As you are probably aware, TFL raise their fares in London every year but this issue is not just restricted to London, it's a worldwide problem.
Out of interest, I decided to look at transport fare hikes around the world to see if the same problem occurs in other countries. I have gathered together various links so that the reader can see for themselves.
United States of America
Canada
Germany
Northern Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Finland
Russian Federation
Philippines
Peoples Republic of China
Republic of Korea
Insight - "Seoul bus-subway fare, up to 25% increase in the beginning of next year." (requires translation)
Singapore
Malaysia
United Arab Emirates
Australia
Malta
Please note: very few of the articles are from late 2014.
The above list may be incomplete; I have compiled it to bring awareness to people. London Underground have some of the highest fares in the world for a rapid transit system. This is due to the huge cost of maintaining, operating and organising the day to day running of the service. London Underground’s system length is 250 miles (402 km) which makes it one of the longest metro systems in the world.
So in order for the fares to be low, the subsidiary needs to be high. But you can’t have it both ways. Another reason which causes the fares to rise annually, is the economy of the country. I'm not an economist but I do understand that when the rate of inflation rises, everything goes up in price, accordingly.
There are transport systems around the world which are completely free or they have ‘free zones’ or routes where you can simply ride for nothing, as they are funded by local government.
Links from Wikipedia
List of free public transport routes (Which also contains services from Britain)
I thought I would compile this short article as I feel it's my duty to pass on information regarding fare rises, to my readership. If you would like to give your thoughts on the matter then please feel free to leave a comment below.
Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Google Plus which is @CLondoner92
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