London day travelcards could be phased out

Day travelcards could become a thing of the past under plans unveiled by the mayor of London.

The daily paper tickets would no longer be sold or accepted on Transport for London (TfL) services including Tube, bus, rail, tram and London Overground.

Passengers travelling from outside the capital would be expected to use contactless or Oyster cards on arrival.

Last year, 12m day travelcards were sold, double the number in Covid-hit 2020, but down from 27m in 2018.

Weekly and annual travelcards would still be issued but last year just 20,000 of the latter were sold, down from 185,000 in 2018.

Travelcards offer unlimited travel on services within London, where fares rose an average of 5.9% last month.

The consultation document sets out the changes which could see the end of paper travelcards altogether.

"We anticipate that, if TfL ceases to accept day travelcards, rail operators will also stop selling Zone 1-6 travelcards," it states.

Child day travelcards would no longer be available, meaning those outside of London would have to apply for a Zipcard, which provides free and discounted travel for those aged under 18, in advance of coming to the capital.

A TfL spokesperson said: "As required by conditions of the government's funding settlements, we are considering proposals to generate additional income.

"One of these proposals is withdrawal from elements of the Travelcard Agreement, such as TfL's acceptance of day travelcards, but we are not proposing to make any changes to the daily pay-as-you-go caps on contactless or Oyster."

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