Over 10m use Hopper

Over 10m journeys have been made using London’s new ‘Hopper’ bus fare which enables passengers to take a £1.50 bus or tram journey and then change onto another bus or tram for free within one hour of touching in at the start of their journey. Launched in 2016, It is automatically given to anyone who uses pay as you go with a contactless bank payment or Oyster card. The ten millionth ‘Hopper’ journey was on bus route 332. The most popular bus to ‘Hop’ onto is the Route 18, which runs from Sudbury and Harrow Road station to Euston Station via Kensal Green. Around 200,000 journeys also involved the London Tram network in south London, with 80,000 switching from a bus to a tram and 65,000 changing from a tram to a bus. The most popular bus stop to ‘hop’ at is Brent Cross Shopping Centre, where more than 20,000 ‘hops’ have taken place.

TfL is now working on delivering unlimited bus and tram transfers within one hour, which is not currently possible due to limits with the existing technology. Plans are for TfL to deliver this from 2018. In addition to this, from 2018, passengers who travel on a Tube or train between their two or more bus or tram journeys will also be eligible for the ‘Hopper’ fare.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, ‘I’m delighted that the Hopper fare is making such a big difference to the lives of Londoners. We must ensure that everyone can afford to travel around our city, particularly people who rely on public transport to get to work or to study. 10m journeys so far exceeds all my expectations, and the amount of people using the Hopper shows how vital our buses are to the lives of Londoners all across our city. Alongside our commitment to freeze all TfL fares, our Hopper fare is a crucial part of our plans to make it more affordable to live and work in London.’