LONDON Mayor Ken Livingstone is still to decide on an Epping Forest Council request to allow uniformed police community support officers free travel on the London Underground in the Epping Forest district.
Council leader John Knapman raised the issue with Tube chiefs after the council agreed it was prepared to contribute £90,000 towards the cost of six additional community support officers, but he had concerns that their use might be restricted if they could not use the Tube to get between Epping and Loughton.
London Underground said the matter could only be decided by Mr Livingstone who, in a letter to the council, has said he will make a decision within two months.
Mr Knapman said: "Certainly the letter was positive and I'm very hopeful that we will get away with paying around 7p (to cover the costs) for an annual pass instead of £700.
"It would appear that the mayor has accepted that the marginal cost of allowing police community support officers free travel is negligible and that the benefit of their presence can significantly benefit London Underground."
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