The price of London's 60+, Zip and Student Oyster Cards is going up this week
TfL has revealed that the price of the 60+ Oyster card will almost double from £20 to £35, while the cost of its annual eligibility check (needed if someone wants to retain their card) will increase from £10 to £18. If someone needs to replace their card, they'll also now have to pay £18 instead of the previous £10.
As for the young 'uns, the Oyster Zip cards that provide half price tube travel and free bus journeys for kids, students, apprentices and care leavers, will all go up by £1. The replacement fee for those cards will also increase from £10 to £11.
On top of all that, TfL has plans to increase the prices of new Oyster cards and Visitor Oyster cards from £7 to £10 in September. Freedom Passes are safe from the price hike, as they're managed by London Councils
TfL said that the price hikes are necessary for helping it deal with wider financial constraints. It said that the huge hike for the 60+ card in particular is down to the fact that it has the 'biggest gap between the estimated revenue that we would receive were these journeys paid for, and the income we receive through fee'.
Alex Williams, chief customer and strategy officer at TfL, said: 'We are fully committed to keeping travel in London affordable and accessible to everyone.
'Our fees for photocards haven't increased in 10 years, and these changes will mean that we can continue to provide these concessions while ensuring that the fees better reflect our costs for operating the schemes.'
Of course, the news isn't going to be music to Londoners' ears. Michael Roberts, chief executive of London TravelWatch, said: 'Higher TfL photocard fees, especially for the over-60s, will be unwelcome news to Londoners who continue to feel the pinch of the ongoing cost of living crisis and some of the most expensive public transport fares in Europe.
'Annual index-linked increases might in future avoid big hikes in fees, but it's disappointing that more isn't being done to soften the blow this year for 60+ card holders on lower incomes. Londoners will be wondering what further unpleasant revenue-raising surprises TfL might have in store over the coming months.'
London Oyster card price increases
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Brits beg American tourists to stop ‘annoying' travel trend that creates ‘unnecessary layer of friction'
BRITS are begging American tourists to stop an annoying travel trend that creates an "unnecessary layer of friction". Londoners have taken to social media in an attempt to Americans visiting the capital to stop this one act. 1 One Reddit user posted to the r/London group titled: "PSA to Americans visiting this summer: we do not shorten place names here." They added that American tourists were shortening location names when asking for help with directions. The post explained: "Was hanging out around Victoria/Pimlico yesterday having coffee and food with friends and we had three separate occasions of holidaying Americans asking for directions or help. "First was how to get to 'Green' (Green Park), and that they'd come via 'Edgware' (Edgware Road - obviously a totally different part of the city to Edgware itself). "The next wanted to find their hotel in 'Holland' (Holland Park, obviously not the country region)." They added: "An unnecessary layer of friction and could quite easily end up catastrophic if you're googling the wrong thing, asking for directions, researching somewhere (Gloucester instead of Gloucester Road, Liverpool instead of Liverpool Street, Leicester instead of Leicester Square, etc, etc)." It's not the first time frustrated Londoners have encountered American tourists confusing locations either. Another Reddit user shared their own experiences: "Can confirm from working on the railway that this is a genuine problem. "Once sold about £200 worth of tickets to Gloucester when a group wanted Gloucester Road. "Before selling them, I'd asked in every conceivable way I could think of if it was really Gloucester they wanted (It's not a top US tourist destination!)." Popular Italian holiday hotspot bans walking barefoot, booze & picnics with rules-breaking tourists facing hefty fines A third user said: "Growing up in a touristy town outside of London, we'd get a lot of American visitors asking for train tickets to Charing rather than Charing Cross. "Charing of course being a town in Kent some 50 odd miles away." It's not just trains that Americans visiting the capital have a problem with either. The Sun reported in April how a tourist planning a gentle sight-seeing trip on the River Thames instead boarded a party boat full of boozy football fans by mistake. American Evan Johnston got on the vessel with 150 Southend United supporters heading to a match. The student, 21, thought they were all going to see London's landmarks. The fans had hired a party boat from Tower Millennium Pier to Blackfriars Pier to catch a train to the ground. But the Shrimpers fans welcomed Evan — taking him to his first ever match, buying all his drinks and chanting: 'Evan is a Shrimper, la la la la.'
