Tube and bus fares increased for cash.

Transport for London (TfL) has raised the price of tickets on Londons tubes and buses but only for passengers paying cash. The idea is to encourage greater use of the pre-paid Oyster cards. Tube fares in central London paid for with cash are now at least 3.00, against the former 2.00, while a single bus journey has risen from 1.20 to 1.50. Instead, travellers using Oyster cards are actually seeing a reduction from 1.70 to 1.50 for a single tube journey in Zone 1. According to London mayor Ken Livingstone, the price hike for cash payers will halve the number of cash journeys and make travel on London Transport more efficient. However, there has been criticism that the move will hit tourists in particular and consequently local businesses, who are complaining that they are already suffering from the effects of the terrorist attacks of July last year and the recent rise in the congestion charge. Under-16s have been travelling free on London transport since last August. By September 2006, this will be extended to include under-18s in full-time education.