the
rail
industry
to
reach
successful
negotiated
settlements
ever
since
privatisation
in
1993.
And
we
have
achieved
deals
across
the
network
in
2021
and
2022
where
the
DfT
has
no
involvement.
Yet
in
this
dispute,
there
is
an
unprecedented
level
of
ministerial
interference,
which
is
hamstringing
rail
employers
from
being
able
to
negotiate
a
package
of
measures
with
us,’
he
said.
The
DfT
has
denied
this,
saying
that
ministers
have
held
‘polite,
constructive
meetings’
with
union
chiefs.