Annual and monthly season tickets holders will be first to sign up
The first phase of Transport for London's (TfL) travel smartcard goes live across the capital this week.
Holders of annual and monthly season tickets for London's public transport network will be able to buy the Oyster smartcard online or via a dedicated phone line.
The scheme will help combat fraud and speed up passengers' progress through ticket gates, says TfL. Up to five million Oyster transactions per day are expected to be processed during the first year of operation.
Roll out of the technology will be phased. Some 16,000 remote ticketing devices have been installed on buses and tube gates, and by the end of the year the card will also be available through station ticket offices and selected retail outlets.
News source: vnunet.com
