Kev wrote:

Yes, great if you have Oyster. Why don't they just put signs up at
Heathrow and on the boundary of London saying **** off if you are a low
life visitor we don't want you in London.

Quite.

If Ken wants to implement a tourist tax, that's what he should do.
Such a thing would be added to hotel bills and fully transparent, just
like it is here in the Hague where I'm staying at the moment (it's
about EUR 2 a night).

If, OTOH, he wants to encourage Oyster use, he could do so in other,
better ways. Here's a suggestion.

1. Develop and deploy an Oyster vending machine, that could sell
unregistered Oyster cards for gbp5 with 2 quid credit (for a couple of
singles) or gbp10 with 7 quid credit. These should also accept cards
back to return the deposit, but in the interim a standard vending
machine to issue would be a start. These should be everywhere, all
over London; in hotels, in railway stations, in buses (maybe), in tube
stations etc. The same packs should be available for sale in every
shop. Make it easy, and make it obvious. The same thing is done with
the Dutch Strippenkaart. Make it that easy, and people won't *want* to
pay on the bus/train.

2. If (1) is a success, remove paper ticketing completely. There would
be no need for it.

The proposals, as they are, are confused, will cause confusion and are
a blatent rip-off and tourist tax.

Neil