London bus and tram fares rise to £1.85 as three-year freeze ends

Londoners are paying more for bus and tram travel from 1 November 2026, as fares rise for the first time in more than three years. The adult single fare has gone up by 10p, from £1.75 to £1.85.

The increase also applies to the Hopper fare, which lets passengers make unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour for the price of a single ticket. The daily bus and tram cap has risen by 30p, from £5.25 to £5.55, while fares for eligible concession card holders have gone up by 5p.

Bus and tram fares had been frozen at £1.75 since March 2023. The freeze was extended by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in the summer, when it had been due to expire in July, as an emergency cost-of-living measure. Transport for London (TfL) described that extension as the seventh fare freeze in the past decade.

Tube, rail and Travelcard price caps are not changing and will remain frozen until March 2027, so the rise affects bus and tram passengers only. TfL said a single journey would still cost just 35p more than a decade ago, with fares rising only three times in ten years.

TfL says 96 per cent of households are within 400 metres of a bus stop, and for many Londoners the bus is the cheapest way to get to work, school or hospital — so even a small rise is felt on every journey.

Why it matters

The end of the freeze marks a turning point in one of the mayor’s best-known cost-of-living policies. Holding fares at £1.75 for more than three years shielded passengers while prices rose elsewhere.

For regular commuters, the extra cost adds up quietly: two separate bus journeys each working day, outside the one-hour Hopper window, would cost an extra £1 a week — and it lands hardest on lower-income passengers who rely on buses the most.

What happens next

The new fares are now in effect across the bus and tram network, with the £1.85 single fare and £5.55 daily cap applying automatically when passengers tap in.

TfL says money raised through fares is reinvested in improving services across London. The next test will come in March 2027, when the freeze on Tube, rail and Travelcard caps is due to end.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/londoners-encouraged-to-hop-about-the-capital-this-summer-as-mayors-fare-freeze-for-bus-and-trams-extended-until-1-november-2026 (Transport for London, 2026)
• https://qncnews.com/2026/10/31/london-bus-and-tram-fares-rise-for-first-time-in-more-than-three-years/ (QNC News, 31 October 2026)
• https://secretldn.com/london-bus-fares-rising-november/ (Secret London, 19 October 2026)