Scottish banknotes still not accepted on London tube

Scottish banknotes: legal tender in the UK. Picture: PA

London transport services are still not set up to accept Scottish banknotes despite London Mayor Boris Johnson telling bus drivers they must accept them last year.

The problem persists across London’s transport network with ticket machines at Kings Cross tube station carrying warnings that Scottish banknotes are not accepted.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said in August last year that he had asked Transport for London to remind all drivers that Scottish bank notes were legal tender.

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson told The Sun this week: “The Tories made big promises about Scottish banknotes, and have broken them.”

The problem appears to be a technical one due to the differences between English and Scottish banknotes. TfL director Shashi Verma said: “Ticket machines are configured to identify English notes only. Customers can use Scottish currency at the ticket offices.”

A spokesman for Boris Johnson said: “The ticket machines would be expensive to upgrade.”