Today at the Full Council meeting of Surrey County Council (Tuesday 10th October) a motion proposed by Cllr Matt Furniss asking the Mayor of London not to withdraw the Daily Travelcard was approved.
The Council unanimously wished to ensure that public transport is affordable and accessible to all which has rightly been outlined as a priority for both Surrey County Council and the London Assembly — and the Day Travelcard alleviates higher fares for certain passengers travelling into and around the capital.
The ease of an integrated ticketing option, combined with fare discounts, has led to 14.2 million purchases of the ticket type on the National Rail network alone. Of this, half were issued to passengers with distinct needs — children, young people, families, disabled people and those entitled to a Senior Railcard.
Without the Day Travelcard, fares for passengers will rise substantially. On average, off-peak fares for individuals will rise by 7% — and families will pay 16% more for their tickets.
Disability groups have outlined their concerns with the withdrawal of the Day Travelcard too, citing concerns with maximum time limits, contactless payments and unnecessary bureaucracy.
It was agreed that SCC:
i. Demand that London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, immediately withdraws his proposals for the removal of Day Travelcards.
ii. Request that the Leader of the Council writes to Sadiq Khan and the Secretary of State for Transport informing them both of this resolution of Surrey County Council, the discriminatory nature of his proposal, the impact on Surrey residents and surrounding counties, the negative impact on the economy of London and therefore the need to abandon plans to remove Day Travelcards.
iii. Ensure the Leader of the Council writes to the Secretary of State for Transport urging him to intervene in this matter and request a joint meeting with TfL and DfT, to include in those negotiations extension of Zone 6 to areas of Surrey bordering London to increase Surrey residents’ direct access to contactless TfL fares and so cheaper train travel.
