Smart Card Technology to be extended

Last Thursday Transport Secretary Justine Greening announced in Parliament that smart card technology systems will be extended outside of London to give more passengers the kind of benefits that travellers in the Capital already enjoy with Oyster Cards.  During the statement Justine Greening also announced that £18 billion will be invested in modernising the railways during this spending period. 

 

This is excellent news for those who commute to London every day from Dartford. As a commuter myself, I know that any system that can save time in the morning will be welcomed by all. 

 

However, I do not support the plans of the Mayor of London to take over the running trains in Kent. I am very much in favour of extending an Oyster Card system to Dartford but there is nothing in the Mayor of London’s proposals that offers to extend the Oyster Card system.

 

We can have an Oyster Card system in Dartford without giving up control of our stations to the Mayor of London. Equally we could give up control of the stations and not actually see the extension of the Oyster Card system. To this extent the two issues are separate.

 

There is also no guarantee that fares would not increase. It seems that the proposals could lead to additional stops being added to routes which would slow down the service for Dartford commuters. I also feel that the lack of accountability any London Mayor would have to Dartford’s residents is a factor. The Mayor of London is rightly accountable to the residents of London not Kent.