3. The Oyster card is an electronic ticket that is used in London to pay for travel on trains run by Transport for London. It contains an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system and it can be charged with money. The amount of credit on the card is stored in the RFID chip on the card. Money is deducted each time a journey is made.
When entering an underground station the card is identified by being touched on the card reader so the RFID signal is detected. On leaving the station at the end of the journey the cost of the fare is deducted from the card. People are encouraged to use Oyster cards by making the fares much cheaper when using the card than buying a paper ticket. Also, there is a price “cap” which means that the user will never pay more than a maximum amount each day. If the card balance is too low, access to the trains is denied.
It is possible to register the card online. This allows the user to top it up with money and to view a journey history, like the one below.
| Date | Time | Location | Action | Balance |
| 23/01/07 | 15:03 | Russell Square | Top-up | £21.00 |
| | 15:03 | Russell Square | Entry | |
| | 15:17 | Oxford Circus | Exit | £19.50 |
| | 18:49 | Russell Square | Entry | |
| | 19:09 | South Kensington | Exit | £17.00 |
| 24/01/07 | 08:42 | Russell Square | Entry | |
| | 08:52 | Euston Square | Exit | £12.40 |
(b) Identify four possible tasks the Oyster software would need to perform when an Oyster card is used at a station. [4 marks]
(c) Explain one benefit and one drawback of extending the use of the Oyster card nationally. [4 marks]
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