London Banter - View Single Post - Ken to TOCs - end of January deadline to sign up for Oyster PAYG

Paul Corfield · January 10th 07, 09:44 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 10 Jan 2007 14:25:04 -0800, wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:
I know what the numbers are as I used to test the gates, know the design
spec and used to calculate all the gate quantities for LU stations. I
can tell you that 15 people per minute for magnetic tickets is utterly
wrong while 40 for Oyster only is pushing the upper limit of what is
possible given the western sense of personal space.

So, why then did Kings Cross (and a few others) get the worlds slowest
ticket gates. The old gates are simple, you put the ticket in, the
ticket pops out, you grab and walk.

Oh not again.

Kings Cross firstly hates paper tickets (I do a lot of out of boundary
x-london rail tickets) - Many gates don't take them, others are hard
work. And secondly, after you've taken the ticket, or touched an
oyster, the gate waits half a second before opening. I used to reguarly
walk into them! Now I conciously wait for the damn thing. Gates should
be getting faster and more reliable - Those at Kings Cross (and
everywhere else with that design) are much slower.

Why were they allowed to go into service?

No idea - I don't work on Prestige and haven't done for years.

What is planned to be done about it?

No idea - I don't work on Prestige and haven't done for years.
--
Paul C

Admits to working for London Underground!