The Mayor made an announcement yesterday about trialling off-peak fares on Fridays.
It was odd because he doesn't normally announce things at the weekend.
It was odd because it's only a three month trial.
And it was odd because it's not a done deal, he's merely asked for the trial to happen which it might or might not.
The plan is to charge off-peak fares all day on Fridays. Fares-wise this would make it an extension of the weekend. It'd mean charging off-peak fares from 7pm on Thursday until 6.30am on Monday, which is just half an hour away from being exactly half a week.
It'd also mean losing out on a fair slice of peaktime fare revenue, that is unless it's hugely popular and a lot more people travel. Coming on top of the recently announced fares freeze it's more good news for travellers but less good news for TfL's accountants.
It'd almost certainly start on 3rd March because that's the appointed day for other fare increases, and thus end at the start of June. You don't need to be a cynic to spot that the Mayoral election occurs precisely two months into the trial.
The Mayor's press release states that a Zone 6 → Zone 1 journey would cost £2 less (down from £5.60 to £3.60) and a Zone 4 → Zone 2 journey would cost 90p less (down from £2.80 to £1.90). An Uxbridge to Westminster commuter could save £52 over the course of thirteen off-peak Fridays. The Mayor's press release does not state that a Zone 1 tube journey would cost just 10p less (down from £2.80 to £2.70), a measly saving. Nor does it mention that bus passengers, tram passengers and Heathrow-bound passengers will save nothing.
The Mayor can do what he likes with TfL fares, but tweaking rail fares across Zones 1 to 6 is beyond his remit so he needs the rail operators to agree to take the hit and charge less on Fridays. They also need to agree whether the benefit will extend to any stations outside Greater London or indeed outside zone 6. Might it look unfair if commuters from Epsom are paying peak fares on Fridays while commuters from Epsom Downs are travelling off-peak? The trial is no done deal.
Whatever, the Mayor has got several big names in the commercial sector and hospitality industry to say how brilliant the trial would be, so if it doesn't happen a lot of hopes will be dashed.
