Passengers using buses in the capital may soon not be able to pay for their travel using cash. Transport for London proposes to make all bus journeys payable with Oyster and ‘contact-less’ payment cards from next year.

Fewer than one percent of bus users pay for their travel using cash. But the transport operator says that removing the acceptance of notes and coins will speed up boarding times and reduce delays.

Transport for London’s managing director for surface transport Leon Daniels said: “The proposals we are consulting on reflect the changing way that our customers pay for their journeys.”

He added that it costs £24M a year to accept cash on buses. With so few customers paying cash it makes sense to consider removing it.

But there are concerns that tourists and those unfamiliar with Oyster cards may lose out. London Travel Watch spokesman Richard Freeston-Clough said: “It could make things difficult for passengers who live in outer London where it is not always easy to find somewhere to top up your Oyster card.”

Transport for London claims that most people using cash on buses tend to do so because they have insufficient funds on their Oyster card. In a bid to prevent this issue, passengers in this situation will be allowed to make one more bus journey.

The consultation closes on 11 October. To take part, visit tfl.gov.uk/cashless

(Photo: Transport for London)

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