Should London have free travel for all – and how realistic is it?

Could some of London’s problems be solved by free travel?

It might not be a silver bullet, but free travel campaigners have cranked up the pressure by calling for universal free public transport for all ages in the UK and London.

Londoners have been bogged down by the rising cost of travel, coupled with the high prices of everything from food to housing.

Each year, people have to dish out more and more on Tube and rail tickets just to get to work. Many are spending a chunk of their wages on travel on boiling hot carriages, while brazen fare dodgers irritate paying commuters. In March, Underground, Overground, Elizabeth line and DLR fares went up by 4.6% along with National Rail tickets, which was above the rate of inflation.

Tube travel increased by 10p or 20p, depending on the ticket