We need a fare freeze next year
Hello
As the cost-of-living crisis shows no signs of abating, attention has turned to next year’s rail fare rise as we learnt today that July’s RPI figure, which is usually used to set the following year’s annual rise, is an eye watering 12.3 per cent. The Government did this week pledge to spare passengers from a double-digit rise, BUT a large rise is still on the cards with the Government looking likely to use a minus RPI formula to take affect from March 2023.
Even a minus RPI rail fare rise next year will hit passengers hard and could mean people stay away from the trains altogether. The Government must go further and commit to a fare freeze for 2023 now so that commuters are not left with the uncertainly of whether they’ll be able to afford to get to work next year. Without affordable rail fares we could see an increase in road congestion and carbon emissions, both bad news for people and the planet.
With a final decision on the fare rise yet to be made, we’ll be keeping up the pressure for a fare freeze.
If you're on twitter, make sure to follow the conversation using the hashtag #FaresFreeze.
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