Oyster. WTF?

[drizzy]

There was a point to the OEP (Oyster Extension Permits) originally, I think. The train companies were a bit upset by the idea that someone with a zone 1 travel card on Oyster could start their journey in zone 1, end it at zone 6 and then as many outer suburban stations don't have barriers, not touch out, and thus not get charged for their journey. The difference between a Oyster travel card and a paper one is obviously that a paper zone 1 travel card isn't valid at all once you leave zone 1- whereas an oyster sort of is... Without the OEP system, ticket inspectors couldn't say you were travelling without a ticket (cos you have an oyster card) but if you have a travel card loaded on, it doesn't take any money from your oyster card when you tap in. OEP's just flagged the entry station to take the maximum fare off on entry, which is then refunded (minus fare) when you tap out at the other end.

But it's a ridiculous system which totally defeats the purpose of oyster. So I'm glad they finally got rid of it!

There was some argument on this blog http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/ some time ago, I can't remember what article, that possibly fines under an OEP wouldn't be valid as there are rules in place to prevent 'unfair' penalties. The lack of signage/total lack of knowledge about OEPs amongst the general population - and train companies not clearly stating with signage that OEPs would be required when you start a journey within your travel card zones and end outside - would mean there'd be a decent argument for this.

 

[explicit4u]

sounds like a load of fun.

It is when you're under 17!

Free bus travel and the underground/overground is only about £1 return!

 

[Tefal]

is that all I am these days?

if it's not food it must involve some sort of high pressure gas.

 

[drizzy]

This guy wrote a letter!

https://bitoclass.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F928267421

 

[Snograt]

Just to make one thing clear: The OEP is for customers wishing to travel beyond the availability of their Oyster on National Rail services within the Travelcard zones.

If you're purely using Underground/DLR services you just need to ensure you have enough pay-as-you-go on your Oyster before you start your journey. The days of paying "when you get there" have long since gone. Obviously, that all falls to pieces when we have ticket machine failures...

You will find that revenue inspectors, unlike most station staff, take no prisoners. If you arrive at a destination with insufficient funds on your Oyster to cover the journey you've made, they will slap you with a £20 fine.

Please note that I'm just the bearer of information - don't shoot me! I think Oyster exists purely for marketing and tracking purposes rather than as a boon to the passenger. Penalty fares are just revenue - the people who pay penalty fares are honest people; those intending to dodge any fare payment will continue to do so.

 

[Jonny69]

Why not just let any extension costs come out of your PayGo balance? There is no need for anything more complicated.

*hugs his 1-4 travelcard*

That is what it has always done, on both of my student Oyster cards. I don't understand why it suddenly stopped doing it last night.

Oops, never knew this. Good thing I haven't had my Oyster card inspected in the past 18 months!

I didn't know either. No need to worry though, they are abandoning the system on Monday.

Just to make one thing clear: The OEP is for customers wishing to travel beyond the availability of their Oyster on National Rail services within the Travelcard zones.

That's what the guy last night said. What doesn't make sense is I've been making occasional journeys from the outer zones to Victoria, London Bridge, Waterloo and Charing Cross for the last 18 months and it's never been a problem.

 

[Skidder]

don't like em either, they give me the runs and are sometimes gritty

 

[Snograt]

That's what the guy last night said. What doesn't make sense is I've been making occasional journeys from the outer zones to Victoria, London Bridge, Waterloo and Charing Cross for the last 18 months and it's never been a problem.

The OEP is a strange beast that Oyster were forced to instigate to make universal availability of Oyster within London a possibility. I can only guess that for those "occasional journeys" you actually had enough PAYG on your card to cover it - zone 2 to 1 on Oyster is only £1.90.

Did I mention that I hate Oyster? I'm supposed to be extolling its virtues to everybody I see. A great idea in theory, but in practice? Nah. Good for LUL/LOROL/NR/LBL etc., they make a fortune from unresolved journeys.

 

[franco_22]

I'm having King Prawn with Oyster sauce and egg fried rice tonight for dinner.

 

[TheCenturion]

It's ridiculous.

I've got a 16-18 travel card, which means half rate travel. I travelled to victoria the other day from zone 4. about a 40 min journey. Cost me £5. So for an adult oyster card that journey costs £10?? Yeah right

 

[syke]

I pay the extra per month just to have extra zones and not worry about any faffing about. That is a silly rule though, as far as I understood it, i'd have expected the money to come from PAYG if you were going out of your 'travelcard'...surely makes more sense!

 

[PinkPig]

Oyster Extension Permits are complicated and hard to understand.

Fortunately they're being phased out and will no longer be required from 22nd May 2011 (this Sunday!). See here for details http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14869.aspx.

They only apply (applied) if you:

- Had a travelcard on your Oyster card
- Started a journey within your travelcard regions
- Ended your journey outside your travelcard regions
- Any part of the journey was on on National rail (i.e. not the tube)

If all of these were true, you had to go to a ticket machine and press the 'I want an OEP please'. And it gave it to you for free.

The motivation behind them is that Oyster travelcard users *aren't* required to touch in and out at the start and end of their journey. Specifically, unlike people who use PAYG only, it's OK to touch in within your travelcard zone and never touch out. If you do that, then travel to the outer rim of zone 6 without touching out, you won't get charged, and your fare evasion is impossible to detect. If you're inspected on the train, you say 'I'm going to touch out when I get there'. And then you don't, and you don't get charged.

But it's obviously ridiculous. A fare evader could get an OEP and still do the above - the OEP doesn't have to be used immediately so it's perfectly valid not to use it for a week or a year after you activate it.

Thank goodness for sanity and getting rid of them.

TFL said this about them in February (see http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/Item08-Oyster-NR.pdf):

​

6.3 In practice, the OEP is very difficult to explain to customers and the TOCs have not carried out any comprehensive customer information campaign. By and large the TOCs have chosen thus far not to enforce the OEP and allow customers to travel much as they do on the Underground. Nevertheless, we are aware of some instances where customers have been charged a penalty fare for not having an OEP.

 

[Snograt]

It's ridiculous.

I've got a 16-18 travel card, which means half rate travel. I travelled to victoria the other day from zone 4. about a 40 min journey. Cost me £5. So for an adult oyster card that journey costs £10?? Yeah right

Something wrong there. A 1-4 journey on a 16+ Oyster in the peak should be £1.70. The full adult rate is £3.40. My instincts tell me that you've got one of those unresolved journeys I mentioned earlier. Despite people swearing blind that they have "touched in and touched out," believe me it is quite possible (and very common) to get through the automatic gates on somebody else's "touch" without knowing it, leaving you with an unstarted or unfinished journey.

In practice, the OEP is very difficult to explain to customers and the TOCs have not carried out any comprehensive customer information campaign.

In practice, the OEP is so difficult to explain to staff that they've hardly bothered. What hope have you lot got?

 

[Raikiri]

is that all I am these days?

Well you haven't strapped a rocket to anything recently.

Honestly wish we had them everywhere, whilst I very rarely in London I used the equivilent in HK whilst I was there.
It's so much easier than having 3 different tickets, carrying change around with you etc.

 

[drizzy]

But it's obviously ridiculous. A fare evader could get an OEP and still do the above - the OEP doesn't have to be used immediately so it's perfectly valid not to use it for a week or a year after you activate it.

That wouldn't work, an OEP tells the entry station reader to take the maximum fare off the oyster card. When the user touches out, this is refunded less any fare for the journey. It's the entire point of the system!

But it's utterly stupid and I'm glad they got rid of it.