Almost half of Londoners would opt for public transport over driving if fares were lower, new polling has revealed.
The capital has some of the highest travel fares in Europe and is likely to continue to do so after the Standard revealed ministers ordered City Hall to impose above-inflation rises every year until 2029.
But new data suggests 49 per cent of people would be willing to swap their car for the London Underground if the cost of public transport was reduced.
The survey from Savanta and the Centre for London think tank, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), also indicates that more than a third of Londoners would choose public transport if it was less crowded, safer and more reliable than it currently is.
Increasing the accessibility of public transport was also popular, with 34 per cent of respondents saying it would make them use public transport more, while 19 per cent wanted more access to toilets on the network.
Meanwhile, a fifth said increased road charges for motorists would prompt them to switch to public transport.
There are currently around 2.6 million cars registered in London. While ownership is lower than other regions of the UK, there has been a concerted effort from City Hall to promote public transport over private vehicles to help the environment and reduce congestion for buses, bikes and taxis.
The findings have prompted calls for increased transport links in London, especially those connecting outer boroughs.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London that Sir Sadiq Khan is working to keep TfL fares “as low as possible”.
They said: “By freezing bus and tram fares for the sixth time since 2016, Londoners continue to pay amongst the lowest bus fares in the UK.
“TfL fares set by the Mayor are around 9 per cent lower than if they had increased in line with National Rail fares since 2016, and 16 per cent lower than if they had risen in line with inflation. In addition, TfL offers a wide range of travel concessions, offering free and discounted travel to millions of eligible Londoners.
“The Mayor is pushing ahead with vital projects to improve public transport across the capital – delivering more step-free stations, Tube upgrades, zero-emission buses, express bus services, School Streets and Cycleways – as he continues working to build a better, fairer, greener London for everyone.”
Daniel Reast, Senior Researcher at Centre for London, said: “To tackle the issue, we need to understand why people drive. While the data shows an increase in car ownership across the capital, it hides regional divides.
“Central London has seen a decrease, while areas in the East have seen a sharp increase.”
He added: “London has had great success in getting people out of their cars and travelling on trains, buses, bicycles or on foot. But to reach the Mayor’s goal of 80 per cent of journeys in London taken on public or active transport by 2041, there’s a long way to go.”
A number of proposed transport projects, including the Bakerloo Line extension and West London Orbital, have the potential to connect more parts of London by rail, but are yet to receive the funding needed to make them a reality.
A separate survey conducted by Savanta and the Centre for London found a significant percentage of Londoners backed a “pay per mile” charge in the capital and levying higher taxes on SUVs.
Simon Pirani of campaign group Fare Free London said: “We welcome these survey results – we believe that making public transport free is a social justice measure and that it should help to encourage people to use it rather than their cars.
“These findings suggest that it definitely would have that effect in London and that would help us to move away from a car-centred transport system.
“In New York, Zohran Mamdani promised free bus travel in his campaign – it’s time this idea is looked at in London.”
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