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Brits beg American tourists to stop ‘annoying' travel trend that creates ‘unnecessary layer of friction'
Have you noticed the trend? 'GENUINE PROBLEM' Brits beg American tourists to stop 'annoying' travel trend that creates 'unnecessary layer of friction' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITS are begging American tourists to stop an annoying travel trend that creates an "unnecessary layer of friction". Londoners have taken to social media in an attempt to Americans visiting the capital to stop this one act. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Brits are begging American tourists to stop an annoying travel trend Credit: Getty One Reddit user posted to the r/London group titled: "PSA to Americans visiting this summer: we do not shorten place names here." They added that American tourists were shortening location names when asking for help with directions. The post explained: "Was hanging out around Victoria/Pimlico yesterday having coffee and food with friends and we had three separate occasions of holidaying Americans asking for directions or help. "First was how to get to 'Green' (Green Park), and that they'd come via 'Edgware' (Edgware Road - obviously a totally different part of the city to Edgware itself). Read more News HOLS HORROR Brit teen left fighting for her life after ear infection on Greek holiday "The next wanted to find their hotel in 'Holland' (Holland Park, obviously not the country region)." They added: "An unnecessary layer of friction and could quite easily end up catastrophic if you're googling the wrong thing, asking for directions, researching somewhere (Gloucester instead of Gloucester Road, Liverpool instead of Liverpool Street, Leicester instead of Leicester Square, etc, etc)." It's not the first time frustrated Londoners have encountered American tourists confusing locations either. Another Reddit user shared their own experiences: "Can confirm from working on the railway that this is a genuine problem. "Once sold about £200 worth of tickets to Gloucester when a group wanted Gloucester Road. "Before selling them, I'd asked in every conceivable way I could think of if it was really Gloucester they wanted (It's not a top US tourist destination!)." Popular Italian holiday hotspot bans walking barefoot, booze & picnics with rules-breaking tourists facing hefty fines A third user said: "Growing up in a touristy town outside of London, we'd get a lot of American visitors asking for train tickets to Charing rather than Charing Cross. "Charing of course being a town in Kent some 50 odd miles away." It's not just trains that Americans visiting the capital have a problem with either. The Sun reported in April how a tourist planning a gentle sight-seeing trip on the River Thames instead boarded a party boat full of boozy football fans by mistake. American Evan Johnston got on the vessel with 150 Southend United supporters heading to a match. The student, 21, thought they were all going to see London's landmarks. The fans had hired a party boat from Tower Millennium Pier to Blackfriars Pier to catch a train to the ground. But the Shrimpers fans welcomed Evan — taking him to his first ever match, buying all his drinks and chanting: 'Evan is a Shrimper, la la la la.'
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Londoners beg American tourists to stop 'annoying' act
Writing in the Reddit group, r/London, one user shared a post titled: "PSA to Americans visiting this summer: we do not shorten place names here." Adding that they'd come across many American tourists needing help with directions and all facing the same problem, shortening location names. You can see the full post via Reddit. Londoners beg American tourists to stop this act The Reddit post explained: "Was hanging out around Victoria/Pimlico yesterday having coffee and food with friends and we had three separate occasions of holidaying Americans asking directions or for help: first was how to get to "Green" (Green Park), and that they'd come via "Edgware" (Edgware Road - obviously a totally different part of the city to Edgware itself), the next wanted to find their hotel in "Holland" (Holland Park, obviously not the country region). They added: "An unnecessary layer of friction and could quite easily end up catastrophic if you're googling the wrong thing, asking for directions, researching somewhere (Gloucester instead of Gloucester Road, Liverpool instead of Liverpool Street, Leicester instead of Leicester Square, etc, etc)." It's not the first time Londoners have come across American tourists confusing locations, as a fellow Reddit user shared their own experiences of lost tourists: Recommended Reading "Can confirm from working on the railway that this is a genuine problem. Once sold about £200 worth of tickets to Gloucester when a group wanted Gloucester Road. "Before selling them, I'd asked in every conceivable way I could think of if it was really Gloucester they wanted (It's not a top US tourist destination!)." A third person wrote: "Distinct but related (and somewhat less their fault) but I always remember the panicked American couple who approached me and some friends in St. James' Park during the 2012 Olympics asking where the arena was ...they were supposed to be in Newcastle"
