London Banter - View Single Post

Richard J. · May 22nd 06, 11:02 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
From: "Richard J."
So, at what price would you set the flat fare for a single journey
on the Underground? Remember this has to be valid for, say,
Waterloo to Leicester Square as well as for, say, Northwood to
Newbury Park.

Two pounds seems like a nice round number. A bit more expensive for
a within a single zone journey but a lot cheaper for all others.

Not "a bit more" but *twice as expensive* (as Oyster) for a one- or
two-zone journey outside zone 1.

No doubt there will be immediate bleatings about how the subsidy
required can't be afforded. Well in that case , give me the economic
case why other countries can afford it and the 4th richest country
in the world and one of the higher taxed (ie us), can't.

Obviously we could afford the subsidy if we took money away from other
things or people, which might or might not be a good idea. But the
London tube system is much bigger than other cities' metros (end-to-end
line distances typically twice those in Paris for example). I don't
think it's sensible, or a good use of public subsidies, for a 1-mile
journey to have the same fare as a 30 mile journey.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)