London Banter - View Single Post - Oystercard auto top-up

Mizter T · July 28th 05, 05:23 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
snip
Is it potentially possible foy Oyster pre-pay to be topped up when
using a bus Oyster reader?

AIUI this isn't really a feasible idea. The problem is that every
Oyster reader on every bus would have to be programmed with every
potential Oyster users Pre Pay top-up. The number of users (both now
and the potential for many millions more in the future) means the
on-board bus Oyster readers couldn't handle this.

Even if you were to nominate a bus route, this is still impractical.
There are many hundreds of buses that may ply a particular route over
the 7 days that your Pre Pay would be available to pick up, and the
Oyster readers couldn't hold this much information.

There would also be logistical problems when it came to uplinking all
of London's buses every night in a way that'd ensure they all had the
right data for the next day on time.

Even when topping up Pre Pay online and collecting it at a tube
station, you must nominate a station through which you'll travel, and
if you want it available the next day you must top-up online by 11pm
that night in order to ensure the information gets there on time.

See the 'Ask Oyster' website answer he http://tinyurl.com/byv3k

I can't use my Oyster on the tube cos I get priv fares, but the top-idea
sounds a good idea.

What are priv fares?