LIB DEMS CALL FOR URGENT OYSTERCARD INVESTIGATION 'BEFORE PASSENGER CONFIDENCE IS LOST'

12.01.00am GMT Mon 10th Jan 2005

London Assembly Liberal Democrats today called on the Mayor to conduct an urgent investigation into Oystercard, especially the Prepay system, after a series of failures that have caused problems for passengers.

The Liberal Democrats want the Mayor to hold a transparent and public examination of the £1.2billion Oystercard system following a number of high profile delays, complaints and bugs.

These have included:-

· Technical problems preventing the fitting of Oystercard readers to the second and third doors of 'bendy buses'

· The Mayor's refusal to speed up the introduction of "capping" for the Oystercard causing passengers to be overcharged

· The 'bug' in pre-pay Oystercards that causes card holders to be overcharged on certain journeys

· Oystercard season ticket holders renewing online find if they haven't used the card within 48 hours it won't work

· Oystercard still unable to be used from many rail stations in outer London

· The failure of TfL to supply enough Oystercards to deal with the renewal of Freedom Passes in April 2004

· Oystercard's inability to tell the time preventing the 'Early Bird' discount system from becoming operational

· The admission by TfL that just 1% of people have bought pre-pay Oystercard

London Assembly Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone, said:-

"The Oystercard idea is a welcome addition to improving the way London transport network operates and should provide greater convenience for passengers.

"However, the way the Mayor has decided to introduce the Oystercard in fits and starts has made it far less useful than it should be. It has caused delays, complaints, overcharging and bugs that undermine passenger confidence in the system.

"Serious questions must be asked about whether these publicly known glitches mask more serious failures within the Oystercard PFI run by Transys.

"The Mayor must now undertake an urgent, full and transparent investigation into the issues that Oystercard is facing so that Londoners can be sure they are getting the best deal."

ENDS

Notes to editor

Further details of the issues that the Liberal Democrats in the London Assembly want a public investigation can be found below:-

· On 1 April 2004 all Freedom passes (providing free travel for over 60s and disabled people) were due for renewal and needed exchanging for Oyster-style smartcards. These are distributed through Post Offices as an application form and identification procedures have to be completed. Far too few smartcards were produced and most Post Offices had run out by the start date. Further supplies had to be commissioned and these were not available until well into April.

· TfL London Buses have introduced articulated (bendy) buses on nine routes and were well aware that electronic readers would be needed on the second and third doors of these vehicles. A Mayoral answer claimed that developing readers for these doors had taken longer than expected "due to a number of complex technical issues" but that they were now being trialled on route 25 [Oxford Circus-Ilford]. In answer to questions about this in November 2004, the Mayor said:-

"The development of Oyster Card readers at the second and third doorways on articulated buses has taken longer than TfL expected due to a number of complex technical issues. However, these readers are now operational on Route 25 on a trial basis. When the trial proves successful they will be rolled-out to all other routes operated with articulated vehicles. Meanwhile, passengers with Oyster Pre Pay cards are directed by notices inside and outside the bus (and in other TfL publicity material) to use the card reader at the front door beside the driver. Passengers with Saver tickets also board only by the front door."

· There is still a problem with using pre-pay Oystercards from rail stations in outer London.

· It is still not possible to use your pre-pay Oystercard as a Travelcard. The smartcard technology has the capacity to "cap" the fare that is deducted from your card at the lowest fare available for that journey. It is however deliberate TfL policy to delay "capping" until the public is used to the current operation. According to the Mayor in November 2004:-

"TfL has needed to establish customer confidence in the new product -"Pre Pay", and familiarise customers with the importance of touching in and touching out even at ungated stations. The favourable experience with the launch of smart cards in 2002 and the introduction of Pre Pay in 2003 supports a strategy of introducing features sequentially and deliberately. This has enabled TfL to avoid the pitfalls of smart card launches around the world and the disappointments of other IT PFI's here in the UK. Once customers are thoroughly familiar with the fare revision being implemented in January 2005 and TfL verify that the capping logic works as intended with the new fare tables, TfL will begin to familiarise staff and customers with what fare capping means and how it will work."

· The latest failure of the technology is that the electronic readers of the Oystercard cannot tell the time. They are unable to charge the new premium morning rush-hour rates that the Mayor introduced on New Year's Day. Work is in progress to reconfigure the programmes. It is unclear whether the Mayor's decision to bring in a premium rate was made with such little notice that TfL had no time to adjust the technology.

· A widespread 'bug' acknowledged by LUL staff causes pre-pay Oystercard holders to be charged £1.80 instead of £1.10. An example of this is on the journey between Wood Green and Caledonian Road [Piccadilly line]. You cannot get refunds unless you register your address and e-mail details with TfL.

· Oystercard holders renewing their season tickets online must use their Oystercard within two days of renewal or the card is unusable. This hit many Oystercard season ticket holders who returned to work on 4 January having renewed on line from home before New Year's Day. Those hit by this will have had to renew at the new [post 1 January] prices.