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03/01/2012
Labour Steams At Gov Rail Fare Rise
Labour has criticised the Government over rail fare rises, which it says will be topping 11% in some cases.
Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle MP said the Chancellor had previously given the impression increases in rail fares would not be more than 1% above inflation. However, the government's decision to let train companies add up to another 5% on top of the cap had led to much higher than anticipated rises.
Maria Eagle said: "Commuters finding that their rail fares have rocketed by up to 11 per cent will want to know why the Chancellor gave the clear impression in his Autumn Statement that he had limited ticket price hikes to just one per cent above inflation. The reality is that the government chose to quietly reverse the decision of the last Labour government to enforce the fare cap and instead gave back to train companies the right to hike fares by much more.
"The fact that David Cameron has chosen to side with the powerful private train operator lobby against commuters and passengers shows he is desperately out of touch with the spiraling cost-of-living crisis facing so many hard-working families. If this year's eleven per cent fare hikes were not bad enough, the government has told the train companies that they can increase fares by up to a staggering thirteen per cent in 2013 and 2014, meaning three years in a row of eye watering price hikes."
(DW)
Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle MP said the Chancellor had previously given the impression increases in rail fares would not be more than 1% above inflation. However, the government's decision to let train companies add up to another 5% on top of the cap had led to much higher than anticipated rises.
Maria Eagle said: "Commuters finding that their rail fares have rocketed by up to 11 per cent will want to know why the Chancellor gave the clear impression in his Autumn Statement that he had limited ticket price hikes to just one per cent above inflation. The reality is that the government chose to quietly reverse the decision of the last Labour government to enforce the fare cap and instead gave back to train companies the right to hike fares by much more.
"The fact that David Cameron has chosen to side with the powerful private train operator lobby against commuters and passengers shows he is desperately out of touch with the spiraling cost-of-living crisis facing so many hard-working families. If this year's eleven per cent fare hikes were not bad enough, the government has told the train companies that they can increase fares by up to a staggering thirteen per cent in 2013 and 2014, meaning three years in a row of eye watering price hikes."
(DW)
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Fines for rail fare dodgers could double: proposals
The government is proposing to double the rail penalty fare from £10 to £20 to deter persistent fare dodgers. The increase could come into force around the turn of the year, if agreed. Britain's rail industry loses an estimated £210 million a year from fare evasion.
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Bus Passengers Face Fare Rises Due To Spending Cuts
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