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Old December 31st 09, 08:48 PM posted to uk.transport.london
MIG MIG is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,154
Default Pre Pay Oyster or annual travelcard?

On 31 Dec, 17:36, John B wrote:
On Dec 31, 4:43*pm, MIG wrote:





On 31 Dec, 14:28, Chris wrote:


Just been nosing around London TravelWatch's webpage for Oyster on the
rails & the last para here -http://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/news.php?id=696, says


"Oyster Extension Permits


If your Travelcard is on Oyster, and you wish to travel outside your
zones, but still within London by national rail, you will now be
required to ??~set’ an Oyster Extension Permit before the start of
your journey at a ticket office or machine. If you do not do this, you
will liable for a penalty fare of £20, even if you have ample credit
on your card.


I am pretty sure that this is illegal. *There is no way that it could
comply with the penalty fare rules.


How d'you figure that?

In order to avoid being charged a PF in a PF area, you must on demand
"produce a ticket or other authority authorising your travelling by
that train", subject to the usual exceptions (no facilities to buy,
inadequate notices, a notice or railway staff said you could travel).

For Oyster cards that have Travelcards loaded, Oyster PAYG will not be
valid on National Rail services outside your Travelcard zones unless
you also have an IEP loaded. This means that, if you're gripped
outside your Travelcard zones and don't have an IEP, then you don't
have a ticket or other authority authorising your travelling by that
train, so you're eligible for a PF.

It's exactly as if you were to try and travel outside your Travelcard
zones on Oyster on NR today (on one of the non-inter-available routes)
- the amount of PAYG balance on your card is irrelevant, and you are
thoroughly eligible for a PF, because Oyster PAYG is not a valid means
of payment.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/legislation/pf/


But in the relevant context, it will be valid means of payment. In
fact, it's the only means of payment you'd be able to use in the
circumstances. An OEP isn't a means of payment. Will the exit
barrier refuse to charge the card if it hasn't got an OEP on it at the
end of an ungripped journey?

But more importantly, how is the warning displayed when you start your
journey? That's going to be the main issue. It's not enough having
the information on the Web or discussed in forums.

Under Penalty Fares, the TfL site currently only mentions not having
touched in for liability.