Deprived families being left behind by Boris Johnson’s transport cuts

Throughout his time at City Hall Boris Johnson has expended a vast amount of hot air trying to claim he represents all of London, for many people though this just doesn’t ring true.

That’s why it will come as no surprise that a new report I have published today has found that Londoners in deprived areas face disproportionately poor access to the capital’s transport system, and with population growth the gap is worsening.

The report, ‘Tackling Poverty: One Bus Ride Away’, maps areas of high density deprivation against those with poor access to public transport, whether that be bus, train, tube or tram. If you happen to live in an area of high deprivation you are more likely to face significant transport barriers.

This shouldn’t surprise the Mayor as most of the information was drawn from TfL’s own data. The transformative effect new bus routes in particular can have in opening up poorer communities, linking them to jobs and stimulating economic growth is well documented.

With tried and tested solutions available you would expect the Mayor to be investing time on steps he could take to link these disadvantaged communities to the jobs and opportunities of wider London. But while the situation is getting worse for many of London’s poorer families, the Mayor has neglected the bus service and his poorer constituents.

Since 2008 Johnson has cut the subsidy for bus fares by 40%. Those costs have been passed on meaning a single ticket which cost just 90p in 2008 will cost £1.50 in January. Despite bus fares costing 66% more since 2008, the Mayor is also massively cutting the level of service growth. Whilst between 2000-2012 the number of TfL’s bus kilometres increased by 38% to 490million, between 2012 and 2020 that number will only go up by just 4%. With London’s population due to grow by 1.2m in the coming years and demand for bus services growing exponentially its scandalous that the Mayor thinks bus service growth of less than 1% a year is acceptable. Especially when those most missing out are some of London’s poorest.

Flatlining growth in the bus system risks further entrenching inequality by making it harder for the poorest communities, including a disproportionate number from ethnic minorities, to easily access jobs.

My report proposes a number of bread and butter steps a Mayor could take to tackle this damaging disconnect. At its core is a call for the Mayor bring forward a coherent plan for a bus network which will keep up with demand and actively seeks to connect deprived communities with jobs, education and opportunity.

Instead, we have yearly inflation-busting fare increases disproportionately hitting bus users and a Mayor more interested in his own national political aspirations than responding to the needs of Londoners.

Val Shawcross, London Assembly Labour Group Transport Spokesperson and Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark