TUBE AND TfL union RMT today slammed confirmation from Mayor Boris Johnson that tube fares will increase by 3.9% from next year and bus fares by over 12% as “dire news in the middle of a recession which will be deeply damaging to passenger numbers and revenue income.”

In further bad news for public transport in the capital, TfL's business plan, to be considered by TfL's board next week, includes the deferral by three years of all remaining station renewals which were to have been completed by the failed private Tube maintenance company Metronet.

Also work to upgrade one of the Tube's busiest stations - Victoria - will not now be completed until 2018 and the business plan suggests that there will be some bus service reductions and reductions in service on some parts of the Tube.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said today:

"RMT firmly believes that any increase in fares above inflation will be damaging and will drive passengers away from the system deepening the financial crisis at TFL. The shocking increases confirmed today will have a dire impact on passenger numbers, will force more people back into their cars and make a mockery of the green agenda promoted by the Mayor of London.

“A large chunk of the multi-billion financial black hole facing TFL is a direct result of the failure of tube privatisation. Passengers and staff are being asked to pay a heavy price for the failures of politicians and it is no surprise that they are angry at these heavy weight fare increases.

“The continuing shambles over the station renewals and upgrade programme following the collapse of Metronet is just another part of the grim legacy from the privatisation disaster. The politicians who created this mess should be taking responsibility instead of asking passengers and staff to take the financial hit.”