TUBE and train fares in London could be cut on Friday under Sadiq Khan’s £24m plan.
The Mayor of London has asked Transport for London to conduct a three-month trial starting in March, with the aim of increasing passenger numbers by making all weekend fares off-peak.
This will require broad rail industry support.
Peak fares apply on TfL and mainline rail services within London from 6.30am to 9.30am and 4pm to 7pm on weekdays.
Currently, someone commuting by Tube from zone 6 to zone 1 in central London during peak hours pays £5.60 per journey.
For this trial, this fare will be reduced by £2 to £3.60 on Fridays.
Mr Khan is proposing to allocate £24 million from the 2024-25 budget to support Friday’s trial.
TfL figures show midweek Tube ridership was at 85% of pre-pandemic levels, but Friday’s figure was just 73%.
More workers coming into the office on Fridays is expected to boost revenue for the hospitality sector through additional spending on lunches, after-work drinks and evening entertainment.
Mr Khan said: “London has bounced back since the pandemic, but the low number of commuters on Friday is a clear exception, with a knock-on effect on shops, cafes and cultural venues.”
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of industry body UK Hospitality, said: “Fridays have undoubtedly suffered as a result of changes in working patterns since the pandemic, with hospitality businesses feeling the drop in commuter traffic.” he said.
“Responding to these challenges with innovative initiatives like Off-Peak Fridays is exactly the flexible approach we need to increase travel numbers and stimulate attendance at our venues.”
The announcement of the trial comes a week after Mr Khan revealed that TfL fares would be frozen until March next year, to be paid for by an allocation of £123m of Greater London Authority funding.
Susan Hall, Conservative candidate in May’s mayoral election, described the fare freeze as “the final roll of the dice”.