Tube and bus fares in London paid for with cash are set to increase January 1st 2006. A single Tube journey in zone one will cost £3 instead of £2 while a single bus journey will rise from £1.20 to £1.50, said Mayor Ken Livingstone. Fares will fall for holders of the Oyster pre-pay smartcards. With Oyster, a zone one Tube ride will be cut from £1.70 to £1.50 – half the cash fare. Mr Livingstone said the aim was for fewer people to pay with cash. Mr Livingstone said the increased fares to be introduced from January would raise about £80m but conceded the new single Tube fare of £3 would probably be the most expensive in the world.

NEW FARES FOR 2006

• Tube zone 1: £3 cash (£2 currently)
• Tube zone 1: £1.50 Oyster (£1.70)
• Tube zones 2-6: £3 cash (£2.10)
• Tube zones 2-6: £1 Oyster (£1.80)
• Bus (all zones): £1.50 cash (£1.20)
• Bus (all zones): 80p Oyster (£1)

The motto is – either don’t visit London or buy an Oyster card to use London’s public transport.