Bucks MPs have responded to the possible phasing out of London day travelcards announced last week, with one MP saying it is “yet another slap in the face for Bucks residents”.

On July 21, a consultation was published by Transport for London (TfL) detailing a proposal to scrap day London day travelcards.

The travelcards are paper tickets which provide unlimited travel on London Transport services for users.

Seb Dance, the Deputy Mayor of London said that “TfL can no longer afford” to fund the £40m Travelcard Arrangement “which represents a subsidy by Londoners”.

In a letter to rail minister Huw Merriman, Mr Dance explained that “the current price paid to TfL for these tickets is well below the price paid for the same tickets sold within London”.

The Free Press spoke to the county's MPs on what they think about the proposals.

MP for Buckingham, Greg Smith has called the idea “yet another slap in the face for Bucks residents from the Labour Mayor of London, adding massive daily expense to residents going to London for work or pleasure.”

Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe has questioned the reasoning saying that "the elimination of London day travel cards marks a move by Sadiq Khan to save his own financial mistakes in spite of its questionable effectiveness and clear disadvantages it poses to so many Britons, including those in Wycombe.”

MP for Beaconsfield, Joy Morrissey, said: “As it stands, the Department for Transport has provided more than £6bn in funding support. The mayor [of London] should consider how this could be used to encourage people to use the trains as a greener use of transport and avoid making them more unattractive due to increasing costs.”

The consultation document states that: “we are required to explore this because of the condition of Government funding settlements that have been necessary due to the devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances. Our funding agreement with the government requires TfL to develop and implement changes that will generate between £0.5-£1.0bn per year of additional revenue from 2023.”

Weekly and annual travelcards will continue to be sold and will not be affected by this change, however, the document noted that it is expected Rail Operators will cease to sell Zone 1-6 Travelcards if TfL stops accepting day travelcards.

Instead of Travelcards, it is expected that TfL users will be expected to use Oyster cards or contactless cards to pay as you go whilst travelling around London.

MP for Chesham and Amersham, Sarah Green questioned the accessibility of these plans saying: “I am saddened that London day travelcards may be phased out as I know that many people locally rely on them.

"Not everyone finds using an app easy or is comfortable with contactless payment options; it would be a shame for supposed simplicity to come at the expense of accessibility. I would encourage anyone with concerns to engage with the consultation.”

Joy Morrissey, echoed these concerns, telling the Free Press that “the removal of London Day Travelcards and the closure of ticket offices will greatly impact many of my constituents, including visually impaired, elderly, and disabled travellers.”

Alongside the day travelcard proposals, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion, which was ruled lawful by the High Court on Friday, has also been criticised by Bucks MPs.

Mr Smith said that the travelcard plans are “on top of the punishing ULEZ charges on those who choose to drive makes me think Sadiq Khan just doesn't want Bucks residents coming into London. He needs to think again, not just about the impact he is having on peoples back pockets, but whether he really wants to collapse the London economy."

Mr Baker added that "Ultimately, the decisions made by Sadiq Kahn and the Labour Party to pursue ULEZ expansion and reduce public transport choice will only result in unfair costs borne by hard-working families and members of our community."

On Tuesday, August 29, ULEZ will be expanded across the whole of London meaning the new boundary will border Bucks.

Those driving in the ULEZ zone will need to be driving a vehicle which meets ULEZ standards or face a charge of £12.50 a day for the most polluting vehicles.

The policy is aimed at improving air quality across the capital and reducing levels of pollution, a key aim of Sadiq Khan’s.

The hope is that lower air pollution levels will improve the health of those across London.

Joy Morrissey summarised her concerns surrounding ULEZ, saying: “The proposals by the Mayor of London will negatively impact the pockets of Beaconsfield constituents costing them more to travel into London.

"ULEZ is already adding extra cost to people travelling into London, now costs will only be driven up further. Instead of attracting people to visit London, the mayor is simply now deterring people from being able to visit, including people in Beaconsfield.”

The ULEZ expansion has faced strong opposition from many Conservative MPs coinciding with the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election on July 20.

The Conservatives were expected to lose the by-election, but narrowly retained the seat, it is thought because of wide opposition to the ULEZ expansion.

Therefore, ahead of the next election, both Labour and the Conservative party are discussing ULEZ and taking a second look at their other environmental and net-zero policies with a focus on the extent to which voters embrace environmental measures when faced with individual costs for the measure.

The Mayor of London declined to comment.