Transport for London reports that the fare reduction trial had no significant effect on passenger numbers
London: So, it turns out that the £24 million fare cut on Fridays didn’t really change much. Sir Sadiq Khan launched this scheme to get more people using the Tube and trains, but it seems it didn’t work as planned.
The idea was to make Friday fares off-peak all day, which sounds great, right? But a report from Transport for London (TfL) said there was no real difference in how many people were riding during peak times compared to before the trial.
Even though the numbers didn’t budge, a lot of Londoners and local businesses liked the idea. They thought it could help boost trade, especially in areas where restaurants and cultural spots rely on local customers.
City Hall was hoping this would get more folks back to the office on Fridays, which would mean more spending on lunches and after-work fun. Before the trial, midweek Tube ridership was at 85% of what it used to be, but Fridays were lagging at just 73%.
To cover the losses during this trial, Sadiq Khan set aside £24 million from his budget for the next financial year. It’s a big investment, but it looks like the results just didn’t match the expectations.
