Transport for London (TfL), a UK-based government agency responsible for transport in Greater London, is partnering VisitBritain, the official tourism website for Great Britain.
The agency is partnering with VisitBritain to promote and distribute the Visitor Oyster card, a smartcard that allows travellers to use public transport without tickets. VisitBritain will be a single point of contact for all distribution channels and for sale of the smartcard outside London.
This would imply that visitors to the city can directly access trains, buses, and the underground in London using a single smartcard. This is expected to reduce long queues at boarding points of public transport in the UK.
Julie Dixon, the head of marketing services at TfL, said, ‘Since its introduction, Oyster has offered our customers a cheaper, faster and more efficient way of paying for travel across London’s transport network.
With VisitBritain’s world-wide contacts they will be able to promote the Oyster card to the millions of people visiting the capital each year, helping visitors to enjoy everything London has to offer.’
Oyster card is the least expensive way to use public transport in London. Apart from buses, trains, trams and the Tube, the card may also be used to travel on the Emirates Air Line, a new cable car system in UK providing views of the Thames from above.
Jaco Coetzee, the head of retail at VisitBritain, said, ‘By joining with us in this partnership, TfL will be able to use our extensive overseas network and retail operation to reach millions of international travellers who come to the UK each year.
Oyster cards are the must have pass for travelling on London’s vast transport network, something that some of the London 2012 superstars found when they took to riding the Tube, buses and trains to soak up the Games atmosphere and get away from the Olympic Park. All of London’s wonderful attractions are within easy reach of anyone exploring the city that has an Oyster card in their pocket.’
