On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 15:54:18 GMT, Thunderbug
wrote:

I'm confused between what Oyster can do, and what it will do.

I travel regularly but infrequently, so my pattern may be a Z1-6 daily
travelcard 4-5 days a month (though I've never worked out if it's
cheaper to buy anything else, if I leave early, I sometimes buy a Z6 -
1 single and then a Z1-6 travel card after 9.30 for my next trip). I'll
also perhaps buy a couple of returns inside Z6 or Z5 & 6 on a weekend.

It's not worth my while buying a monthly or weekly pass, so I think that
makes me a prime candidate for an Oyster Prepay. I'd like to be able to
load up a card with £100 and just tap the gate on entry to a station.
If I make two journeys I'd be charged two lots of Singles, if I make a
third, I'd like the Oyster card to make itself into a Travelcard.

Am I dreaming?

probably not - as I understand the functionality there will be a series
of "caps" with prepay. You load cash to the card and it deducts the
value for your trips within the zones that you are travelling in. If you
started in zone 6 and went to zone 1 the card knows this and therefore
will continue to deduct your trips for the day until you exceed the
equivalent cost of the applicable day travelcard. It then stops
deducting value for the remainder of the day for all subsequent trips
unless you go beyond Zone 6 to an LUL station where pre-pay works - e.g
Chorleywood. The higher day travelcard price would be the new cap.

Note that I do not know how pre-pay will deal with the fact that there
are peak and off peak day travelcards. If all journeys were after 09.30
then it makes sense to cap at the off peak price. If, as per your
example above, you travelled before 09.30 and then wanted the card to
re-start its daily total and then act as a one day off peak travelcard I
really don't know that would work.

Hope the above helps a bit. I must nag the prestige team for a copy of
the commercial rules!
--
Paul C
Admits to Working for London Underground!