Oyster Travel Card > Reviews > Fancy an Oyster?

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money

Satisfactory

Advantages:	Cheapest mode of travel in London
Disadvantages:	Big brother, not good for tourists .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

What is an Oyster card?

Basically it is a London travel card enabling the traveller to get around London without constantly buying tickets for the different modes of transport available.
It can be likened to a credit card; however the difference being, you pay up front and charge the card before use, almost identically to a pay-as-you-go phone card.

Transport for London hereafter referred to as tfl, call it a smartcard. I think it was very smart for tfl to launch it as they cost £3.00 to obtain. A very clever ploy to put a lot of money into the coffers of their bank account. The money is refundable if you return the card when you no longer need it, but who can be bothered with all the rigmarole of that.

To obtain a card you need to fill in a registration form at a station, tfl oulet, or Oyster card shop. This records highly personal information and I would have to question the reason for this. Remember if you then use your card for travelling, all your movements are then recorded every time you swipe the card through a reader and it is reported the police are using this more and more extensively to investigate people's movements. More big brother as I see it.

You can obtain an un-registered card but will not be able to buy the full range of tickets.

Who can obtain one?

Adults, holders of 16-17 year old paper photocards, and holders of new deal photocards.
The following can apply and this will entitle them to a range of other discounts. (See tfl website for details.) www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/oyster/general.asp.
Under 16s-16 to 17s in full time education including some 18 year olds.
18+ students registered with established educational establishments.

Where can I use it and what for?

London underground stations, London bus network, Docklands light railway, and trams. It can also be used on the National train network as long as it is inside the tfl system.

You can put your travel card, season ticket, bus pass, or pay as you go on the card. You can have up to three season tickets on any one card.

Where can I get an Oyster card or top it up?

By phone (24 hours) on 0870 849 9999. The Oyster online shop, (Details above). A variety of tfl outlets. (See website)

For helpline phone 0845 330 9876 between 08.00, and 20.00 daily.

There is also an auto top up available (see website for details)

Downloadable guides are available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Why should I use Oyster? Good points.

The most obvious answer is because it is cheaper. In fact it is a lot cheaper and tfl are making the message clear in their latest strategy of massive price rises for the normal conventional paying traveller that they want as many people as possible using this system.

If you are a regular traveller then it is the obvious choice of travel payment.

Why shouldn't I use Oyster? Bad points.

If you don't want the state to know where and when you go anywhere on public transport.
If you object to the £3.00 for buying one.

Other points.

The Oyster card clearly penalises the service user who uses public transport rarely.
Not at all good for tourists as the whole system of obtaining one is a complicated business for someone on holiday.

Thanks for reading.

Tony