Comment by crispyporkbites

Get on a bus in the middle of the day and count the number of people paying.

I.e those not on benefits, over the age of 18, under the age of 60 etc.

Now count how long the bus idles while people line up so the driver can validate their ticket / check they tapped in on their Oyster card.

Now add in all of the infrastructure and staff required to collect fees and account for them.

Then add in all of the external costs of charging for public transport (more cars, less productivity)

The argument for charging isn’t that strong.