HAVERING commuters are set to face more expensive journeys this year after a hike in the prices of buses and train fares.

The price of a single journey on a bus has risen from �2 to �2.20, while Oyster pay as you go has increased from the 10p to 1.30 giving an increase of 8%.

National Express East Anglia who run trains to and around Romford and parts of Havering have also made increases in their fares.

A single journey on a National Express train from Romford to London has increased from �5 to �5.50 with the Oyster fare increasing from �4.90 to �5.20 at peak times.

For people travelling from Gidea Park to Romford, they will be forced to fork out �1.80 from �1.70 and the peak Oyster fare has also increased from �1.40 to �1.50.

People working in ROmford and Havering also face a 15 minute delay after National Express East Anglia have stopped the 8.14am fast train from London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria stopping at Romford.

This was the only fast train that stopped in Romford and it now means that people have to get on the train from Liverpool Street to Shenfield which makes a stop at all the stations, getting commuters to Romford ten minutes later than before.

Commuter Thea Disu said: “It is just about a ten minute difference but it does make a big difference.

“The train from Liverpool street to Southend Victoria would get you to Romford station in a short time because it only made one stop before Romford, but the other train stops at all the stations.”

A National Express East Anglia spokesman said: “The timetable changes we introduced in December 2010 are about introducing more seats across our network and this does mean some alterations have been made to the former level of service.

“We continue to provide a frequent service between Liverpool Street and Romford and we are grateful for the comments received.”

The Association Of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) argues that the above inflation fare rises are the result of a change in government policy in recent years which has sought to sustain investment in the railways by reducing the amount that taxpayers contribute and requiring passengers to pay more.

Chief Executive of ATOC, Michael Roberts said: “We know times are tough for many people but this year’s fare increases will ensure that Britain can continue investing in its railways.

“More and more people are travelling by train and demand is expected to double in the coming decades so it is more important than ever that money is spent on providing better stations, more trains and faster services. Money invested through fares has helped to bring about the record levels of customer satisfaction and punctuality on the railways today.”