RPM wrote:
On Sep 21, 5:56 pm, Barry Salter wrote:
Mizter T wrote:

[Oyster]

Is there no chance that the Fujitsu Star system could be adapted
to deal with it? And I forget - any idea which system Southern
have at their ticket offices?
As far as I'm aware, neither Star, Tribute nor Shere Smart (which
is what FCC and Southern use) can be modified for Oyster.

That apparently is the case but it is hard to see why those systems
can't be made Oyster compatible when they managed it with APTIS. (The
add-on was called APTIS-ANT IIRC) perhaps the functionality required
then was more starightforward than what is needed now.

I think it's to do with spare connectivity, or lack thereof, on the
PC-based TIS. If memory serves, the APTIS ANT (AAU) connected to the
"Tally Roll" socket on the back of APTIS.

One feature of the AAU, which handheld readers don't have, was that it
could tell you which "fare stage" you'd touched in at on a bus. (That
is, of course, assuming the Driver was advancing fare stages properly on
the ticket machine, which most don't).

I think some TOCs are installing/have installed FasTIS at stations
that need to issue Oyster, regardless of the tiscket system used
elsewhere on the TOC.

As I say, I *think* it involves much messing around for non-FasTIS using
stations, but I have yet to observe procedures at such a Ticket Office.

It certainly wouldn't surprise me to have the ticket issued "normally"
on the station TIS for revenue purposes, then loaded onto the Oyster via
FasTIS+, with the original paper ticket non-issued by the FasTIS to
maintain a zero balance on the machine.

Cheers,

Barry