On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 23:35:14 +0000, Bob Adams
wrote:

In message , Ben and Michiyo
writes
You should only swipe once for going in and once going out. If you can not
make sure you are only charged for one journey and if not ring the
oystercard helpline to be refunded.

Will somebody please explain to me how an Oyster card is an improvement
over a travel card _from a regular commuter passengers point of view_ ?

A travel card just works. No phoning, no unnecessary swiping, no
overcharging, no stress. Is an Oyster truly an improvement for anybody
else other than LUL? If not, why is everybody playing along with this
charade?

Err as one of the people who originally worked on this project I really
don't see what the problem is. All of the complications that are being
questioned via this newsgroup are the result of slightly different ways
of doing things and unfamiliarity with the system. There also seem to be
some issues over the operation of the support functions like the phone
lines and website but that is not the fault of the Oyster card per se.

A Travelcard on an Oyster card will "just" work too. You just touch the
target and off you go. No fumble factor, no jammed tickets, no risk of
someone else grabbing your ticket at the gate. If you lose your card or
someone steals it then it can be stopped - a big improvement if you've
forked out a lot of cash.

Pre-Pay is a new product and has not (IMO) settled down. The launch was
always going to be phased and I think you will continue to see questions
and issues being raised for a number of months until people gain
confidence in using it, staff awareness and training improves and the
newer features are introduced. It will take time to settle down.

Yes there are benefits for TfL from Oyster but a lot of those are about
providing a better service and more tailored fares products for
passengers. These should encourage usage of public transport -
especially off peak - and isn't this something that is considered to be
"a good thing"?

I have a staff Oyster card and I love it. When I go to Hong Kong I buy
an Octopus Card and love that too - it opened up the use of the Hong
Kong bus network (and therefore Hong Kong) for me because the old cash
only, no change system was very tourist unfriendly.

Try it - you *might* like it.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!