The benefit – which is given to about 1.3m people over 60 – was suspended soon after the start of the pandemic in June 2020 for weekday journeys before 9am, primarily to ensure public transport was kept free for key workers.
But the mayor is due to decide by the end of the year whether to retain the restriction on a permanent basis, which would generate about £15m to £18m in fares for cash-strapped Transport for London.
The charity Age UK London will on Tuesday afternoon present a petition signed by more than 10,000 people to City Hall demanding the reinstatement of the benefit.
It says permanently axing free travel before 9am would be the “wrong decision at the wrong time”, due to the cost of living crisis.
There are also concerns that the qualifying age for the 60+ Oyster, which provides Londoners with free bus, Tube and train travel until they receive the Freedom Pass at the pension age of 67, will be increased each year to exclude more people.
Peter Henderson, 65, a NHS care worker who signed the petition, said he spent about £30 to £35 a month getting home at…
