Boris' Slap in the Face to Ealing Commuters

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An open letter to Ealing Today from Cllr Bassam Mahfouz

 

This week sees, what the Financial Times has described as the biggest increase, in real terms, in London transport fares during our capital’s long and illustrious history. 

It will hit hardest those who are already struggling with the daily commutes into and around London.  The decision by the Tory Mayor, Boris Johnson is a direct slap in the face to the tens of thousands of Ealing residents who rely on public transport to get around and pay for the pleasure of practicing to be sardines in overcrowded tubes and buses every day.

This comes against a backdrop of national train tickets seeing their lowest increase for many years.  More importantly, whilst Ealing users will be paying more, we are getting less for our money: it comes weeks after Boris’ decision to cancel the long-awaited (and already started) step-free access at Greenford Station, a reduction in frequency of two major bus services that serve our borough (with more reductions in service in the pipelines) and a lack of support for a much-needed major transport interchange in Ealing. 

Ken Livingstone was slaughtered by Tories like Angie Bray for increasing bus fares by 20p in his 8 years as Mayor, so I am interested to hear if they will be calling for Johnson’s resignation following this second above-inflation increase in fares in as many years (33% increase in 2 years for bus users). 

More money, less services – that’s what a Johnson Mayoralty means for London: a repulsive revelation on what would be inflicted on us were a Tory government ever to be elected!

 A more detailed breakdown of how this effect commuters and an opportunity for residents to let me have their views can be found on my website: www.bassam4ealingacton.com

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Bassam Mahfouz

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Ealing Central & Acton

& Shadow Cabinet Spokesman for Transport