COMMUTERS have reacted with anger after it was announced that fares on London transport are to rise by an average of more than five per cent.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said on Friday that the price hike was essential to improve services and protect concession fares.

But commuters slammed the move, saying people were having to endure real-term pay cuts in their jobs while paying more to get to work.

People who use buses or the Tube will be forced to pay on average 5.6 per cent more for their tickets than they currently do, with fare increases even higher for those travelling into central London’s Zone One.

Those travelling from Buckhurst Hill and Epping will face a six per cent increase in their weekly travelcards, with the price going up from £47 to £49 from Buckhurst Hill, and from £50.40 to £53.40 from Epping.

Kevin O’Connor, of Eleven Acre Rise in Loughton, travels by Tube to work in Westminster every day.

He said: “Even if they raise the fare by 15 per cent we would have to pay it anyway. We are powerless.

“I think that Transport for London (TfL) are being blackmailed by the Tube drivers and their pay demands though.”

People commuting from Walthamstow Central to central London will have to pay £2 more for their weekly travelcards, with the price shooting up from £32.20 to £34.20 - a 6.2 per cent increase.

Commuters travelling from Wanstead, Woodford, Snaresbrook and South Woodford stations to central London will be hit with a 6.1 per cent increase for their travelcards, with the price increasing from £39.40 to £41.80.

Jake Alan, 36, of Hillside Avenue, Woodford Green, commutes in to central London for work every day.

He said: “It is certainly getting harder to make the wage stretch with cost of bills going up and I would have thought they would have done more to give commuters a break.

“They say it is to improve services but I don’t see much evidence of improvement.

“It is not like people out here have any real choice but to pay up.”

Kevin Ward, 52, of Netley Road in Walthamstow, commutes into central London daily.

He said: “It is completely unfair, there are lots of people already suffering as a result of price increases and real term pay cuts.

“We are not getting the service that we are promised and are not getting value for money.”

The new prices will come into effect in January next year.