PRIVILEGE TICKETS ON OYSTER ‘PAY AS YOU GO’
From 3 July 2006, active and retired safeguarded staff and their dependants who hold a valid Staff Travel Card (STC) will be afforded the option of participating at privilege rates (on London Underground [LU], Docklands Light Railway [DLR] and National Rail services which accept Oyster pay as you go) in the ‘Pay as you go’ Oyster arrangement. As staff may know, the Oyster concept enables travellers to pay for travel in advance by the addition of value to a smart card.
The existing arrangements whereby LU/DLR privilege tickets for individual journeys can be purchased before travel at LU Booking Offices will remain.
The ‘Pay as you go’ Oyster arrangement is for leisure use only. Those who travel on LU services to get to and from work (or dependants who travel to an educational establishment) will still need to purchase an appropriate Privilege Season Ticket. (Remember: Travelcard Seasons are NOT available at privilege discount rates)
Transport for London is extending ‘Pay as you go’ Oyster to staff to make it more convenient for those who make regular LU/DLR trips. The benefits are two-fold; travel is cheaper (being based on the public Oyster single fares which are cheaper than cash fares) and the need to regularly queue at Booking Offices is eliminated.
Those wishing to make use of privilege ‘Pay as you go’ Oyster will need to register their STC at a LU Booking Office using a new form which has been introduced. There are two forms, one subtitled ‘National Rail Employees’ (RSTL 5001) for active staff and their dependants and another subtitled ‘NR Retired Employees’ (RSTL 5002) for retired staff and their dependants. These forms can be downloaded from the RSTL web site www.atoc.org/rst/Application_Forms.asp
On completion, the form needs to be authorised by the applicant’s employing company (Pensions Management in the case of the vast majority of Retired Staff and their dependants) and then taken to a LU Booking Office for the Oyster card to be issued.
RETIRED OYSTER APPLICATION.pdf
Details of the arrangement are contained on the form but the following important points are highlighted:
- As well as the value applicants wish to put on their card, it is necessary for them to pay a refundable £3 deposit.
- The STC supports the use of the Oyster card and as such when the holder is issued with a new STC (at renewal time or if a replacement is issued for any reason), it is necessary for the TfL system that controls Oyster issues to be made aware of the number of the new card. This update must be undertaken by the applicant and can be performed at any LU Booking Office. Until this has been done, travellers are not permitted to use their Oyster card.
- When using the Oyster card, travellers must carry with them their supporting STC at all times
- The Oyster card can be used on London Buses but the amount deducted from the card for each trip will be at the public rate applicable at the time of travel.
- Daily price capping applies. This means that irrespective of the number of LU and/or DLR journeys made on any one day, the most that Privilege Oyster card holders will pay is capped at the Privilege Day Ticket rate. Within Travelcard Zones 1-6 this is currently £2.00 (adult), £1.00 (child)
- It is a requirement that for each journey the Oyster card is ‘touched in’ at the special Oyster reading points at the commencement station and ‘touched out’ at the destination. Failure to do this may result in travellers paying more than they need or may result in a Penalty Fare being charged
- Under 16s must have a Child, Under 14 or 14-15 Oyster photocard to qualify for privilege travel at Child rate. Application forms are available at all Post Offices in the Greater London area. More information, including how to obtain a Child Oyster photocard if applicants do not live in the Greater London area, is available at:www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2006/photocards/under16.asp
- If the Oyster card is lost travellers must contact the Oyster helpline on 0845 330 9876 to have the card stopped and any money returned to them. They can apply for a new Oyster card with privilege discount by completing another application form as above.
- Value can be added to Oyster cards by all the usual topping-up payment methods at all LU Booking Offices. Cards can also be topped-up on-line at: www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster
- This website also contains some very useful information about the Oyster card concept, including a list National Rail routes on which pay as you go can be used.