Letter: Unfair fares

Sir: I read with some puzzlement the utterances on the need for very much higher fares in London and elsewhere. The price of my Gold Card Ticket from London Transport has gone up from pounds 364 in April 1990 to pounds 476 in April 1993 - an increase of some 30.8 per cent against an increase in the cost of living over the same period of 14.7 per cent.

On more than one occasion we have been told that increases in excess of inflation were necessary because of a reduction in traffic due to the recession - would that those of us in business were able to do the same.

In the debate over the need for very large increases, the excessive increases over the last few years seem to have been forgotten. What has happened to the need for more people to forsake their cars for public transport?

Yours faithfully,

JONATHAN GESTETNER

London, W1