Request ID: FOI-1328-2324 Date published: 15 August 2023
You asked
Good morning, there is a video on social media that spot certain amount of interest, have a lady being apprehended by some police officers
I was wondering, how is it that people might go about buying a ticket, and then verifying that very same ticket?
Can one tap on entry of a bus, and get a physical receipt, a ticket, for example, for a one way or return journey?
When I come to London, I tap my debit card which is loaded onto my iPhone, but if I was apprehended on the underground, for example, how do I verify that I am travelling with a ticket, for example?
Does that also apply where I to switch from the underground to the bus network in London, if I came up against the very same and was asked to show my ticket, how do I do this please?
I’m interested in knowing what possible options this lady may or may not have had in able to verify that she had indeed purchased a valid ticket for her journey?
I appreciate there are many different types and so A1 size does not fit all!
Thank you for your consideration
We answered
TfL Ref: 1328-2223 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 24 July 2023 asking for information about the verification of passenger fares. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. You asked: I was wondering, how is it that people might go about buying a ticket, and then verifying that very same ticket? Can one tap on entry of a bus, and get a physical receipt, a ticket, for example, for a one way or return journey? When I come to London, I tap my debit card which is loaded onto my iPhone, but if I was apprehended on the underground, for example, how do I verify that I am travelling with a ticket, for example? Does that also apply where I to switch from the underground to the bus network in London, if I came up against the very same and was asked to show my ticket, how do I do this please? I’m interested in knowing what possible options this lady may or may not have had in able to verify that she had indeed purchased a valid ticket for her journey? I appreciate there are many different types and so A1 size does not fit all! We can advise that when paying for travel using a contactless card or mobile device, no ticket is issued. Revenue Protection Inspectors have a handheld device that checks contactless cards and devices, as well as Oyster cards, to establish whether the card being presented is valid for travel. Provided that the card or device presented for inspection is the same card or device that was used to touch in successfully at the start of the journey, the handheld device will confirm to the Revenue Protection Inspector that the payment card or device is valid for travel.
We advise customers, where possible, to create a contactless or Oyster card account. By doing this and registering your contactless or Oyster card, customers will have their own record of their journey history and fares. You can find out more about this on our website at: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/contactless-and-oyster-account. Even without setting up an account, customers can view their last seven days of travel via our website. By creating an account, customers can access their journey/payment history for longer periods of time. Oyster card journey history is retained for eight weeks after the card has been used, and for contactless payment cards, journey history is retained for 13 months.
Our Conditions of Carriage via the following link https://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-conditions-of-carriage.pdf also state: 3.2.5 Duty to show your Oyster card, smartcard or contactless payment card. You must show your Oyster card (and supporting photocard, where needed), Oyster photocard, smartcard or contactless payment card on each journey, whenever we ask you to do so. If you fail to do so, you may be liable to pay a penalty fare or you may be prosecuted. See also Section 7. If you wear a face covering, you must remove it if asked to do so by police officers or staff for the purposes of identification. 3.4.3 To pay the correct fare, you must always touch in and out (touch in only on bus and tram) using the same single card or device. For example, if you touch in with your phone and touch out with your watch or contactless payment card, you will be charged for two separate incomplete journeys. If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. Yours sincerely Jasmine Howard FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
