What we'll miss: pearls from an Oyster

We're leaving London on the weekend and there's still so much I want to post about! I might be posting again from Sydney before I officially close this blog.

Public transport is a massive part of daily life in London. And London has an integrated public transport ticketing system - the Oyster card. You buy a card for three pounds (about $7) and keep it forever. You put money on your card, either at the local newsagent or through an online topping up system. With the Oyster card, every trip on a bus or tube costs 90p, no matter how far you go. (Okay, not strictly true - if you catch a 45 minute overground train to the very outskirts of the city, it costs more. But for getting around in the centre - which is a big centre - it's 90p.) You swipe your card when you get onto a bus. You swipe your card on your way into and out of the tube. The swiping machine tells you how much money is left on your card.

Just about everyone in London has an Oyster card (or a Freedom pass - free travel for everyone over 60). You virtually never see anyone get onto a bus and have to pay. It makes everything so much easier, faster and more convenient. Why Sydney can't get it together to have something like this, I don't understand.

Here's the swipe machine in a bus. Each bus would have a few of these so people can get in and out of every door.

Of course, the temptation is there not to swipe your card, thus saving yourselves the money. But as the voice recordings tell you, "ticket inspectors operate on this bus". I've never been asked to show my Oyster.

Enjoying one of our pearls...

What we saw along the way: the windows in Selfridge's department store...

Boadicea at Hyde Park Corner...

Belgravia.

Comments

[Lori]

The Transperth introduced the Smart Card a couple years ago which operates similarly to the Oyster card although I don't think its use is anywhere near as widespread here. The fare structure here is based on zones.

[Vanessa]

We have a new system here that reminds me of oystercards, but it only works with certain cell phones Touchpoint We have two Touchpoint readers at the local train station, but it is not available for local buses the local buses, yet. I think only three cities have it now for their city systems. I wonder where they are going with it and if there will ever be an option not commected to a cell phone subscription.

[Vanessa]

The url that did not come through (for whatever reason) is
http://www.blognfc.com/2008/03/05/cell-phones-eliminate-paper-tickets/

[Vanessa]

Also, sorry for the typos. I am using a strange keyboard and for some reason people are using power tools and multiple hammers in the hallway. The noise is messing with my mind...

[Patricia]

Yes we could certainly do with a card like that here - so sensible but I won't hold my breath that we'll get it here as we have hopeless planners and politicians in NSW!

[jellyfish]

OYSTER CAAARDS! I LOVE THEM!

I did get asked to show mine on the bus, twice actually, and both times they were really strict about punishing people who hadn't swiped it. None of this 'We'll send a fine in the mail' business, you have to get off and pay on the spot, about 60 quid before they let you go. They have backup cops waiting at the bus stops.

How do I know, you might ask?! Well, on one fateful occasion I had randomly forgotten to swipe my card, despite having 10 quid on it. Luckily, I was able to convince them not to fine me, but I think I got lucky with a softy type, the rest of them were advising him to hand me over to the cops. And it took so long to talk my way out of it, and involved so many gratuitous references to 'Neighbours' and Aussie 'celebrity' name-dropping that in the end I half wished I'd paid the fine and saved the time.

[Vanessa]

Incidentally, oystercards were prominently mentioned in the Easter Doctor Who special.