Re: Oyster Extension Permits to be scrapped


"Chris Tolley" <cj.tolley@xxxxxxxxxxx (ukonline really)> wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

"Chris Tolley" <cj.tolley@xxxxxxxxxxx (ukonline really)> wrote:

Peter Masson wrote:

From 22 May.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14869.aspx
[snip]
That reads very oddly.

It's accurate.

No doubt, but it only reads properly to those who use Oyster cards and
have background knowledge to fill in the gaps.

No-one understands the Oyster Extension Permit (OEP) system - I exagerrate slightly, but the important point here is that OEPs are being abandoned - they were misunderstood, incorrectly used and widely ignored by those who were even aware of them, and lots of people were not.

They were instituted at the insistance of the TOCs when acceptance of Oyster Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) eventually went live across the National Rail network in London in January 2009.

The basic principle is that holders of season Travelcards loaded on Oyster cards were (well, technically speaking still are) supposed to set something called an "Oyster Extension Permit" on their card when they're travelling on National Rail services from within one of the zones covered by their Travelcard to a destination outwith said zones, but still within the Oyster PAYG area - e.g. someone with a monthly zones 1&2 Travelcard who wanted to travel to East Croydon was supposed to set an OEP before starting their journey at say London Bridge or London Victoria. It didn't apply to journeys made on the Tube/ DLR (nor indeed London Overground).

The TOCs were concerned about a revenue risk, but the 'solution' to this small risk - OEPs - was so clunky that it seemed bound for disaster from the get-go. The TfL Commissioner Peter Hendy described the OEP system as an "impediment to travel" and had various strong words to say about how lacking in clue some of the TOCs' people were about it.

Additionally there was the ridiculous situation that passengers couldn't actually get an OEP set at a number of National Rail stations - setting an OEP on an Oyster card requires either the ticket machine or ticket office (or both) to have Oyster capabilities, something entirely lacking across all SWT stations in London - the daft thing was it is widely rumoured that SWT were one of the Oyster PAYG refuseniks, who were hostile about accepting Oyster PAYG on their services in the first place.

It's all completely irrelevant to anyone without a season Travelcard on their Oyster card - e.g. this change has no relevance to Day Travelcards, because they've never been abailable on Oyster (instead there's daily price capping).


To others, it looks like it is saying that if you over-ride your ticket
without permission before 22 May, there is a problem, but if you do so
after 22 May, there is not, which makes it seem (in the absence of said
background info) that you needn't get a ticket to cover your journey
after that date.

Yes, more or less correct - before 22 May you're supposed to set an OEP if travelling outside your Travelcard's zones but still within the Oyster PAYG areas (which is zones 1-9 plus five stations just beyond - Watford Junction plus four c2c stations). From 22 May onwards, you don't need to.


I'm presuming that the missing bit is that you will be charged for the
journey that you actually make (in some way, be it as a single, or by
charging you for a bigger travelcard), but it would be nice to be told.

Yes, though that's what happens now anyway. With a Travelcard loaded on an Oyster card, any journeys made outside the zones covered by that Travelcard are paid for out of the card's PAYG credit. This happens even when one is technically supposed to have an OEP set but doesn't.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Oyster Extension Permits to be scrapped
    ... travelcard only valid in zones 1 and 2, and a PAYG balance on your card. ... While you are travelling in zones 1 and 2 the PAYG balance isn't ever used. ... moment they require you to set an OEP. ...
    (uk.railway)
  • Re: Oyster PAYG query
    ... travelcard journey could involve the same fraud. ... Oyster PAYG, because most National Rail stations in London (i.e. those ... interchanging between a paper ticket route and an Oyster PAYG route. ... zones needs to travel to another zone. ...
    (uk.transport.london)
  • Re: Oyster PAYG query
    ... travelcard journey could involve the same fraud. ... Oyster PAYG, because most National Rail stations in London (i.e. those ... interchanging between a paper ticket route and an Oyster PAYG route. ... zones needs to travel to another zone. ...
    (uk.transport.london)
  • Re: Pre Pay Oyster or annual travelcard?
    ... For Oyster cards that have Travelcards loaded, ... valid on National Rail services outside your Travelcard zones unless ...
    (uk.transport.london)
  • Re: Pre Pay Oyster or annual travelcard?
    ... be valid on National Rail services outside your Travelcard zones ... gripped outside your Travelcard zones and don't have an IEP, ... barrier refuse to charge the card if it hasn't got an OEP on it at the ... "An Oyster Extension Permit is only needed when a journey is started ...
    (uk.transport.london)