READERS should not be swayed by claims made by Valerie Shawcross on fares.

Valerie knows very well that even after this increase, average bus fares in 2010 will be about 10 per cent lower than 10 years ago and bus fares in London will continue to be cheaper than they are in other parts of the country.

Contrary to Valerie's misleading claims that the Mayor of London is penalising those on a lower income, she also knows that London's elderly, young people and those on low incomes continue to travel for free or at a substantially reduced rate

- and they make up 40 per cent of passengers.

It is fantasy finance to pretend that you can improve London's transport infrastructure without modest rises in some fares.

Let's not forget it was Gordon Brown who foisted the disastrous PPP (public private partnership) system of Tube finance on London, which has led to a huge financial hole to be filled.

Valerie's answer of a £25 congestion charge would have hit average families with limited returns, and was an idea roundly rejected by Londoners, who kicked out her comrade Ken Livingstone.

KULVEER RANGER The Mayor of London's transport adviser