London’s contactless ticketing system, Oyster, is celebrating its 10th birthday.
Around 60 million cards have been issued since the smartcard was launched on June 30, 2003, and over 85 per cent of all rail and bus travel is now paid for through the cards.
Shashi Verma, Transport for London’s director of customer experience, said: “We know that our customers love the convenience of Oyster, and we are immensely proud to celebrate its decade serving London.”
The idea of contactless payment was first discussed in the late 1990s. Oyster was eventually chosen from a shortlist of potential names, which included Gem and Pulse.
Oyster has since become the model for other electronic ticketing systems around the world, including Opal in Sydney which was launched earlier this year.
Although London’s smartcard is thought to be one of the earlier systems, it isn’t the oldest.
As well as paying for public transport, Hong Kong’s Octopus card (1997) and Tokyo’s Suica card (2001) can be used in shops and facilities around both cities.
