Will London Commuters Be Given Free Coffees?

Later wake up times, reduced travel costs, comfy clothes: working from home comes with all kinds of perks. But would free coffee lure you back into the office? 

TfL Considering Offering Free Coffee To Commuters

That’s one of the ideas Sadiq Khan has suggested in a bid to encourage commuters back into the office, following research showing his ‘off peak Fridays’ initiative made no real difference to the number of people travelling into central London. 

In a speech to the London Assembly’s budget committee, the Mayor said: ‘One of the challenges I have given to TfL is to be innovative about what we can do not just to attract those public transport users who post pandemic haven’t come back, what more we can do in relation to supporting the business community, hospitality and so forth.

‘I’ve also encouraged them to speak to the private sector. Without naming names, why can’t TfL do a deal with somebody who provides coffees in relation to an incentive, the sort of scheme you have when you go to a supermarket in relation to points and so forth? Those are some of the things TfL are looking into.’

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He also said TfL is looking into whether it could ‘pinch’ ideas from other cities around the world, saying ‘nothing is off the table in relation to ideas.’

TfL’s off-peak fares trial ran from March to May 2024. It saw peak rates scrapped on Fridays on lines including the Elizabeth line and London Overground, resulting in savings of between 10p and £2 per journey. However, a new report found the scheme made no difference, with Londoners continuing to work from home on Fridays.

But would free coffee be a bigger draw? Considering the soaring price of lattes, an initiative of this sort could be a hit. However, the latest research shows just 13 percent of UK workers now go into the office on Fridays, suggesting it may take more to get people to give up their treasured pre-weekend WFH day.