London transport chiefs have announced plans to ban bus drivers from accepting cash – claiming it will SAVE money.
Transport for London announced that the capital’s buses will no longer accept cash payments from this summer and said it will lead to a £24 million saving.
Instead, drivers of the 7,500 buses travelling along the 700 routes will only accept Oyster card or controversial contactless bank card payments.
The move to cash-free travel, which is set to happen later this year, is designed to reduce the time buses spend at any of London’s 20,000 bus stops.
Transport for London spokesman Leon Daniels said: “The decision to stop accepting cash fares on London buses reflects the changing way that people pay for goods and services in our city, including journeys on the bus network.
“We are introducing a range of measures, including a new ‘one more journey’ feature on Oyster cards, which will ensure that people can still make a journey and then top up their card when they don’t have the full fare.
“Paying with Oyster or a contactless payment card is not only the cheapest option, but also speeds up boarding times at bus stops and reduces delays.
“By removing this option we will generate significant savings which, like all of our income, will be reinvested in improvements to the transport network.”
But not everybody is happy at the proposal.
One Londoner said: “I quite often run out of credit on my Oyster card, and I liked the option of still being able to get home if I had change in my pocket.
“I don’t trust contactless payment cards – studies have shown how unsecure they are.”
