HC Deb 13 May 1985 vol 79 cc10-1
10. Mr. Snape

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when he last chaired a meeting of the London Passenger Transport Group at which fares policy was discussed.

Mr. Ridley

The introduction of the new Capitalcard, and reports on its success, have been on the agenda of the three meetings that I have chaired since July 1984.

Mr. Snape

While chairing that committee, has the Secretary of State received any criticism about the fare increase of up to 50 per cent., for which he has been responsible, since LRT's creation last year? How does it feel to be in charge of the dearest public transport system in any capital city in Europe?

Mr. Ridley

The hon. Gentleman must get his facts right. The last fare increase determined by the present leadership of the GLC was in May 1983. Since then, prices have increased to March this year by 9.6 per cent., whereas fares have increased by only 9 per cent. Fares are now lower than they were when Ken Livingstone last fixed them.

Mr. Cohen

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that under the last round of fare increases—the first under LRT— short hop fares, which are used especially by women with young children and shoppers, were increased by 25 per cent., while fares for the jet setters who use Heathrow were either reduced or frozen? Will he ensure that the opposite approach is adopted in future and that there is a freeze on those short hop fares?

Mr. Ridley

The hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that when a minimum fare is increased, it is sometimes increased by more than the average. The average London Regional Transport fare increased by 9 per cent. in January. If fares had kept pace with the increase in the cost of living since the GLC last fixed fares in May, the increase would have been 9.6 per cent. by now.