On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 12:57:44 -0000, "Anon"
wrote:

[oyster implementation and Simon Hughes ill informed comment]

If Oyster took so long to implement.

Why was the training of staff so bad. Why is information still being passed
through by word of mouth. Why are there changes to rules still happening.
Why is the publicity aimed towards customers not getting the message across.
Why did they not introduce pre-pay with capping at the same time. Who
thought that fare revision week was a good time to start pre-pay. How come a
large amount of stations still do not have adequate gate coverage or staff
for its implementation.

Do you know what - I have absolutely no idea as I wasn't on the project
team. Why don't you ask TfL for an answer to your questions? Especially
as you know the E Mail format to be able to ask polite questions to the
correct and sufficiently senior people in the organisation.

The idea was great but the implementation was not.

If you want to see how bad it gets look into the problems with Finchley
Central. A gateline only on one side of the station. Fare dodgers on the
other. A gateline that has stood open ever since it was installed. Everyone
including Bob Mason and Tim O'Toole not having the money or the ability to
offer a solution.

Well we did do a design that provided for gates at both ends - the
ticket hall and the end of the bridge. I can vividly remember the site
meeting.

The following is from memory and what others have told me - so if it's
wrong then don't come back and flame me.

Finchley Central has a number of issues - a huge gas pipe (later
discovered) under the proposed location for the bridge ticket gates, the
inability to provide for a covered assistance point at that location. A
ticket hall that is really too small for the volume of passengers and I
understand staff concerns over health and safety issues. Oh and the
local populace have a ferocious reputation when it comes to trying to
shut the bridge exit / entrance point. It has been attempted many times
in order to stop fare evasion and it has proved impossible to achieve.
In addition you would overload the ticket hall which is already
inadequate.

The answer - and this is my guess - is to rebuild the whole damn place.
There is no money to do that given the far more pressing needs of other
locations on the network where congestion relief benefits would be far
higher.

What is more amazing is that The Evening Standard has obviously been given a
back hander not to investigate it.

Care to substantiate that potentially very serious accusation? If you
can't then don't fling wild accusations around - it just makes you look
daft.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!