Home Inside LYL News Events & Campaigning Contact Us Links News - January 2008 22 Jan: Ken's Pledge – Student Fares Discount to be Extended Ken Livingstone today gave his commitment to extend London's student travel discount scheme, allowing students to benefit from a thirty per cent discount on Oyster Pay As You Go – and capping daily fares for students at thirty per cent below the price of a One Day Travelcard. At present, the 18+ Student Oyster photocard entitles the holder to buy student-rate travelcards and bus passes valid for seven days, one month or longer periods of up to one year, which costs thirty per cent less than adult-rate season tickets. Students have long campaigned to extend the present thirty per cent discount full time students are able to claim on season tickets to Pay As You Go on Oyster. Ken Livingstone said: "I want to make sure that everyone can participate in London's success and this commitment is a practical step to reduce the financial burden for students in this city. This pledge will ensure that those students who live near to their college, or only make a few journeys a week, can still benefit from the travel discount that other London students receive. This builds on the abolition of bus and tram fares for everyone under eighteen in full-time education, the introduction of half price travel for people on income support and the commitment to extend the operating hours of the Freedom Pass to a twenty four hour service." Gemma Tumelty, NUS President, speaking in her personal capacity, said: "This pledge to put up to £5 million a year back into students' pockets demonstrates the Mayor of London's ongoing commitment to the students of London. With increasing student debt and rising living costs this will make a significant difference to students. I would urge the other candidates for Mayor of London to show this same commitment to supporting those who suffer significant barriers to accessing education in this city." Omar Salem, chair of London Young Labour said: "Students have been asking for this discount to be extended, and it's great that Ken is now able to push it forward. Students often struggle to make ends meet, and this will help them keep costs down. On May 1st Londoners will have a clear choice between Ken Livingstone, who has introduced free travel for children and now plans to extend the student discount, and the Tories who tried to abolish free travel for under-18s." Under the existing discount scheme, 300,000 students register each year, up from 60,000 in 2000. The current cost of the scheme is £35m per year – the additional cost of extending the scheme to pay-as-you-go will be £5m. The original discount covered only bus, Tube, DLR and Croydon Tramlink. This was extended to national rail in January 2004 at cost of £10m - benefiting 100,000 students who study in outer London. The campaign to extend the student discount has been supported by student leaders and has the backing of the heads of nineteen London colleges. 1st Jan: A successful London for all - a New Year's message from Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London 2008 will be a special year for London. In August we will officially become the Host City for the next Olympic Games. For the next four years London will receive international exposure on a scale even it has never received before. And what a story London has to tell the world. The incredible 700,000 turn out for the New Year fireworks saw Londoners bursting with pride in our city. London has overtaken even New York as the international business capital of the world. But wealth is a means not an end. Most important of all are the steps taken to try to ensure every Londoner shares in that success. And that London's success is sustainable in the long run through tackling climate change and the environment. The world will therefore see a London that is not only incredibly successful but one that does not rely on the illusion of automatic 'trickle down' to make sure Londoners benefit from it. A city that takes every measure to ensure all its citizens benefit from its success. London's public services are being rebuilt from the squalor of the 1990s. Two million extra passengers a day are caried on the bus system. Tube ridership is at record levels and tube modernisation has begun at last. The £16 billion funding to build Crossrail has been secured. Cycling has almost doubled. Free travel on the buses for under 18s has been introduced as well as half price bus travel for those on income support. The policy has been introduced that 50 per cent of all new housing must be affordable housing. The Olympic Games will both regenerate East London and boost London's West End shopping and entertainment district. London has the most vibrant cultural life of any city in the world with not only great historical institutions but the last word in diversity and modernity . A campaign for a London living wage has been introduced to aid the lowest paid Londoners. Police numbers are at record levels and both non-violent and violent crime are falling as a result. £70 million has been allocated to deal with youth provision and the most resistant crime problem – young people and gun and knife crime. On climate change London has put forward, in the London Climate Change Action Plan, the most advanced programme for any city in the world. The congestion charge is not only a transport but an environmental policy that has had a worldwide impact with other cities such as New York now following. In 2008 London becomes a Low Emission zone. Consultation is taking place on London imposing a £25 a day charge for using the most gas guzzling cars and exempting low polluting cars from the congestion charge. London is the only major city in the world to see a shift into public transport from the car. All this is recognised internationally in London being asked to chair the C40 group of global cities fighting climate change. There is still very much to do. The economic waters for 2008 may be more choppy than last year but London, as it enters the Olympics spotlight, can show itself as not only leading the world in international economic success but, even more important, in social and environmental responsibility. Archives May 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 July 2007 May 2007 Hosted by Namesco Limited, Acton House, Perdiswell Park, Worcester, WR3 7GD. Promoted by Omar Salem on behalf of London Young Labour both at 65 Barnsbury Street, London, N1 1EJ.