Nexus unveils the NE answer to Oyster

[Deerfold]

As someone said earlier - it is this Oyster/ITSO compatibility that is at the root of the supposed 'SWT problems' - and IMHO having read the franchise spec it is 100% down to the DfT promising something they couldn't achieve.

It's unfortunate they didn't come up with the ITSO standard until after Oyster had been specified.

 

[LexyBoy]

It's unfortunate they didn't come up with the ITSO standard until after Oyster had been specified.

Also I think TfL wanted something which was faster to read. The ISO specification used by ITSO was (is?) much slower to read than what was used for Oyster, which was deemed to be unacceptable for a system as busy as London's.

Certainly I've found "the Key" to take a few seconds to register, compared to the instantaneous bleep with Oyster.

 

[swt_passenger]

There's no technical reason as far as I can see why the DfT didn't mandate Oyster technology nationally, so we must assume they didn't want local authorities to have to pay TfL (and their contractors) for the privilege of using it.

DfT could probably have just bought out TfL's financial interests for far less than they've spent on ITSO...

An example of 'not invented by us' syndrome?

 

[will1337]

If there is a serious possibility of an either/or opportunity then surely you are better not touching in until you know which way you are going. Otherwise you run the risk of missing the bus while you get out of the station?

Admittedly this only happens in some places where there's a good view from the station, but I have been caught out on Sundays with 1tph.

At most stations you will start a new journey straight away if you touch in straight after touching out. Which station have you found that you have to wait at?

I can't think of any examples other than South Ruislip but I left the station for about 5 minutes, tried to touch in and had to wait a few more minutes before it worked.

Then you'll get a third off all off-peak rail tickets (inc tube/dlr)... You even get the discount off the 1-2 and 1-4 price caps which you don't with a paper travelcard.

I have done and had forgotten about the single journeys, although even a return local trip of one stop by train and a bus journey will just about reach the 1-6 cap. The discounted 2-6 was very good value until it stopped recently. The 1-4 cap doesn't apply as I live in zone 5.

Whilst there is a known problem with some post midnight travel I'd be interested to know where you've hit issues.

This is mainly travelling by bus, Oyster ends the day at midnight and a paper Travelcard at 04:30.


Edit: Will future Oyster cards have both ITSO and the current system on them? I don't see the cards taking a few seconds to read working very well in any major city.

 

[90019]

And Lothian Buses have have had one for some time (I've not been to edinburgh for nearly two years and it was worth getting a weekly season on one for my 3 day-stay as it was valid on the fastest route past where I was staying and the day tickets weren't).

Lothian's Ridacard has been around since 2001.

 

[WatcherZero]

Tfl had to make all its Oyster readers ITSO capable by 2010 I think it was? They were also making the more recently issued cards readable by an ITSO reader but there must still be a lot of older cards in circulation that cant be read outside London.

 

[route101]

Lothian's Ridacard has been around since 2001.

And look at First Glasgow etc Still in Dark ages .
The SPT is surely an area for smartcard use and ive never seen anyone use FSRs on the GLQ to Waverley route.

 

[bb21]

This is mainly travelling by bus, Oyster ends the day at midnight and a paper Travelcard at 04:30.

I have certainly touched in on bus at 0430 before and registered towards the previously day's cap.

 

[yorkie]

This is mainly travelling by bus, Oyster ends the day at midnight and a paper Travelcard at 04:30.

I'm not an expert on Oyster (MikeWh is!) but the end of the Oyster day is a complex issue, see this thread.

 

[MikeWh]

I can't think of any examples other than South Ruislip but I left the station for about 5 minutes, tried to touch in and had to wait a few more minutes before it worked.

I'll send you a PM about this if I may.

I have done and had forgotten about the single journeys, although even a return local trip of one stop by train and a bus journey will just about reach the 1-6 cap. The discounted 2-6 was very good value until it stopped recently. The 1-4 cap doesn't apply as I live in zone 5.

I'm not getting this at all. Asuming the two local stops are in adjacent zones outside zone 1 then the off-peak railcard single is 85p or 95p depending on whether TfL fares apply or not. Two of those are max £1.90 plus £1.30 on the bus = £3.20 which is way below the £5.30 price cap. Even if we're talking afternoon peak the most you'd pay for that scenario is £5.10 which still saves you 20p. Am I missing something?

This is mainly travelling by bus, Oyster ends the day at midnight and a paper Travelcard at 04:30.

No, Oyster ends the day at 04:30 as well. How many times have you been charged on a bus after midnight after capping the previous day? Unless there's a serious software error the only reason I can think of is that a bus left the garage after running it's end of day routine, perhaps to releive another that had developed a fault. If this is widespread then something needs to be done about it.