The new 'unlimited' London bus hopper fare starts today - here's what it means

Buses are the hidden workhorses of London.

Yes, we all love the underground which, despite cramming you in like sardines and breaking your ears, does get you around the capital in a pretty rapid and - we’re saying it - reliable fashion (well, at least compared to Southern Rail).

But, if you strike out above ground, buses are often a quicker and more accurate (in terms of getting you to your exact destination) mode of transport, with the added bonus that you get to look out of the window and get some proper geographic knowledge of where everything in London actually is, rather than occasionally popping your head up to the surface while you scurry about on the Tube like a mole.

And it’s never been easier to dash around above ground on the buses with the unlimited bus hopper scheme, which comes into effect today (31 January 2018).

Prior to this, the £1.50 bus hopper ticket let you undertake two different bus journeys within an hour of commencing your trip - but only two. Any further journeys would cost you another £1.50 each time.

Now, London is your oyster (card), since you can swap buses as many times as you like within that hour, and still only pay £1.50. So if you get stuck in around Trafalgar Square, you could probably do about 50 buses, no sweat. Now that’s value.

Read more: 25 things you (probably) didn’t know about London Buses

In addition, you can also - if you’re really speedy - fit in a Tube or rail trip in between your multiple bus journeys, which wasn’t possible before.

In September 2017, it was revealed that 325,000 daily journeys made use of the original bus Hopper fare - and TfL estimates that around 13,000 additional passengers will benefit from the unlimited hopper fare every single day.

(Image: James Connolly)