I was recently asked by Bucks Free Press to comment on Sadiq Khan’s latest proposal to begin phasing out London Day Travelcards and explain how that decision may affect my Wycombe constituents. I believe that the Labour Mayor’s proposal is just another instance which, combined with his ongoing ULEZ expansions, will result in significant costs for my constituents, many of whom will need to travel to London at extortionate prices just to get to work. I am disappointed that Labour would chose to impose these measures at such as difficult time for many. As such, I gave a recent comment to the Bucks Free Press on these issues:
“The elimination of London day travel cards marks a move by Sadiq Khan to save his own financial mistakes in spite of its questionable effectiveness and clear disadvantages it poses to so many Britons, including those in Wycombe.
“Ultimately, the decisions made by Sadiq Kahn and the Labour Party to pursue ULEZ expansion and reduce public transport choice will only result in unfair costs borne by hard-working families and members of our community.”
Saving our planet is indeed a noble endeavour. However, in the case of ULEZ expansion, it is clear that it will make no difference to London’s air quality while merely imposing high costs at a time when many are struggling with the cost of living. In March, I spoke with London Assembly Member Andrew Boff about this:
The Mayor has explicitly stated that the purpose of the elimination of Day Travelcards is to save the city money. The Telegraph recently reported on the costs of this policy for those traveling throughout London, including by those travelling from Wycombe:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/21/sadiq-khan-plan-scrap-day-travelcards-journey-cost-increase
As with the expansion of the ULEZ, the reasons for eliminating day travel cards is clearly financially motivated.
The Labour Mayor’s measures will only add to the cost of living for many in Wycombe. I know that there are many of my constituents who cannot afford a ULEZ-compliant car or increased travel fares into London. These measures are clearly a cash grab from the Labour Mayor which the evidence shows will have no real benefits for those in London or those travelling to London. I will continue to campaign against the ULEZ expansion and the removal of the London Day Travelcards.
