Commuters face more steep fare rises
Welcome to “Flex” the latest euphemism for the work of the privatised monopoly businesses which increasingly control all aspects of our infrastructure at a price above inflation. It is getting increasingly difficult in these economically challenging times not to come across a weekly example of telecoms, energy, transport or food where this is happening.
This story tells us: “The cost of season tickets, which is controlled by the Government, will increase by an average of 4.2 per cent in January. These rises come at a time when, according to the TUC, workers are seeing their pay failing to keep up with inflation, with the latest figures showing the average salary increase running at 1.9 per cent. But the average fare rises mask a far grimmer picture for passengers in some key commuter towns who have yet again been singled out for bigger increases.
Those travelling in from Canterbury face a 5.9 per cent rise, taking the cost of an annual season ticket up to £4,860. Two years ago they were hit with an eye watering 12.7 per cent increase. Tonbridge’s commuters have also fallen victim to a system known as “flex” which allows train operators to impose higher rises on some routes and lower increases on others. This system allows rail firms to charge people more from stations where there is no realistic alternative to rail travel and less where there is an alternative to persuade commuters to travel by train. They will see the cost of their season tickets rise by 5.2 per cent in January, two years after they faced an 11.8 per cent rise.
Some of the rises are almost double the RPI rate of inflation which is 3.2 per cent. Lobby groups called on the Government to protect commuters who have repeatedly fallen victim to flex, which was reintroduced by the Coalition after it took office in 2010.”
I can hear car engines revving up across swathes of rural England……