LONDON’s public transport authority Transport for London (TfL) is planning to launch an innovative ticketing trial designed to encourage greater use of public transport, including London Underground, Tramlink and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services, on Fridays.
Passenger levels have been gradually returning towards the levels recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic, but travel on Fridays is notably lower than the rest of the week as more people choose to work from home that day. TfL says mid-week ridership is around 85% of pre-pandemic levels, reaching 100% at weekends, but on Fridays it is only 73%.
London’s mayor, Mr Sadiq Khan, has therefore asked to TfL to abolish peak fares on Fridays for a three-month period in order to encourage more people to travel. The trial could begin this March.
“London has really bounced back since the pandemic,” says Khan, “but the lack of commuters returning on Fridays is a clear exception - with a major knock-on effect on our shops, cafes and cultural venues.”
Other cities have experimented with lowering fares to stimulate demand for public transport. Montpellier in France abolished fares for residents completely on December 31 2023, and says that it is the largest city in Europe to have done so. Luxembourg abolished standard class fares for all travellers, including tourists, in 2020.
Khan says an allocation of £24m from the London mayoral budget for 2024-25 will help fund the trial.
Current peak hours on the TfL network are 06.30 to 09.30 and 16.00 to 19.00, Mondays to Fridays.
