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Hi,
Me and my partner have just brought a house in Rochester Kent, I just wanted to know if there has been any talk about oyster card being extended that way? As I travel all around London Monday- Friday and the cost of a travel card from rochester to london bridge price wise is ridiculous.
Mant thanks,
Antony
Hi Antony,
Oyster won’t be expanded beyond Dartford/Swanley, but contactless is rumoured to be going as far as Rainham.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for replying so quickly much appreciated.
Would you know why that is? Could I write to my local MP and start a petition to get it extended? As the cost from rochester to dartford is expensive.
Also would you know what times the sapphire bus to bluewater start running on weekdays? As I couldn’t find any information.
Many Thanks,
Antony
I think you need to temper your expectations. Where Oyster is valid outside zones 1-6 it is rarely cheaper than alternative payment methods. The same is true for contactless PAYG. The technology behind Oyster is quite dated now and cannot be extended in it’s current form. PAYG fares from Medway will match traditional fares if/when it is extended. The only difference will be that singles will be half the return fare.
I’m sorry I have no information on bus services.
Oyster PAYG is not magic. Introducing it does not automatically reduce fares – the fares are set by whoever is running the trains, and to some extent the law. Writing to your MP to ask him/her to get fares reduced is asking directly for what you want. Introducing Oyster PAYG would increase convenience, but that’s not your primary aim – ask for what you actually want.
Let’s hope that ITSO smart cards and/or contactless will be introduced soon. The former is conceptually like Oyster and both work by swiping the card to open the gates, but the *technology* does not determine the fares.
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