Susan Hall has made a pitch to London’s pensioners by vowing to reinstate free travel during peak times.
The Tory London mayoral candidate hit out at Sadiq Khan’s “cruel penalty” after the Older Person’s Freedom Pass and the 60+ London Oyster photocard were restricted to off-peak only.
Ms Hall told the Express: “Sadiq Khan should never have introduced this cruel penalty in the first place.
“It unfairly hits older Londoners who need to travel to early morning appointments.
“So many people have raised concerns about this, but as usual Sadiq Khan is not listening to them.
“I am listening to Londoners and as Mayor, I will bring back free travel for Freedom Pass and 60+ London Oyster holders during morning peak hours. We need a Mayor who listens.”
Free travel for Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ London Oyster photocard holders during peak times was originally suspended on a temporary basis during the pandemic.
But the change was made permanent in January last year with Transport for London (TfL) blaming the impact of Covid on its finances.
Reinstating free travel during peak times is expected to cost around £30 million, according to previous costings by the Greater London Authority finance team.
Ms Hall plans to fund it through savings in the City Hall and TfL budgets, including reductions in staff with salaries of more than £100,000 a year.
It comes after research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance found the number of staff in City Hall earning the eye-watering sum has surged from 655 to 1,146 in the past six years.
