Comments on: Boris’s biggest fans

By: BenSix

BenSix — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:16:28 +0000

Ah, I’ve read the whole document and see exactly what you mean.
The original post has now been edited.
* http://www.boriswatch.co.uk/2008/06/24/boris-abandons-half-price-fares/
(By the way, in trying to edit this comment I may have accidentally deleted a new one, so if you’ve tried to post and it hasn’t appeared I do apologise)

By: BenSix

BenSix — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:45:36 +0000

True, Tory Troll, but what I was pointing out was that it is not as simple as saying that they “aren’t looking into alternatives”. I still think that it’s a dreadfully blithe decision, but we should nevertheless detail all the information that has been released.
I’d think that I’ve expressed the problem fairly here*.
* http://www.boriswatch.co.uk/2008/06/24/boris-abandons-half-price-fares/

By: Tory Troll

Tory Troll — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:23:21 +0000

It’s alternative concessions rather than alternative ways of funding the existing concession that are being investigated. That’s a crucial difference. He may or may not come up with some other way of discounting fares, but until he does (or doesn’t) we can only go by the actual solid decision that has been made, which is to scrap the half-price scheme.
Otherwise it’s a bit like us saying ‘Gordon Brown has decided to scrap the 10p rate, but he continues to look for other ways of helping the less well off.’ You have to cut through the spin and reviews and actually look at what has been decided. The half-price scheme has been scrapped. There was a hint that there may be a u-turn and that it would be funded in another way but it is clear that is not the case now. If he comes up with something later which amounts to a half price fare or better then I will welcome it. But the emphasis on overall fare levels suggests otherwise.

By: Mr. Stop Boris

Mr. Stop Boris — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:34:36 +0000

Good plan. Over to you, unless I hear otherwise!

By: BenSix

BenSix — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:24:28 +0000

Heh, yes, we were writing concurrently.
As we’re all, I believe, elsewhere tomorrow, should we put out a request for reports from the State of London Debate?

By: Mr. Stop Boris

Mr. Stop Boris — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:03:58 +0000

I’ve no idea if your comment predated my update or not but thanks anyway! I missed that second response when I was skimming the PDF earlier. Hopefully I’ll have time to read the rest of the PDF properly at some point.

Oh, just remembered one question (and answer) I was going to highlight out of sheer bizarreness…

By: BenSix

BenSix — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:39:25 +0000

I believe that alternative measures are still being considered. Boris stated that he had “asked TfL to investigate more suitable forms of fares concession for low income Londoners”.
I wouldn’t like to bet that these considerations will be fruitful, however.