Riding Thames Clippers has always been relatively expensive - for example it's over £11 for a hop between Westminster and North Greenwich. But it became even more expensive a fortnight ago when, with an absolute minimum of fuss, they introduced peak and off-peak fares. You'll never guess when peak hours are, and even after my reveal you won't believe it.
Previously if you swiped with Oyster or contactless you paid the same fare no matter what time of day it was. It's been like this since September 2015 when the ability to tap in was first made available (this also when the three zones were introduced - West, Central and East). Then suddenly on July 5th 2026 a differential emerged, described on the website as 'Summer prices'.
The peak fare increase is anything from £1.20 for journeys in a single outer zone to £3.60 for a journey in all three zones. I suspect most travellers ride two zones and that's an extra £2.30. If you're seeking an underlying rationale, all of these represent a 20% increase, i.e. TfL are seeking to grab an extra 20% from every passenger at peak times. Those who use Travelcards are being similarly targeted but it's a smaller increase for a multi-zone trip, these up just 5%.
According to the blurb "higher fares apply when we're busy". I assumed this might mean during the daily commute or on weekend afternoons when the tourist crowd pile in. But when I scanned across the page to see the actual peak times I thought "Seriously? That's got to be a mistake." So I went down to Blackfriars Pier to see it in black and white and yes, it really was true. Wtf.
Off-peak is 06:35-09:27 on weekdays.
Peak is all the rest of the time.
Sunday morning is peak, Monday afternoon is peak, Wednesday evening is peak, even the midnight sailing from Greenwich to North Greenwich is peak. Everything is peak except the weekday morning commute, a total of just 14 hours twenty minutes a week. It's almost the exact reverse of what you might expect. Off-peak on Thames Clippers is the morning peak elsewhere!
(If you're wondering why off-peak isn't simply 06:30-09:30, it's because of the way normal TfL peak fares work. These are advertised as applying from 6.30am to 9.30am but actually start five minutes later and end three minutes earlier. This is so nobody with a dodgy timepiece gets caught out. But if these three hours are less expensive then the precise times have to be given so nobody taps in on the borderline and discovers they've paid more than they thought)
I'd suggest that if you're on a Thames Clipper before 9.30am you're probably a regular traveller, thus likely to have a carnet or season ticket and immune from all this fuss. So this is effectively a 20% fare hike for almost everyone using contactless or Oyster, most of whom will never notice as they tap in and out. It all feels somewhat greedy, and the excuse that "higher fares apply when we're busy" rings false.
Also these higher fares will continue a lot longer than you might expect. When I saw the title "Summer Prices" I expected end of August, maybe start of September. But not so, they actually continue until 31st October! In no seasonal timeline is October part of summer, meteorological or otherwise, but contactless users are still to be shafted long after the genuine summer rush has faded.
You don't have to pay by card, you can also pay at the pier, pay in advance or use the app. All of these charge differently because taking a Thames Clipper is a variable feast.
The first column here, 'Off-peak Adult', was the normal card fare before July. The second column here, 'Peak Adult', is what almost all card users are paying now. The third column here, 'Single Online/App', is what users of the Uber Boat app are charged. The final column is what happens if you insist on paying at the pier, either by machine or perhaps at a booth. Never turn up at the pier and buy a ticket because that's always at least £2 more expensive.
It used to be the case that Oyster, contactless and app users all paid the same fare (see first column). It's now the case that everyone pays more at peak times, i.e. almost all the time. Oyster and contactless users pay 20% more (see second column). App users pay precisely 20p less than card users (see third column), which is still a lot more than they'd have been paying previously. It's a massive moneygrab and all with minimum publicity.
(You can save 15% if you book online at least three days in advance, however Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays aren't included. If you want turn-up-and-go convenience or are planning a weekend trip sorry, you're paying full fare... and a higher full fare than before)
The reason for all this is hinted at in the phrase "Online and via the apps always offer the best value for money". The idea is to nudge people towards the Uber Boat app, where peak fares will always be cheaper, by making peak fares apply almost all of the day. I know it's deliberate because I asked, and this is what the online agent said.
I don't believe the part about encouraging passengers to travel at certain times, given how implausibly brief those off-peak times are. But I do believe a price differential has been introduced to offer passengers who use the app or website the cheapest fares. I also believe it's a joint decision from Uber Boat and TfL, and that they're really hoping most Londoners don't notice. If you've taken a Thames Clipper over the last fortnight you may already have been rinsed.
In short, if you set foot on a Thames Clipper this summer you'll be shafted for 20% extra unless you happen to travel before 9.30am on a weekday. It's 20p cheaper if you use the app but still a lot dearer than it would have been last month. The ridiculous off-peak/peak split runs until the end of October so extends well beyond the summer. Riding Thames Clippers was always relatively expensive and is now deliberately more so, for no reason other than greed, and I for one find this scandalous.
