I’m an NHS nurse and I moved to Woking a year ago. Like many healthcare staff, I rely on public transport to get to work. Over the past year, my train fare has increased from £13 to £15.20 for a single ticket – that’s nearly a 17% rise, while my salary remains frozen.

On night shifts, I often have to buy two separate tickets — one to get to work in the evening, and another to return home after midnight, even though it’s just one shift. That’s not only expensive, it’s unfair.

This petition calls for a simple, impactful change:

🕐 Let “day” tickets last for 24 hours from the time of validation.

This small change would support thousands of NHS staff, shift workers, emergency responders, and hospital support staff who work unsocial hours and already face enough pressure.

🚆 Other sectors are better supported. For example, police officers travel for free on the London Underground. Why can’t healthcare workers at least get a fairer ticketing system?

🌍 Across Europe, transport schemes already support workers more meaningfully.

In France, employers reimburse up to 50% of commuting costs.

In Germany, a flat-rate €49/month travel pass was introduced in 2023 to relieve financial strain and improve retention.

Improving commute fairness isn’t just about convenience — it’s about retaining experienced healthcare staff in the NHS. These are people who care for you and your loved ones through the night, and they deserve support.

This simple change would:

• Ensure fairness for night shift and key workers
• Reduce costs for those on lower salaries
• Encourage use of public transport across all sectors
• Help with Staff retention

Research says that working night shifts shortens life expectancy, affects negatively our circadian rhythms, we can't get a resting, deep sleep during the day, and yet, we do it for our clients, for our patients, for the little extra money that comes with it. And we pay double for it.

💬 Please sign and share this petition to help bring fairness to public transport for all night-shift workers.