Oyster Extension Permits

JasX

Well having happily been using my Travelcard + PAYG combo Oyster card to travel around London I've only just heard about these OEP things anyone in my situation is supposed to be using.....

I seem to have been charged the correct fare touching in and out every time in or out of zone without any problems and seems to be a fair few dissenting voices agreeing they're somewhat awkward and pointless....

http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/london-travelwatch-calls-for-oyster-extension-permits-to-be-scrapped/20109539


Has anyone ever heard of them being enforced? do they actually serve any purpose other than keeping ticket inspectors in a job since it seems to make no difference to the train companies getting paid for my travelling around town ?

(and if there is no loss to the train companies of not using one are they even legally enforceable?)

dzug1

Whether they are required or not depend on where you are travelling - if you are not using National Rail services then you don't need them. IIUIC.

They will make a difference, possibly invisible to you, on how the fare money is divvied up.

JasX

Journeys I'm talking about are to/from national rail stations

eg:
Clapham Junction -> Richmond PAYG w/ 1-2 Travelcard (Southwest Trains)
Clapham Junction -> East Croydon PAYG w/ 1-2 Travelcard (Southern)
East Croydon -> Victoria PAYG w/ 2-6 Travelcard (Southern)
East Croydon -> London Bridge PAYG w/ 2-6 Travelcard (First Capital Connect)
Waterloo -> Feltham PAYG w/ 2-6 Travelcard (Southwest Trains)
Feltham -> Waterloo PAYG w/2-6 Travelcard (Southwest Trains)

correct fare each time corrected for on/off peak (as published, never checked if it was any different with an OEP.

I also fail to see how it could make ANY difference to how money is divvied up as it provides tfl with precisely zero extra information about the journey taken.

ie why would
Destination A to Destination B (all within travelcard zones) with no OEP
be any different to
Destination A to Destination B (all within travelcard zones) with OEP
ie it wasn;t necessatr but card had one anyway?

or
Destination A (in zone) to Destination B (out of zone) with no OEP
vs
Destination A (in zone) to Destination B (out of zones) with OEP

there are no intermediate swipes (usually) so no further inferrences can be made about routing that they didn;t have already and the OEP is thus pretty pointless, except to save the most trivial of admin exercises on the Oyster backend ???????