JOHN Gashion (Economising on the bus truth, letters, February 5) was particularly harsh on Bassam Mahfouz and Valerie Shawcross, whose crime was merely to point out the flaws in Boris Johnson's transport policy.
The fact that the stratospheric fare increases apply to Oyster cards is hugely important. Transport for London (TfL) surveys show that more than half of commuters use Oyster cards to travel around London, as they make long journeys and changes of transport easier to manage.
Are we all suddenly expected to carry around £2 coins and deposit them periodically, when the money raised will not be ploughed back into improving the bus service?
Affordable and convenient access to transport should be one of the first priorities of those empowered to make decisions on our behalf. The fact that TfL has seen fit to produce a leaflet publicising these fare rises says it all.
DANIEL CRAWFORD Lynton Terrace
Lynton Road Acton
