Proposed withdrawal of day travelcards

That this House notes that the Mayor of London is considering withdrawing Day Travelcards from sale; further notes that the change is proposed to assist in generating additional income; is mindful that that the likely impact of the withdrawal is to make travel more expensive for passengers who currently purchase Day Travelcards; recognises that National Railcard discounts can be used on Day Travelcards and that these discounts are not available via contactless payment on the London transport network; further recognises that a recent report by London Travelwatch on digital exclusion found that already one in six people in London say they are unable to buy a ticket as they do not have access to a smartphone or the internet; is concerned that further restricting fares available to purchase as tickets risks exacerbating digital exclusion; believes that scrapping Day Travelcards could disincentivise travel into and around London on public transport and encourage car use as an alternative; understands that the terms of Transport for London’s current funding agreement with the Government require it to generate additional revenue; further understands that TfL has forecast a £75m surplus on its budget this year and passenger numbers are rising faster than forecast; therefore calls on TfL and the Mayor of London to retract proposals to withdraw Day Travelcards; and calls on the Government to enable a fair funding arrangement for London’s public transport system.