Tickets must be made flexible

A recent announcement from the independent watchdog Transport Focus has highlighted the need to introduce part-time rail season tickets to provide commuters with greater choice and value for money (www.bbc.co.uk/news/ business-53278149). Having grown-up and gone to school in the consituency,

I am now (at the age of 27) in the process of moving back to the area full-time from London and am hoping to conclude a purchase of a property near to Canterbury West station in the coming weeks. Working in London for a multi-national

consultancy, my role is wellsuited to home working and it is unlikely that I will need to travel in to London five days a week in future.

With the cost of an annual season ticket (incl. highspeed and Travelcard) from Canterbury West to London St Pancras International currently amounting to £7,624 per annum (£635 per month), this is prohibitive for a number of commuters, particularly those on lower salaries. Moreover, the cost of an open return ticket on a daily basis amounts to £80.80 for peak services, so buying two tickets a week at this price would also not deliver a saving over the annual season ticket rate.

Several friends of mine, also from Canterbury and currently living in London, have highlighted that the cost of commuting is the greatest obstacle to their desire to moving back to the area full-time.

It is clear that working patterns will undergo significant change in the post-covid world, and accordingly it is only fair that rail companies recognise this and adapt to the needs of their customers. Moreover, I believe that the introduction of part-time/more flexible ticket options for commuters could have a knock-on benefit for the local economy of cities such as Canterbury, which would certainly be welcomed during what is an incredibly challenging time for local businesses. Given the number of commuters living in this constituency, I believe that this is an important local issue. I have written to Rosie Duffield MP to highlight this issue and would welcome the thoughts and opinions of other Canterbury residents.

Jerome Woolley

Maida Vale, London