The Mayor’s Hopper fare, which allows unlimited bus and tram journeys in London for the price of a single journey when made within an hour of the first journey, is ten years old this weekend.
First launched on 12 September 2016, the fare is automatically given to anyone who uses pay as you go with a contactless bank payment or Oyster card. Initially only allowing one extra bus and tram journey within an hour, the scheme was expanded to allow unlimited journeys within an hour on 31 January 2018.
More than 100 million ‘hops’ were made in its first year, and since it launched, more than 1.43bn ‘hops’ have now taken place across London – making it easier and more convenient for people to travel by bus or tram.
The Hopper fare also applies to discounted rate fares, such as those made using a Bus & Tram Discount Photocard, Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount card, or Care Leavers Oyster Photocard.
The success of the ‘Hopper’ over the last decade has helped encourage people across London to switch from their cars to public transport – supporting the Mayor’s wider work to clean up London’s air and improve the local environment. The ‘Hopper’ is also of particular benefit to Londoners on lower incomes, who rely on bus services more to get around, as well as those with pushchairs and small children.
This summer, the Mayor also launched the Weekend Hopper, which allowed customers who travelled on a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday to make unlimited bus and tram journeys for the price of a single journey. Across the eight weekends that the offer ran for, 6.8 million customers ‘hopped’ aboard, saving people £15 million.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Ten years ago, I introduced the Hopper fare to make travelling around London by bus simpler, more affordable and fairer.
“I’m incredibly proud of the difference it has made to Londoners’ everyday lives – whether helping people get to work, do the school run, visit friends and family or simply explore our great city. More than 1.4bn Hopper journeys have now been made, allowing Londoners and visitors to change buses without paying another fare.
“Throughout my time as Mayor, I’ve been determined to keep public transport affordable. I’ve delivered a record seven freezes of bus and tram fares and extended the current freeze, to support Londoners through the ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
“Buses and trams are a lifeline for millions of people, so it was fantastic to mark this tenth anniversary by extending the benefits of the Hopper even further through this summer’s Weekend Hopper.
“The Hopper fare has created a lasting legacy for our city, and I’ll continue working to ensure London’s public transport remains affordable, accessible and available to everyone.”
Lorna Murphy, Director of Buses at TfL, said: “It’s great that the Hopper fare has been helping bus and tram customers across London save money for a decade. Travelling on buses and trams in London represents fantastic value for money, with a single adult fare costing just £1.75. By helping Londoners save money while encouraging further use of buses and trams, we can help reduce congestion and make it easier for people to travel across London.”
Karim Fatehi OBE, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “As a global city, London relies on a world-class public transport network to help keep the capital competitive. It connects people to jobs, supports businesses, drives investment, and helps ensure the capital remains an attractive destination for visitors from around the world. Public transport also has a critical role to play in London’s transition to a more sustainable future, so it is great to see the positive impact the Hopper fare has had over the past decade helping make travel across the capital more affordable and accessible.”
