§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assess the impact of the London Transport fare increases on the number of passengers travelling by public transport. [58214]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 3 November 1998]: The table shows combined passenger numbers for London Underground and London Buses from the beginning of the financial year 1995–96 to the present. This indicates that, while there are some variations between comparable periods from one year to the next, there is no evidence that passenger numbers decrease after the fare increases in January of each year. Indeed, in the last three periods of each year (which show the number of passenger journeys after the relevant fares increase came into effect), the number of journeys undertaken actually increased month on month.
Figures showing passenger numbers for the rest of this financial year, including the next fares changes, will become available in due course.
London Transport periodically carries out longer term research to test and update its assumptions about the sensitivity of its customers to fares charges. This research is drawn on when fare reviews are being considered.
Number of passengers using London Transport (million) Period1 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1 (beginning of financial year) 146.7 146.6 152.8 146.5 2 150.1 155.5 159.4 163.8 3 148.9 154.1 157.0 160.6 4 155.3 155.7 166.1 165.9 5 148.9 144.9 156.4 160.5 6 145.1 147.4 157.3 158.3 7 158.2 161.1 169.9 — 8 161.9 167.0 171.4 — 9 160.8 164.1 171.4 — 10 139.9 135.7 142.2 — 11 New fares come into effect at the start of this period 151.9 150.8 159.0 — 12 152.8 157.4 163.0 — 13 160.9 166.2 183.2 — 1Each period is 4 weeks. Period 1 begins on the first week of the financial year