Metrolink Fares are to to rise by around 6% a year until 2020, the ten Greater Manchester Council Leaders have agreed. The decision was to rise fairs by ‘inflation + 2.33%’ on 1 January 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. At todays inflation level that is an increase of 5.93% on 1 January 2018, and over the three years a fare rise of around 19% over three years.
The Liberal Democrat group leader on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, Oldham councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has condemned the decision by the Labour-controlled Greater Manchester Combined Authority to increase Metrolink fares by almost 6% from January of next year, well above inflation, as “another blow for hard-up passengers”.
“This decision made by the Labour Leaders of nine of the Greater Manchester local authorities, with the support of the Greater Manchester Mayor and the Conservative leader of Trafford Council, shows how out of touch they are with the financial situation of many tram passengers.
“This is the first of three years of pain as Metrolink fares will be steadily increased year on year, but the pain will not end there as from January 2021, fares will increase annually by 1% above inflation.”
“Labour complains constantly about the Conservative’s austerity and wage freezes in the public sector and then hits passengers who are feeling the pinch with unremitting fare increases. This is simply not fair – Metrolink is in profit. We should be encouraging more passengers to use the service and cracking down on fare evasion to increase revenue not hammering the fare-paying passengers who already use it.”
Councillor Sykes is also concerned about the impact this increase may have on our environment: “I repeat the comments that I made in advance of the rise in rail fares in July. Price hikes discourage tram use and encourage passengers to get back in their cars increasing air pollution and traffic congestion – this is not good for us or for our planet or Greater Manchester.”
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As I am of the age to have a bus pass and usually do not travel early in the morning, when I had to do so recently I was amazed how much a single fare into Piccadilly Station from Prestwich cost. I am at a loss to know why fares generally in England cost so much more than other countries. If Metrolink is in profit the fares should not be going up – particularly when many people have to stand for their journeys on a regular basis.
This sounds just like the Tories, except it is obvious that the Labour councillors have also joined the ranks of politicians out of touch with real life. Who will be able to afford these fares in future? Certainly not public servants, who haven’t had a pay rise for years, and in many cases, due to increased pension contributions, are actually on a lot less now than they were six or seven years ago.
The rise would be more justified if they stopped putting on single trams during rush hour and busy periods (match days etc). Time and time again you are squashed onto single trams and then miss trams. Why cant the price rise be a condition of more double trams?