Get back to office, plead businesses as they renew call to scrap tourist tax

LONDON is getting back on track as it recovers from the pandemic — with the number of passengers using public transport surging.

- Ross Lydall

Data from Transport for London reveals that the return to the office, weekend trips and the soaring popularity of the Elizabeth line have resulted in the best passenger figures since 2019.

The number of journeys on the TfL network has reached 88 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and is expected to hit 94 per cent by the end of the year. Income from fares has now reached its highest level since the first Covid lockdown, despite the cost-of-living crisis.

A record 685,000 passengers used the Elizabeth line last Thursday — helping to generate millions of pounds of extra revenue. On the same day there were 3.8 million Tube journeys and 5.3 million bus journeys. Each one per cent increase in total use adds £50 million a year to TfL’s coffers.

Business leaders welcomed the booming figures but called on more Londoners to return to the office — and said the Government must take further action to help the bounceback.

They said ministers must also make changes to the immigration system so that businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector, can recruit foreign workers to fill vacancies.