I have a friend/relative visiting London from elsewhere in England and they have a new style pass. Can they use the pass electronically on London bus readers?
A. No. In London, the Freedom Pass is an Oyster smartcard and the buses have smart readers, but they are based on a different technology to the one being introduced elsewhere in England. The Government is working towards a national standard which will ensure that, in future, the same smartcard will work throughout England as well as on different modes of transport, such as trains and trams. Work is planned to make the readers on London buses able to read the national passes, but this will take time. In the meantime, people from outside London should simply show their passes to the bus driver when boarding the bus.
Related Questions
- A friend or relative has a chair that fits me perfectly, but La-Z-Boy no longer produces that style. May I special order it?
- I have a relative/friend visiting from Scotland/Wales/Ireland. Can they use their concessionary travel pass in London?
- Why was the London Freedom pass not replaced in 2008 with the new national style card?
