• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

TfL announce £10 ‘admin fee’ for Zip Oyster cards

July 23, 2010 - Staff

Young Londoners applying for a Zip Oyster photocard, which allows school age children free travel on the capital’s bus and tram networks, will have to pay a £10 “application fee” from September 1st.

Transport for London say the charge will cover costs incurred in “processing application forms, photocard production and postage” and insist the scheme, which also offers discounted Tube travel, remains “one of the most generous concessionary travel schemes in the country.”

News of the fee, expected to raise up to £5m for TfL, comes as Mayor of London Boris Johnson is expected to announce an increase in fares from January 2011 to meet TfL’s funding shortages.

Mayor Johnson has faced repeated criticism for going ahead with plans to abolish the Congestion Charge Western Extension, forfeiting £55m of revenue based on TfL’s own figures, despite already presiding over two fare increases since he came to office in 2008.

Shashi Verma, TfL’s Director of Fares and Ticketing, said: “The £10 application fee being brought in will help to cover the administrative costs associated with providing the various concession schemes and still represents fantastic value for money considering it would be recouped for many in only one school week of bus use. We also hope the fee will help increase the sense of responsibility that users have for their cards.”

The £5 admin fee for 18+ Student Oyster photocards, which gives reduced fares to those in further education, will increase £5 to £10 from September.

Commenting on the changes, Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon said: “I understand that TfL have to look at cost savings but any change needs to be fair. Given that two fifths of children across London live in poverty TfL should exempt this charge to children and young people who are entitled to free school meals.:”

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Tagged With: Fares

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.