Sadiq Khan launches one-hour 'Hopper' fares for London Buses

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched the new one-hour ‘Hopper’ bus fare, which aims to reduce travel costs for millions of Londoners.

The new fares will allow passengers in London to change onto another bus or tram for free within one hour of starting their journey and will be automatically given to anyone who uses ‘pay as you go’ with Oyster or contactless payment cards.

It is estimated that around 30 million bus journeys currently costing £1.50 will become free every year.

Launching the Hopper fares, Khan said: “Today is a landmark day for transport in London, and I’m hugely proud that our new ‘Hopper’ fare will make bus travel cheaper for millions of Londoners travelling around our city. It wasn’t right that Londoners had to pay twice simply to change buses, and the ‘Hopper’ will make 30 million journeys free every year. It will make a particular difference to low income families – many of whom still spend a large proportion of their wages on essential travel costs.”

Lianna Etkind, public transport campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport, commented: "More people may now use the bus than the car in London, and we hope the Hopper will make choosing the bus cheaper and easier for even more Londoners. With more green low emission buses on the roads, leaving the car behind and traveling by bus is a way for people to improve air quality and make this a healthier city for everyone".

Transport for London (TfL) is now working on delivering unlimited bus and tram transfers within one hour by 2018, which is not currently possible due to limits with existing technology.