With super peak fares to ease train overcrowding being proposed, SWLondoner took to Wimbledon’s streets to ask commuters how they feel about it.
The coalition is proposing to introduce super peak fares between 7am-9am and 4pm-7pm to ease train overcrowding.
Transport Secretary Justine Greening’s proposal of a price hike and change of staffing is a result of Sir Roy McNulty’s report on recommending how the transport industry can save £3.5bn by 2019.
It is possible 675 ticket stations could be closed which would mean the loss of 12,000 jobs across Britain; the alternative anticipated is to buy from post offices, libraries and ticket machines.
This will no doubt affect thousands of commuters and we wanted to find out your thoughts in Wimbledon.
Ceri Bemrose, 29
They’re doing it at the main commute time. I don’t use trains all that often except sometimes I work in Great Ormond Street. But my step-dad buys a yearly season pass and it’s already gone up a substantial amount of extra cost over the years so he’ll be paying even more. If they’re getting rid of ticket machines then until you get used to it you’ll forget until you get to the station that you’ve got to go back and buy a ticket somewhere else unless you then have the option to buy tickets on board, that’s how it’ll affect people.
Ismail Kertauui, 19
It’s not good the train here in London it’s very expensive and yes it is over crowded at 6am to 7am. It’s harder for me because I’m a student and I already can’t afford the expense and I have to travel at those times.
Mustafa Javed, 24
It doesn’t really affect me, but I see it as a way to squeeze more money out of commuters just because they can.
Andrew Coe, 28
I do most of my commuting by bike but I think instead of charging people more for using public transport they should just tax people much heavier on unnecessary car journeys. Get more people on bikes instead and make roads more about bikes, running and joint usage car options, something like that. I think the train fares are ludicrously high as they are. I’ve made about six train journeys in the past fortnight. £3 just to get one way from Earlsfield to Waterloo and £3 back. I think I took a train journey in Italy that was seven or eight times the distance for only twice the price and they are an intercity level train service.
Jude Kriwald, 19
It doesn’t affect me too much because normally I cycle to and from work, sometimes if there’s a reason like bad weather I will get the tube. I normally get a travel card for the zones I need to travel, it went up in January to £2 extra a week already. The way it is you still probably have to pay it anyway because there’s very few alternatives. If you have to go to work I think over time more people will start cycling, not a massive increase but I think people are trying to find alternative methods of transport.
Lauren Brown, 32
I use my oyster card so I think we’re paying enough already and the service isn’t adequate. If they’re closing down ticket offices then it’s not convenient at all.
Michael Warren, 37
I don’t think it’ll make much difference. I have to get to work so if it costs me extra I haven’t really got a choice, doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. They should be putting more money into the transport system instead of spending it fighting abroad maybe then they wouldn’t have to keep increasing fares.
Ram Aurora, 77
I think it is a good idea. It would work because people might choose to pay the lower fare if they are going to increase the fare during peak hours. Some might, but the other’s wont but a portion possibly would. To buy from the library is a good idea too.
Roy Smith, 70
Who does it benefit? Really what they’re doing is making another excuse to charge more. I suppose I’ve gotta disagree with the proposal because people have got to get up and go. All the workers go around that time so they have to use it. It wouldn’t be right or fair for them if they have to use it.
Richard Beaumont, 24
The cost is the biggest issue already, I thought the government promised to bring the cost down soon? Anyway, I don’t think it’s going to stop overcrowding at all, I get a weekly and that’s gone up recently, it keeps going up and up and the tubes are still crowded because those are the working hours.
