BUS and Tube fare rises which come into effect on Saturday have been blasted as “outrageous”.

London mayor Boris Johnson was criticised by Labour London Assembly member Val Shawcross as bus fares are set to rise by 12.7 per cent and Tube fares by 3.9 per cent.

Oyster card pay-and-go journeys will also rise to £1.20 on buses and the price of a seven-day bus pass will rise to £16.60 on Saturdays but London Travelcard prices will be frozen in most cases.

Mr Johnson has said the rises will mean "huge improvements" for Londoners’ quality of life but Ms Shawcross said the rises would increase the burden on people who are already struggling financially.

She said: "At this time as the country is struggling with recession, slapping massive fare increases on people is outrageous.

"A great deal of Londoners are suffering financially and this is yet another burden for them."

The fare increases were announced in October and Mr Johnson said he had already ensured every efficiency possible was used at Transport for London (TfL).

He claimed “the retention of the standing of our city” would not be possible without the increases.

As well as the fare rises, passengers will have the benefit of using pay-and-go Oyster cards on the whole of the capital’s suburban overland rail network from Saturday.