Commuters in fares protest

Commuters will march through central London tomorrow in protest at the capital's ailing transport services.

Passengers from London and the South-East will be taking part in the action, which is being co-ordinated by independent pressure group, Commuter Voice.

The group said it was time for people to vent their anger about the everyday frustrations of travelling across the city. Formed last October, the organisation has called for an end to the "habitual and mindless practice" of annual Tube and bus fare increases and believes Ken Livingstone should find alternative ways of funding London's transport system instead of taking from the pockets of commuters.

But Transport for London said it was planning to invest £10billion over the next five years and a protest would not solve anything.

Commuter Voice spokesman Gari Sullivan, a 41-year-old writer from Wimbledon, said the protest was the only way passengers could get the transport service they deserved.

"We pay around three times more for our travel than the rest of Europe - making public transport in London the most expensive in the world," he said.

"There has been a 50 per cent increase on some fares in the last two years. Outer London bus fares have nearly doubled and Travelcards are now 37 per cent more than in 2003. Ken Livingstone has threatened us with five years of massive fare rises to come.

"Unless people want to pay ?8 for a Travelcard and over ?120 for a monthly pass, then as many commuters as possible must join the march."

Commuter Voice, which urged commuters to boycott Tube and bus services last year, is calling for a threeyear price freeze on Tube fares and index-linked fare rises from 2008. They also demand more bus lanes and that employers do more to help people work from home.

TfL said it successfully transported 10 million people across the capital every day. A spokeswoman said the problem was under-investment and it planned to invest £10billion over the next five years.

She said: "In real terms, bus passengers are paying the same average fares as 2000 and Oyster pre-pay users benefit from discounted off-peak travel."

She added: "I don't think the march will solve anything. There are problems and we need to tackle them."

The protest will start at 11am in Palace Street before making its way past TfL's head office in Victoria and finishing with a rally in Whitehall Place near Trafalgar Square.