Major change coming to London bus fares for the first time since 2023

A number of Londoners have heavily criticised the fare increase (Credits: Getty Images)

As we creep towards colder mornings and darker evenings, more and more Londoners will rely on the city’s buses to get them from one social occasion to the next.

But, after hearing TFL’s latest broadcast, some might think twice before hopping on board.

On Friday October 16, it was announced that single adult bus and tram fares in London will rise by 10p to £1.85 in just a few weeks.

In an official statement, TFL added that the new price will also includes the Hopper fare – which allows travellers to pay a single fare for unlimited journeys within one hour on the city’s buses and trams.

Fares for those with eligible concession cards will also increase by 5p.

Coming into force on November 1, the increase will mark the first time TFL has raised bus and tram fares since March 2023.

Some residents feel as though the quality of the bus service doesn’t match its current price (Picture: Getty)

A TfL spokesperson said: ‘We are committed to ensuring that London’s public transport remains affordable and accessible for all, with revenue raised via fares reinvested into improving services across London.

‘London’s bus fares remain some of the lowest in the UK, and this is only the third time they’ve increased over the past decade, meaning they are still 17% lower than if they had risen in line with inflation throughout this period.’

Earlier this year, Mayor Sadiq Khan extended the bus and tram fare freeze that was due to end in July.

Describing it as an ’emergency cost-of-living measure’ to support Londoners on the lowest incomes, the mayor said he would do ‘everything in his power [his] to keep TfL services as affordable as possible.’

However, with fares now set to rise, millions of Londoners may be wondering how their daily journeys will be impacted.

While TFL has confirmed that price caps for Tube, rail and Travel cards will remain frozen until March next year, residents are still understandably concerned.

On TikTok, @MM said ‘this is getting out of hand,’ while @Anon88 wrote ‘They do everything except increasing salaries and lowering house prices.’

Some Londoners have also questioned why they’re being asked to pay more for a public transport service that they feel is getting worse by the day.

While buses are one of London’s most important forms of transport, carrying around 1.8 billion passengers across the capital in 2025, that doesn’t meany everyone is feeling the love…

@cherry_baby deemed the new price ‘ridiculously expensive’, adding ‘and the service isn’t even worth the cost. It’s awful and gets worse with every passing year!’

‘They aren’t even as frequent as they used to be. Buses used to come every 7 mins – now you can be waiting for 20 mins and it’s more expensive,’ @sianny_ added.

Will the fare increase encourage you to walk more? (Picture: Getty)

That being said, a number of people have been quick to remind locals to be grateful, noting that transport outside of London tends to be far more expensive.

Underneath one TikTok video related to the announcement, @Ryan wrote: ‘Compared to the rest of the UK, a bus fare for £1.85 is a bargain.’

@Josh added: ‘That’s still cheap for single ticket, especially in London! In the West Midlands it’s £3 for single.’

So, should we be grateful, or upset?

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