London Banter - View Single Post

Theo Markettos · October 7th 14, 09:36 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
I never queue for top-ups because I mainly use Oyster Ticket Stops. But then
I spend well under £20 a year on Oyster. Would anyone visiting 2 or 3 times
a year spend even that?

It's not hard to burn through a tenner (my standard topup) in a couple of
visits, particularly if they're multi-day (eg passing through, out Friday
back Sunday). It's not just the topup, but leaving enough remaining to make
another journey without topping up.

It's particularly the issue for buses, where there are no topup facilities.
I'm often getting off a train, walking to X, doing thing, then wanting to
get a bus to Y, at which point you don't want to find the nearest tube to
topup (I suspect few non-Londoners use Ticket Stops or would know where to
find the nearest). Or getting National Express in, where I don't pass
through a mainline station. And it's handy to have credit when you land at
Heathrow and want to take a bus - is there still no Oyster facility at the
bus station?

I've not used contactless, so this could be less of an issue due to that.

Theo