London Banter - View Single Post - Oyster: still an unreliable rip-off

Roland Perry · April 26th 14, 09:40 AM posted to uk.transport.london

In message , at 08:07:43 on Sat, 26 Apr
2014, Roland Perry remarked:
In message , at 17:38:19
on Fri, 25 Apr 2014, remarked:
Tue 15 Apr
09:15 - 10:14 Thornton Heath - Aldgate East: GBP 5.30
18:49 - 19:56 Aldgate East - Thornton Heath: GBP 5.30
Total: GBP10.60

OK, that looks sane. Same amount in both directions.

Thu 17 Apr
09:07 - 10:16 Thornton Heath - Aldgate East: GBP 5.30
18:41 - 19:01 Aldgate East - Victoria : GBP 2.20
19:50 - 20:26 Victoria - Thornton Heath : GBP 2.60
Total: GBP10.10

Are you saying the cheaper fare on 17 April was only charged because
of the 49 minute gap at Victoria exceeding the OSI limit?

The allowed time for the LU - NR OSI at Victoria is 40 minutes. If the
gap between the LU touch-out and the NR touch-in is longer than this,
it will be charged as two separate journeys. In most cases this will
cost more, but in some circumstances can be beneficial.

If it is beneficial, like the second leg being out of peak hours as here,
why isn't it charged that way? Most unfair.

Surely this is simply a variation on the theme of "splitting tickets",
which National Rail ticket offices fail to do if you buy for a journey
starting in the morning peak but ending off-peak.

For example, Nottingham-Manchester:

NOT Depart 08.47 £53.50 Anytime Return
MAN Arrive 10.36

NOT Depart 08.47 £23.00 Anytime Return
SHF Arrive 09.37
SHF Depart 09.41 £18.30 Off Peak Day Return
MAN Arrive 10.36

Saving £12.20;

Thinking about this some more, if you split tickets at Alfreton (on that
same train) you'll save £18.40

you'd have to travel an hour later to get the "through" off-peak
ticket, albeit that saves even more (being priced at just £29.70).

What's more worrying is that if there's ever a National PAYG scheme,
whether by paywave or ITSO, then it'll undoubtedly fail to volunteer to
save the traveller that £12.20 - unless perhaps they manage to dash out
of the barriers and back in the four minutes available.

--
Roland Perry