{ 06 janvier 2006 }
oyster cards
transport for london [tfl] has introduced travel smartcards called oyster cards. they’ve been around for a few years, but they’re gaining popularity as tfl increases the price of cash fares while lowering the price of oyster card fares. for example, tube zone 1 will soon cost £3 cash, but will only be £1.50 with an oyster card. some people are complaining about oyster cards, but i think they’re a great idea. they never expire, plus you can put season passes on them or pay as you go. you can even put a season pass on the card, but also add a bit of extra money. this would be especially helpful when you’re travelling to a zone that isn’t covered by your season pass. the extra fare would simply be taken out of the travel value on your card.
if you end up making several journeys on any given day, you don’t need to worry about paying more with an oyster card than you would with a single day travelcard. tfl has a daily price cap in place, so you will never pay more than 50p less than the price of a single day travelcard for the zones in which you travelled.
to use an oyster card, you simply touch it on the yellow card reader as you’re entering a tube or rail station, boarding a bus, or waiting at the tram platform. to avoid having to look for the oyster card while entering, at least 1 rider has apparently found a creative way to embed it in her purse.
oyster cards can be purchased online, at any of the many tfl outlets or by calling 0870 849 9999.
posted at 01.00