Down The Tube

‘TOURISTS who have not already left for tomorrow’s instalment from the Hutton Inquiry series should not bother.

Going underground

The London Tube system is so bad that if you set out now you’ll be lucky to make Friday’s show.

But life on the Tube is all set to change and the Independent reports on the latest genius initiative to help the passengers, sorry, customers, who travel on it each day.

Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, has sanctioned a move to raise the price of an Underground journey by 25%.

And don’t think about taking the bus, because prices in the capital’s outer districts that were 70p are to be £1, a rise of a whopping 43%.

Before you do as Ken does and hail a cab, remember that he is on your side. Really he is. The Indy hears Ken explain all.

“If I had complete freedom over my finances I would be looking at the sort of fares reduction of about a third on the Underground.

“But unless the Government gives me the money I cannot do it.”

Since the Government in question travel by a fleet of chauffeur-driven Jaguars, you’d imagine that they don’t give a monkey’s for what happens beneath the tarmac.

But the Tube does need added investment. After all, when the weather becomes unbearably hot and the Middle East exports its suicide bombers to Oxford Street, Londoners will have to live somewhere…’

Posted: 20th, August 2003 | In: Broadsheets Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink