Fare hikes of more than a third for travellers using cash on buses and tubes have been criticised as "mind boggling" and "unfair" this week.

The price of a cash fare into central London will rise from £3 to £4 next year, while cash bus fares will rise from £1.50 to £2, as part of the Mayor of London's 2007 fare proposal.

Oyster Card users face a smaller rise of just 3.8 per cent above inflation, not the 10 per cent originally planned by the mayor in 2004 to help fund investment.

He attributed this more conservative rise to better management, efficiency savings and a rise in advertising revenue.

The Oyster peak single fare on the buses remains frozen at £1, while a one-day bus pass stays at £3.50.

The off-peak fare will rise from 80p to £1.

On the tube, Oyster single fares will remain the same across London while travelcards will rise two per cent above inflation.

The new fare package is designed to encourage people to switch from cash to the Oyster card to speed up buses and reduce ticket queues at tube stations.

Tony Arbour, the borough's London Assembly member said: "Raising cash fares on the buses by a third to £2 minimum and by a quarter to £1 for Oyster Card users is a smash-and-grab on the residents of Richmond and is unfair.

"Only two underground stations serve Richmond so we have more occasional bus travellers than in most of London."

"Mayor Livingstone already takes from residents with his Olympic tax, which will provide little for them.

"I shall oppose this further levy on my constituents."

Richmond MP Susan Kramer said: "This rise means that local commuters face a 33 per cent rise in cash fares on the buses and underground.

"Their travel costs are rising higher than those for motorists.

"The decision to set the cash fare for zone one at £4 is mind boggling.

"The sooner we can get a change to universal Oyster Card use on trains, buses, underground and overground rail travel the better for local commuters."

Mr Livingstone said: "Two years ago I announced tough measures to ensure London's public transport system received the investment it required.

"This has been a success. Bus travel is now up two million a day on six years ago, tube ridership is near record levels, investment in public transport has risen to the highest level for 50 years even before the big improvement programmes for the Olympic Games kick in.

"Surveys show passengers believe transport has been improving.

"The big differential between cash and Oyster card fares is designed to speed up the system by getting people to switch from cash to Oyster.

"I want to see every Londoner paying the lowest possible fares by switching to Oyster."

What do you think? Email sbell@london.newsquest.co.uk.