The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that he has asked Transport for London (TfL) to extend free travel on the capital’s public transport for the lowest paid contract workers.

Free travel is set to be introduced for around 5,000 transport workers, who were not previously eligible for free travel. 

Free travel on TfL services is already given to staff employed directly by TfL, and Oyster cards are also issued to bus drivers and operators of other TfL services as part of their benefit package.

The benefit of free travel on TfL’s network to the lowest paid workers, who aren’t employed by TfL, will be introduced for eligible staff of suppliers to TfL by April 2023.

These workers – cleaners, catering staff, security staff – weren’t previously able to access this benefit as they are employed by TfL’s suppliers rather than by TfL directly, but the Mayor has asked TfL to extend free travel to these workers in order to support those on the lowest pay.

Sadiq Khan, The Mayor of London, said:

 “London’s transport workers, who did so much for us during the pandemic, continue to play an essential and much-valued role in keeping our city’s transport network safe and operating. I’m deeply concerned about the fact the spiralling cost of living is hitting those on lower incomes the hardest. That’s why I’m taking unprecedented action to support London’s lowest paid transport workers by removing the cost of using public transport."