Roll-out History
The roll-out of Oyster features and migration from the paper-based system has been phased. Milestones so far have been:
- London Underground ticket barriers, bus ticket machines, Docklands Light Railway stations and Tramlink stops fitted with validators. Cards issued to Transport for London, London Underground, and bus operator staff (2002)
- Cards issued to the public for annual and monthly tickets (2003)
- Freedom Passes issued on Oyster (2004)
- Pay as you go (PAYG, first called 'prepay') launched on London Underground, DLR, and the parts of National Rail where Underground fares had previously been valid. (January 2004)
- Off-Peak Oyster single fares launched (January 2004)
- Annual tickets available only on Oyster (2004)
- Monthly tickets available only on Oyster, unless purchased from a station operated by a train company rather than TfL (2004)
- Payg on buses (May 2004)
- Daily price capping (February 2005)
- Student Oyster Photocards for students over 18 (early 2005)
- Oyster Child Photocards for under 16s—free travel on buses and reduced fares on trains (August 2005)
- Automatic top-up (September 2005)
- Weekly tickets available only on Oyster (September 2005)
- Oyster single fares cost up to 33% less than paper tickets (January 2006)
- Auto top-up on buses and trams (June 2006)
- Journey history for Pay as you go transactions available online (July 2006)
- Ability for active and retired railway staff who have a staff travel card to obtain privilege travel fares on the Underground with Oyster (July 2006)
- £4 or £5 'maximum cash fare' charged for Pay as you go journeys without a 'touch in' and 'touch out' (November 2006)
- Oyster card for visitors branded cards launched and sold by Gatwick Express.
- Oyster PAYG extended to London Overground (11 November 2007)
- Holders of Railcards (but not Network Railcard) can link their Railcard to Oyster to have PAYG capped at 34% below the normal rate since 2 January 2008.
- Oyster PAYG can be used to buy tickets on river services operated by Thames Clipper (23 November 2009)
- Oyster PAYG extended to National Rail (2 January 2010)
Read more about this topic: Oyster Card
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