Latest news with #60+OysterCard
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'Free' bus and train scheme needs to be axed urgently says expert
Critics say the schemes are increasingly being used by well-off older workers, while younger people are left footing the bill through council tax and the congestion charge Free or cut-price travel for the over-60s is being questioned amid claims the perk is outdated, unfair and costing taxpayers an eye-watering half a billion pounds a year. More than 1.5 million Londoners currently enjoy free travel on buses, Tubes, trams and trains thanks to the 60+ Oyster Card and the Freedom Pass. But critics say the schemes are increasingly being used by well-off older workers, while younger people are left footing the bill through council tax and the congestion charge. Analysis by the Telegraph found the 60+ Oyster Card will cost Transport for London £135 million this year – more than double the £60 million it cost in 2016. That figure is expected to rocket to £185 million by 2027. Meanwhile, the Freedom Pass – which allows unlimited travel for over-66s and eligible disabled people – is already used by more than 900,000 people and costs £350 million a year. That cost is expected to hit £498 million by the end of the decade, with London's borough councils picking up the tab. This is well ahead of the cost of fare dodging across the network which is put at £130 million annually. Critics say the system is badly targeted and increasingly being abused. According to TfL, 60% of Oyster card holders aged 60-65 are still in paid work – and one in five use it to commute. That's despite the fact that workers in this age group earn an average of £42,000 a year – nearly double the £24,000 earned by people in their early twenties. Reem Ibrahim, from the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'It is difficult to justify a system where the wealthiest age group in the country is having their travel funded by taxpayers. 'The 60+ Oyster card and Freedom Pass schemes are financially unsustainable, and are not targeted to those genuinely in need of support. We urgently need a more targeted approach, rather than entrenching an unfair and costly system.' Liz Emerson, of the Intergenerational Foundation, added: 'At the very least, the Freedom Pass should be aligned with the state pension age. It's a perfect example of intergenerational unfairness at work with younger workers having to subsidise their older colleagues' free travel to work.' The 60+ Oyster Card was introduced by then-Mayor Boris Johnson in 2012. It is currently funded through Sadiq Khan's mayoral precept on council tax, along with money raised from the congestion charge. Once Londoners turn 66, they automatically qualify for the Freedom Pass. That £350 million cost is split between all 33 London boroughs – 28 of which were forced to hike council tax to the legal maximum of five per cent this year. The body running the Freedom Pass scheme has warned the £498 million forecast by 2029-30 is 'unsustainable'. Despite this, Khan has - so far - resisted pressure to scale back the schemes. During the pandemic, he banned the use of both the 60+ Oyster and Freedom Pass before 9am, generating £15 million in extra fares. But he later rejected a proposal to raise the qualifying age for the 60+ card by six months each year, which would have gradually phased it out to align with the Freedom Pass age. A spokesperson for Transport for London said: 'Both the Mayor and TfL are committed to making public transport in London as accessible, convenient, and affordable as possible. We regularly review our range of concessions to ensure that they continue to benefit Londoners, while also remaining affordable for TfL to operate.'
Metro
2 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
Free travel for over-60s costs taxpayers £100,000,000 more than fare dodgers
Freebie travel benefits for pensioners are costing the taxpayer three times as much as London Underground fare dodgers do. More than 1.5million Londoners aged 60 and over can travel for free on London's buses, Tubes, trains and trams. But the schemes – the 60+ Oyster Card and the Freedom Pass – cost nearly £500million a year to fund, well over the £400million lost to fare-jumping nationwide, the Office of Rail and Road found. Transport for London (TfL) is predicted to spend £135million on the 60+ Oyster Card this year, up from £60million in 2016. As Britain faces an ageing population, the cost is expected to increase to £185million a year by 2027, according to an analysis by The Telegraph. The Freedom Pass for people over 66 costs London boroughs another £350million a year and will rise to £498million by the end of the decade. Almost one in 20 Tube passengers dodge fares, costing TfL £130million a year. The 60+ Oyster Card is available for Londoners aged between 60 and 65, among the highest earners in the capital, at £42,000 a year, double that of people in their 20s. TfL says 60% of 60+ Oyster Card holders are still working, with two in 10 using it to commute. The card, introduced by then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson in 2012, is funded by tax bills and daily driving fees like the congestion charge. Speaking to Metro, Liz Emerson, chief executive of the research charity International Foundation said: 'This is a disservice to younger colleagues who are paying more for their travel than those who still work and are over 60. 'It impacts their essential spending power and helps instead those who are older and wealthy. 'This is unfair for younger colleagues who already struggle with housing costs, wages and the cost-of-living crisis. More Trending 'The least the Mayor can do is align free London travel with the state pension age. A TfL spokesperson told Metro: 'Both the Mayor and TfL are committed to making public transport in London as accessible, convenient, and affordable as possible. View More » 'We regularly review our range of concessions to ensure that they continue to benefit Londoners, while also remaining affordable for TfL to operate.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Samurai sword killer 'screamed in delight' after nearly decapitating schoolboy MORE: British couple feared to have been on Air India flight named and pictured MORE: Three teenage girls admit killing 75-year-old man in the street Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
