pj wrote:

Clever headline grabbing price freezes masking a 4.5% increase for the
average commuter with an annual travelcard. On top of the 20% increase last
year for those who only need zone 1 but are forced to buy 2 as well.

And a very expensive lowest bus fare for a short hop!

Yes, I know, Oyster, and mine just got 20 more quid on it last week[1].
I do wonder why they don't just do away with paper ticketing
completely the way things are going. There are precedents - unlike the
old trams and most/all buses there is no way to pay a fare on board or
at the station on the RandstadRail system that's just launched[2] in
Den Haag/Rotterdam - you need a Strippenkaart first.

[1] I remember the reason why I don't do auto-top-up now - you need to
nominate a Tube station to start it from, from which you have to travel
or you end up with an unresolved journey, and I never quite know where
or when I'll use my Oyster next.

[2] And then stopped again due to multiple derailments in an almost
British-style farce.

Neil