The London Assembly is cautioning that Oyster Card users may be stuck paying more after contactless credit and debit card payments are introduced next year, reports MayorWatch.co.uk.
According to a report issued by the Assembly’s Transport Committee, the estimated one in five Londoners who do not own a credit or debit card may not be able to take advantage of reduced fares. Furthermore, the Committee says that the potential for card fraud may deter passengers from using the new system.
The Assembly has asked Transport for London (TfL) for information on contactless debit and credit card fraud levels, as well as monitor complaints about the new payment technology. The results have left Assembly members “not reassured” of the proposed system’s value over “other options for achieving the same objectives,” according to MarketWatch.
Additionally, the Assembly says that TfL “has produced no evidence to support” its claims that that introducing contactless payments will save the city up to £20 million per year.
“If contactless payment is to prove successful we would expect to see a far more detailed and compelling case for its introduction,” said Committee Chair Caroline Pidgeon. “Most importantly, we want guarantees that all passengers will continue to have access to the cheapest fares no matter what type of ticket they use.”
If all goes according to plan, TfL will launch contactless credit and debit payments on buses starting in March of next year, ahead of a broad roll out across the entire transit network.
Read the full story here. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/contactlessnews-4.gif)
