Andrew wrote:
jonmorris wrote:
If commuter services are moved to a zone based pricing system and
Oyster, or a proper international standard system, is introduced
throughout the southeast, it's a start. If things are done properly, it
should be relatively easy to update the hardware to accept other types
of card in the future so we're not stuck with something completely
non-standard (as Oyster appears to be).

If installed everywhere, non-standard becomes the standard and everyone
has to adapt.

I always thought that the main reason the TOC's never installed Oyster
was that they were going to eventually use the agreed European standard
for rail smart cards.

Oyster were a bit arrogant and decided to use their own version of
smart card.
But as it's being used by a large population it may well become the
defacto standard for the UK.

Quite what the approved European smart card does above the Oyster, I do
not know.

As for who should run it. I think it'd be great to also make it the
de-facto electronic purse. Even if it is just station related. For
example the sweet/fizzy pop machines and phone boxes

But if we are going to have cards being used like money then shouldn't
the banks be running it and not some transport quango? (I understand
Mint are already giving it a try)

A