the tube will soon be cashless

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

I shall try to pay my Clifton Suspension Bridge toll in mangel wurzels!

[eXPassenger]

I shall try to pay my Clifton Suspension Bridge toll in mangel wurzels!

Will they fit in the coin slot?

[Bmblbzzz]

I shall try to pay my Clifton Suspension Bridge toll in mangel wurzels!

Will they fit in the coin slot?

Yes, I fry them and make them into mangel wurzel chips.



(but actually there is no coin clot on the CSB)

[eXPassenger]

I shall try to pay my Clifton Suspension Bridge toll in mangel wurzels!

Will they fit in the coin slot?

Yes, I fry them and make them into mangel wurzel chips.



(but actually there is no coin clot on the CSB)

Shows how long it is (~40 years) since I used the CSB.

[Bmblbzzz]

I think it's a relatively new development, and one I wasn't aware of till yesterday, when I crossed the bridge on foot and saw the signs. The tolls weren't collected directly by staff anyway, so it's probably not directly Covid-related.

[Electric train]

I have seen elsewhere that TfL^» (Transport for London - about) is going ahead with the cashless system for the Tube, also number of stations will close at weekends even in central London.  A number of bus routes are also effected with reduced services and possibly some routes being merged

Also the former Mayor for London, Boris's vanity project the Night Tube is likely to be suspended, with the last Tube being 12 am

[REVUpminster]

The night tube has not run since March along with the W&C line and many stations have closed.

The night tube might have been a vanity project in 2014 but the unions went on strike and it was not resolved, I wonder why, until Sadiq Khan, labour,  became mayor and services started in 2016.

Who controls London Underground; the Mayor or the Unions?

[stuving]

TfL^» (Transport for London - about) have halted their programme of withdrawing cash facilities from Tube stations, if only for the time being. From ianVisits:

TfL to keep accepting cash payments for London travel tickets
Posted on 20th January 2021 Posted in Transport News

A temporary reprieve for cash, as TfL has put on hold plans to stop accepting cash as payment for travel tickets.

During the pandemic, TfL stopped accepting cash payments at many tube stations as a temporary measure, and had been planning to make that change permenant, and later to expand it. Around 70% of tube stations stopped accepting cash during the pandemic, along with all DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway) stations. Apart from reducing handling of cash, they also found that it reduce queues at ticket offices, a useful effect during social distancing.

TfL?s argument being that few people now pay with cash anyway ? and that local retailers can also sell tickets if people needed to pay with cash.

However, an investigation by London TravelWatch?s found that some stations don?t have a Ticket Stop, usually a newsagent or convenience store, nearby, meaning that it would have been harder to top up an Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) card with cash.

TfL has now partially stepped back from the plans, saying that it will review the decision and wont be proceeding ?at this time?.

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on TfL dropping its plans to stop taking cash across all of London Underground, DLR and London Overground stations said:

?This is a welcome decision and a real victory for the 260,000 adults in London without a bank account. Children and tourists will also benefit from this decision.?

?As Travelwatch powerfully demonstrated there are many stations which do not have a newsagent or convenience store nearby, so TfL?s plans would have posed ongoing difficulties for people topping up Oyster cards.?

However, TfL noted that it will be keeping payment options under review.
...

[Surrey 455]

That temporary reprieve now looks to be permanent.

From London's Evening Standard

Transport for London has abandoned plans to make the London Underground cash-free.

A total of 200 of the 262 Tube stations stopped taking cash in May last year amid concerns that the sharing of notes and coins could spread Covid, and to prevent queues at ticket machines.

But City Hall on Monday announced the “vast majority” of Underground and DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway) stations would now have one machine able to accept cash payments to buy tickets or upload credit onto Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) cards.