I've just applied for my new Student Photocard. On the application form
it says 'During 2004-2005 some students will be issued with an Oyster
photocard'. I read that as a combined Oyster and photocard in one.
Anyone know anything more - Paul? Is that what a Freedom Pass is like?

Also, when I get my new card, assuming it is a normal photocard, do I
have to change my Oyster too, i.e. are photocards and Oysters
'hard-wired' together?

James

The all in one student Oyster card is a new one on me! The freedom passes
are still in two parts, photocard and Oyster card separate.

When your new card arrives if it is the standard type just take it with your
Oyster card to a LUL ticket office and they can arrange to change the
details are your existing Oyster card.

S

"James Penton" wrote in message
...
I've just applied for my new Student Photocard. On the application form
it says 'During 2004-2005 some students will be issued with an Oyster
photocard'. I read that as a combined Oyster and photocard in one.
Anyone know anything more - Paul? Is that what a Freedom Pass is like?

Also, when I get my new card, assuming it is a normal photocard, do I
have to change my Oyster too, i.e. are photocards and Oysters
'hard-wired' together?

James

In message , James Penton
writes
I've just applied for my new Student Photocard. On the application form
it says 'During 2004-2005 some students will be issued with an Oyster
photocard'. I read that as a combined Oyster and photocard in one.
Anyone know anything more - Paul? Is that what a Freedom Pass is like?

Also, when I get my new card, assuming it is a normal photocard, do I
have to change my Oyster too, i.e. are photocards and Oysters
'hard-wired' together?

Newham are issuing library cards and Oysters all in one; the photo of
the bearer is on the card itself.
I've thought for a while that it might be a good idea for police warrant
cards to be made in a similar way....
--
Kat

On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 18:03:11 +0100, "James Penton"
wrote:

I've just applied for my new Student Photocard. On the application form
it says 'During 2004-2005 some students will be issued with an Oyster
photocard'. I read that as a combined Oyster and photocard in one.
Anyone know anything more - Paul? Is that what a Freedom Pass is like?

Also, when I get my new card, assuming it is a normal photocard, do I
have to change my Oyster too, i.e. are photocards and Oysters
'hard-wired' together?

At present no - the only tenuous link is between photocard number and
card number which I think is collected via the application form.

It was always the intention that the photo image be on the card thus
removing the need for two documents. The main problem was the very rapid
changes in the cost and performance of imaging technology. If you bought
something it would be obsolete in weeks; if you sub contracted it then
you lengthen the time to buy a ticket by forcing people to submit their
card applications to an external agency and then you have the postal
cost and risk of loss. The card itself is also more expensive to buy and
there is the need to ensure that the photo image cannot be damaged or
tampered with. It was impossible to justify a system wide approach to
combined cards with that level of cost / technology risk.

In addition the cost and hassle of transferring people en masse when
Oyster was introduced would guarantee a poor start for a new product.
I'm not up to date with developments now but it seems that a quieter and
smaller scale test of the combined card / photo option has been decided
upon for those card holders who are a bit less time pressured. If the
process and technology works then I can see such cards being offered as
an option for the future.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Kat wrote:
In message , James Penton
writes
I've just applied for my new Student Photocard. On the application
form it says 'During 2004-2005 some students will be issued with
an Oyster photocard'. I read that as a combined Oyster and
photocard in one. Anyone know anything more - Paul? Is that what a
Freedom Pass is like?

Also, when I get my new card, assuming it is a normal photocard,
do I have to change my Oyster too, i.e. are photocards and Oysters
'hard-wired' together?

Newham are issuing library cards and Oysters all in one; the photo
of the bearer is on the card itself.

I assume you mean the photo is on the card that the library systems use,
whether bar code, magnetic stripe or smart (chipped) card. Oyster is
AFAIK a brand name applied only to TfL's smartcards.

I had a company ID card about 15 years ago with the photo and the
technology on one card.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

In message , Richard J.
writes
Kat wrote:
In message , James Penton
writes
I've just applied for my new Student Photocard. On the application
form it says 'During 2004-2005 some students will be issued with
an Oyster photocard'. I read that as a combined Oyster and
photocard in one. Anyone know anything more - Paul? Is that what a
Freedom Pass is like?

Also, when I get my new card, assuming it is a normal photocard,
do I have to change my Oyster too, i.e. are photocards and Oysters
'hard-wired' together?

Newham are issuing library cards and Oysters all in one; the photo
of the bearer is on the card itself.

I assume you mean the photo is on the card that the library systems use,
whether bar code, magnetic stripe or smart (chipped) card. Oyster is
AFAIK a brand name applied only to TfL's smartcards.

The library cards I'm talking about can have a travelcard loaded onto
them; I don't remember if they say Oyster on them anywhere or if they
just have Oyster functionality in the way Freedom Passes do.
--
Kat

Kat, Do you mean giving the Met Police built in Oyster cards?

If so, they used to give passes that they could use in the gates to get
their free travel but they had to be withdrawn. They were being misused.
:-))

S

"Kat" wrote in message
...
In message , James Penton
writes
I've just applied for my new Student Photocard. On the application form
it says 'During 2004-2005 some students will be issued with an Oyster
photocard'. I read that as a combined Oyster and photocard in one.
Anyone know anything more - Paul? Is that what a Freedom Pass is like?

Also, when I get my new card, assuming it is a normal photocard, do I
have to change my Oyster too, i.e. are photocards and Oysters
'hard-wired' together?

Newham are issuing library cards and Oysters all in one; the photo of the
bearer is on the card itself.
I've thought for a while that it might be a good idea for police warrant
cards to be made in a similar way....
--
Kat

In message , SJCWHUK
writes
Kat, Do you mean giving the Met Police built in Oyster cards?

If so, they used to give passes that they could use in the gates to get
their free travel but they had to be withdrawn. They were being misused.
:-))

That was before my time on the Underground but I heard that they used to
give the passes to others to use and carried on showing their warrant
cards to travel. If the warrant card itself opened the gate it would not
be so open to misuse I'd have thought.
--
Kat

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 18:03:11 +0100, "James Penton"
wrote:

At present no - the only tenuous link is between photocard number and
card number which I think is collected via the application form.

snip

In addition the cost and hassle of transferring people en masse when
Oyster was introduced would guarantee a poor start for a new product.
I'm not up to date with developments now but it seems that a quieter
and
smaller scale test of the combined card / photo option has been
decided
upon for those card holders who are a bit less time pressured. If the
process and technology works then I can see such cards being offered
as
an option for the future.

Thanks Paul (and the others who replied!). I'll keep the group posted on
what I receive! I have to say, though, I'm not impressed with the
student photocard issuing people (in Hull, for some reason) - I've had
problems every year during my last 3 years at university. I wonder
whether they'll get their heads round this one...

James

In message , at 09:23:13 on
Mon, 13 Sep 2004, Paul Corfield remarked:
I'm not up to date with developments now but it seems that a quieter and
smaller scale test of the combined card / photo option has been decided
upon for those card holders who are a bit less time pressured. If the
process and technology works then I can see such cards being offered as
an option for the future.

Nottingham busses have an "Oyster" card with a photo. They take it with
a little camera next to each ticket window at their central ticket
office. They used to only have "weekly travelcard" options, but now they
have a multiple "daily travelcard" (aka "anytime") that you can use on
any 10 non-consecutive days.

Problem is that while the former had a respectable discount if you used
it 5 days a week over 4 weeks, the latter isn't much cheaper than paying
every day with cash (£1 per leg, £2.30 for unlimited use).

http://www.nctx.co.uk/EasyRider/easyrider_menu.htm
--
Roland Perry