But how about making that Oyster card start at 67, the same as the pension age, or, better still, 70, a more realistic retirement age, given that we’re all living years longer than our grandparents? Obviously it’s tricky to take a benefit away from those who have them – the first rule of taxation is not to interfere with what people already have, which is why freezing tax thresholds is such a clever way of raising revenue. But TfL – and the Mayor – could raise the age at which future applicants could obtain a card. Overall, the cost of the 60+ Oyster card to TfL, notwithstanding the £20 administration charge, is between £80-£125 million a year in lost revenue from fares.
