Boris Johnson has confirmed real term fares frozen and

Considering TfL is looking at £43m in increased revenues next year, the free fares for under-11s don’t seem hugely expensive. None of the fare raises are extortionate, but as Labour London Assembly member for transport Val Shawcross pointed out, Johnson pledged at the beginning of his mayoralty to cut fares – and has instead overseen an overall increase of 40 per cent.

Boris Johnson is delighted.

If you’re finding yourself getting more and more irritable with every Tube journey, there could be a perfectly good reason for it. The capital’s transport network is getting busier by the year, according to TfL, and will only get more crowded as London’s population grows.

He added: “It’s the third year in a row that we’ve been able to offer this great deal, allowing us to keep the cost of travel down while continuing our vital programme to modernise the network”.

Children under 11 will be able to travel free on all National Rail services in the capital under an extension, welcomed by Jon-Rhys Foster, chair at the British Youth Council, who said it will help those families struggling with the cost of living in London.

Children can now travel free on Tubes, London buses, London Overground and Docklands Light Railway services, which has put many in south London at a disadvantage.

Boris Johnson has announced a new deal with London rail operators which would let under-11s travel for free when they’re with a paying adult.

“We’ve witnessed astonishing levels of hypocrisy from a mayor who once said he’d lower fares in the long term, but has bumped them up by over 40% during his time in office”.

Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Caroline Pidgeon said: “Th e overall fare package reveals the mayor’s lack of ambition for London”. While this might seem counter-intuitive – after all, the Tube is a people mover – it is also helpful to reduce congestion, increase rider satisfaction and point out when you might be wasting your money by taking the Underground.