Transport for London AKA 'TFL'- I am on my knees - Please make Oyster cards contactless!

Back in 2018, I applied for my first Oyster card—an 18+ student Oyster card. This card was a lifesaver for a student budget, saving me a lot in travel costs.

Having this Oyster card, however, came with the ordeal of having to carry it everywhere. Unlike my debit and credit cards, which I could store securely on my phone. This has its own risks, but that’s a conversation for another day.

I lost my 18+ Oyster card in 2024, and I was distraught.

I continued using my spare adult card.

It’s only a few weeks since then, and I have lost my adult Oyster card.

Thankfully, I could easily get a new card—but wow! Oyster cards are now £7??

If anyone connected to TFL is reading this blog post, please pass along my appeal that contactless Oyster cards are long overdue.

What’s the hold-up? I can imagine managing thousands of contactless cards may feel like a challenge, but it’s time for an upgrade.

With contactless Oyster cards, many Londoners and tourists could easily carry their cards around—safe and secure—with less apprehension.

Unless I’m able to recover my lost Oyster card, I will lose over £27 still available on my missing card. Multiply this by the thousands of missing Oyster cards, and that’s a lot of money.

TFL appears to be committed to protecting our environment. One way to further prove this is to reduce the number of plastics TFL and its customers contribute to the environment. Modernising to contactless options would be a fantastic step forward.

Please consider adding contactless options to your Oyster cards; it would mean a lot to many Londoners.

Signed,
Mgt
Naija Girl Abroad