Tube fares cut by bulk-buy tickets

CHRISTIAN WOLMAR

Transport Correspondent

Continental-style "carnets" are being made available on the London Underground for the first time, enabling people to bulk-buy tickets in advance.

Passengers buying the carnet will receive a 10 per cent discount, getting 10 tickets valid for Tube travel in the central zone for pounds 10 rather than pounds 1.10 each.

The carnets are aimed at visitors to the capital and at regular users of central zone tickets. London Underground hopes the carnets will save 15 to 20 million ticket transactions each year, reducing congestion at central stations. People using the tickets, which are valid for a year, will have to validate them at an automatic gate or special machine when entering the Tube system.

London Transport hopes to extend the system to outer zones but cannot do so until automatic gates are installed at all stations.

It is also launching two other types of tickets, which will be available this month. Family Travelcards will be available for one or two adults accompanying up to eight children and will give a 20 per cent discount off the cost of individual one-day travelcards.

Weekend Travelcards, valid for Saturday and Sunday at a discount of 25 per cent, will be on sale from 30 March. They are particularly targeted at weekend visitors to the capital and young people.

Tests are being carried out with "smart cards" which would replace existing tickets and enable LT to offer a much greater variety of fares and discounts.