I discovered a sneaky and little publicised aspect of the latest fares
hike today.

Bus 84 runs from New Barnet to Potters Bar and then St Albans. It is
a long established route, dating back (literally) 100 years.
Recently, oyster cards and travelcards have been accepted between New
Barnet (which is inside Greater London) and Potters Bar (which is just
outside).

Today I boarded a southbound bus in Barnet, and found that oyster
cards and travelcards were no longer accepted on this route. I am not
personally affected, as I am sufficiently senior to use a freedom
pass, but it seems a mean and underhand trick to remove this
availability on a route which, for all practical purposes, is part of
the London bus network at its southern end. It also runs along some
roads inside London which are not served by any other route.

I searched the TfL website, but could find no mention of this change.
It is not included in their 'latest service changes' bulletin. Are any
other routes similarly affected? Is this the thin end of a wedge
leading to the fragmentation of London buses, as has happened in the
rest of the country?

Peter