Free Tube and bus travel in London as Oyster card reader glitch coincides with first day of higher fares
Transport for London said the fault was fixed by 11am and the system was working as normal
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Londoners and tourists woke up on Saturday morning to find public transport unexpectedly free across the capital, thanks to a technical glitch.
Barriers at many Tube stations were left open and no payment was required on buses because of a fault with sensors that read Oyster and contactless payment cards.
It came as Transport for London’s (TfL) annual New Year fare rises kicked in, with an average increase of one per cent across the network.
A spokesperson said contractors were working to fix the glitch as soon as possible but commuters were in no hurry.
“Thanks @TfL,” wrote one passenger on Twitter. “I was expecting to pay the new 2nd of Jan fares in the tube but the whole oyster ticketing system is down! Free journey for me!”
“Time to use the tube. The Oyster system is down and everyone is travelling free!” another person encouraged.
Others called the fault an “unexpected blessing”, although some people found that their contactless cards were still working.
Public transport in London is normally only free for a brief period overnight on New Year’s Eve, when fares are waived between 11.45pm and 4.30am to allow party-goers to get home.
A spokesperson for TfL said: “We are experiencing technical issues with our Oyster card readers this morning.
“We are working extremely hard with our contractors to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. In the meantime, customers can continue to travel across the Tube, bus and rail networks. We apologise for this disruption.”
The fault was fixed by 11am and the system is now working as normal.
The Oyster is a plastic smartcard which can be used for pay-as-you-travel fares as well as for travelcards, bus and tram passes.
The card can be used to travel on bus, Tube, tram, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London.
Additional reporting by PA
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments