News item from the Yellow Advertiser - date unknown

QUOTE

Rail company c2c have been accused of failing to keep a promise of keeping down the price of tickets for Essex commuters.

[...]MP Andrew Mackinlay has said the promise which was made when c2c were privatised in 1999 has been broken because c2c have stopped selling early bird tickets.

c2c say they axed the tickets to simplify the fare structure.

Early bird tickets originally created a 25 per cent discount when introduced but last year only 15 percent was offered on the tickets.

Mr Mackinlay said at the time of rail privatisation there was a commitment given to protect budget tickets now it seems that c2c2 want to renege on this commitment.

He said: "Its a disgraceful move by c2c and I will be raising the matter with the Transport Minister.

"While this may simplify the fare structure for c2c, in the real world it means a fare increase of up to 20 percent for my constituents who use early bird tickets."

A c2c spokesman said the early bird tickets would no longer be available for their customers and hadn't been available since the start of the year.

The spokesman added: "At the time of privatisation c2c committed to keeping the early bird tickets for two years and they have gone well over this period of time.

"c2 has not only honoured this commitment but gone well beyond the original date agreed upon."

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Updated 31/01/2006