Oyster© and Transys given the boot by Boris to "save millions" - new "improved" Oyster / ID card in the works already ..seamlessly dovetailing ...

Boris Johnson the Mad Joker and Mayor of London tells us that after having read Lord Patel's damning indictment of the Oyster card security "features" 0n Monday, July 21, 2008 Oyster© - a lesson in obsolesence - a cracked technology and money will leak away through the cracks he decided to do something about it.

He has.

Moving swiftly (TranSys on their website said the 10-year break clause is standard in public-private financing deals, and negotiations have been taking place for a year. BBC) Boris has told Transys that they are looking for new suppliers from 2010 - although Transys own the "Oyster©" brand.

The Transport for London director of fares and ticketing Shashi Verma, wants to look for, " more cost-effective ways to manage and develop the Oyster© card system", and adds (very) optimistically that "we expect ...to save millions over the next few years." He also introduced with Barclays the new cashless pay card - "John Stout, CEO of TranSys, said, "Barclaycard came to us with an idea which could be dovetailed seamlessly with Oyster's existing functionality to deliver added value for Barclaycard customers, without disrupting a service which has become part of London life for millions of people." said in a Computer Weekly story on July 9th entitled "Barclaycard requests pre-registration for three in one card"

Most of those millions will probably be from the the types of software problems induced recently, which left Peter Hendy, Transport Commissioner for London,"incandescent with rage" and TfL a lot poorer.

It is of course an ideal opportunity to "re-assess", evaluate, consider, look at , determine, ponder, act, do sumfin' abaht, ways that the system could feed into PNC / ID systems as already happens - see here by Stef (notable for the introduction of the phrase "jumbo stiffy") Suspect Paki and Antagonist .

Now this has been expanded with the "Free" children's card. From June , Transport for London (TfL) made it mandatory for children aged between 11 and 18 to carry an Oyster photocard (Note the photo bit) in order to gain free travel (cf Carrots'n'Sticks Home Office Policy). TfL admits application data will be shared with its subsidiaries which it needed to help prevent anti-social behaviour.

Someone at the Information Commissioners Office (who the Gubment ignore anyway) ICO said : "We have some concerns that the information provided to young people about Zip cards does not clearly state why the personal information is being collected, how it will be used and how long it will be retained.

Plod (via TfL) explains ..."A young person with criminal convictions, warnings, reprimands and other sanctions committed on the public transport network could have the right to free travel withdrawn."

"In order to enforce these specific cases, personal information is requested by the Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police Service and British Transport Police," he added.

BBC London learnt that in the past year the Met made at least 3,000 requests for information.

Gypsy Petulengro AKA Lord Patel looks into his Crystal Ballls and feeling in his water

In awarding the new contract "to save millions" it is certain that applicants for the new sooper, dooper, Oyster makoever card will have to complete a lengthy and detailed form ....

1. "Helping" to establish their identity,
2. Place of permanent abode,
3. Maybe their employment details, banking details - "so much easier with a Direct Debit Sir",
4. A fingerprint
5. Definitely a photograph - don't want someone else to "accidently" use your card do we sir if it gets mislaid ?
6. Blood Group ? Just a little prick sir as we take a sample to check - in case of an accident, you understand....
7. Seamless dovetailing using Oyster's functionality with all sorts of other seamless, silent and secret systems ....

It is also worth having a look at the Met Police site with details of how their Safer Transport Team to assist with zip card applications - will help fill in .." The application form is simple to complete, and there is no fee."

Feel confused well here is a handy cut out'n'keep Oyster territory map if you are a brown bearded man from Leeds up for the day and with a definite intent of loitering outside a kebab shop ..



Oops Lord Patel has let slip the special secret suicide bombers map with "code " words for stations to bomb. So if chummy says he's getting the Circle Line from Marks and Spencery Lane to Silentknightsbridge we've got him. Large copies available from Spys'r'Us, GCHQ, Cheltenham V16 X4T (one of those spooky Postcodes that never pops up on searches). Cheques payable to "Geoff" as usual. List of kebab shops extra.Details

Or drop them off (as usual) at House of Lords in Lady Handbag's pigeonhole - in emergency try RUSI, Whitehall and leave the porter an envelope marked "elderly lady spy".

Truth is no stranger to Fiction
Wall Street Journal Europe 8th August (not available ONline) has a story "A Streetcar named Nike" about Dubai's decision to open the naming of trains and 27 of the 47 planned metro stops on their US$4B. 75 Km rail system to commercial bidders.

One of the insane 4 story high billboards that litter Dubai's highways costs US 350,000 a year so a 10 year naming deal could generate £200Mn (5% of the cost). Emirates spent US$100 re-branding Arsenal's Stadium for 8 years.

Good idea. You heard it here first.