Ken challenges Boris to a debate on fares

Open letter – time for a live debate on the fares

Dear Boris,

Today, in an interview for ITV London, you have claimed that my plan to put money back into Londoners’ pockets and purses through a fares cut is ‘crazed vote-getting.’

And your right hand man at Transport for London, Daniel Moylan, has briefed London’s evening paper, the Standard, that it is ‘schizophrenic’ to call for a fares cut.

Your administration today gives every impression of being in crisis over the fares debate.

Londoners are being squeezed too hard in tough times by your fare increases. The facts are these. Every year you have an excess operating surplus in your budget and every year you significantly underestimate the amount of revenue you get from fare payers. At the same time you have actually under-spent your capital budget, meaning you have not even invested as much on transport as you could have.

I believe you are significantly over-charging the travelling public, at a point when the state of the economy and the impact of cuts and higher charges such as VAT are making their lives harder.

All the polls show Londoners want a fares cut. I am confident of my case for a fares cut. You evidently disagree. There is one way to resolve it.

It’s time to debate the issue and let Londoners decide who is right and who is wrong. If you are confident of your case for a fare rise then let us have it out in public, with Londoners able to hear both positions, before the fare rise in January.

I invite you to join me to a televised debate about the fares. You name the TV and radio stations and the presenter and I will happily meet you to debate the fares live on television.

Name your date, your time and your channel and let’s have the debate Londoners want.