(Benefits that will be much more beneficial when National Rail is eventually
fully incorporated into the Pre Pay system, but that will only happen
when the train companies stop dragging their feet.)

We had a visit from TFL to show some new things in their Journey
Planner (I write for a technology magazine) and they said they had
offered to pay and install all the equipment for all the TOCs (in fact,
the person was as frustrated as me because he commutes using Southern,
and therefore can't even use an Oyster himself!). He says everything is
ready to go, but I do wonder if there's a little bit more to it than
that?

I understand the TOCs are worried about losing money, but there must be
other reasons? In the long run, they will lose anyway because once it's
clear to many people (more than a handful of people here and there)
that it's cheaper to buy an Oyster season and then 'tag on' a simple
station-station return on top with the TOC, they'll be losing out big
time.

Jonathan

wrote:
(Benefits that will be much more beneficial when National Rail is eventually
fully incorporated into the Pre Pay system, but that will only happen
when the train companies stop dragging their feet.)


We had a visit from TFL to show some new things in their Journey
Planner (I write for a technology magazine) and they said they had
offered to pay and install all the equipment for all the TOCs (in fact,
the person was as frustrated as me because he commutes using Southern,
and therefore can't even use an Oyster himself!). He says everything is
ready to go, but I do wonder if there's a little bit more to it than
that?

I understand the TOCs are worried about losing money, but there must be
other reasons? In the long run, they will lose anyway because once it's
clear to many people (more than a handful of people here and there)
that it's cheaper to buy an Oyster season and then 'tag on' a simple
station-station return on top with the TOC, they'll be losing out big
time.

AIUI the delay is not due to equipment installation but more that zonal
fares would need to be rolled out across the TOCs before introducing
Prepay - otherwise the system would become rather complicated.


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

wrote:

(Benefits that will be much more beneficial when National Rail is
eventually fully incorporated into the Pre Pay system, but that will
only happen when the train companies stop dragging their feet.)

I understand the TOCs are worried about losing money, but there must be
other reasons?

AIUI the delay is not due to equipment installation but more that zonal
fares would need to be rolled out across the TOCs before introducing
Prepay - otherwise the system would become rather complicated.

Is the worry over compatibility with this other system - ITSO or whatever
- a factor?

tom

--
Operate all mechanisms!

Tom Anderson wrote:
On Sun, 28 Aug 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

wrote:


(Benefits that will be much more beneficial when National Rail is
eventually fully incorporated into the Pre Pay system, but that will
only happen when the train companies stop dragging their feet.)


I understand the TOCs are worried about losing money, but there must
be other reasons?


AIUI the delay is not due to equipment installation but more that
zonal fares would need to be rolled out across the TOCs before
introducing Prepay - otherwise the system would become rather
complicated.


Is the worry over compatibility with this other system - ITSO or
whatever - a factor?

Possibly. I would guess that the zonal fare thing is more important at
the moment as Oyster already has a large established user base whereas
the ITSO standard hasn't arrived on NR yet, but if ATOC are trying to
get together an NR smartcard, then it may be a problem.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London