In response to Transport for London's proposals to remove cash from the bus network.
Cashing out
Transport for London, the organisation responsible for a coherent transport policy and integrated services across Greater London has launched a public consultation over its proposing to "go cashless on its bus services in 2014." There is a FAQ, but no fully fleshed proposal outside of the suggestion.
Who is going to pay for all the mandatory Oyster cards that those one-off cash fare riders are going to have to pay for? The users of course. So, how do you manage the situation where an out-of-towner arrives in London and just needs the odd couple of bus journeys? Do you rip them off for the price of an Oyster plus fares, or a bus pass? What if neither is available? Cash is still a part of everyday life. Some people ONLY have access to cash, and any mandatory change is going to cost them. This whole idea is riddled with obvious practical problems and stupidity.
And it has the by-product of being just one more information resource for keeping tabs on individuals and their movements. We know from news reports that the police use Oysters for movement tracking of suspects, and as evidence in court. You can bet they are not the only ones. We were originally told that the only place journey details were stored was on the card. This is patently not true, because if you have a problem and 'phone the help service they can very quickly look up your travel/transaction history once they know your card number. Any policy effectively forcing travellers to use an Oyster card is one more (small) step in the wrong direction.
You may agree with my stance; you may not, but if you are a Londoner, or anyone who finds themselves using London buses on occasion, you should respond to the proposal.
