Swanley Station Zone Inconsistency.
Swanley Conservative councillors are supporting the Swanley Station Zone Inconsistency campaign to correct the unfairness that has occurred over many years leaving Swanley out of the Oyster card scheme. Many commuters in Swanley and the surrounding villages have paid higher fares on this line for a long time now.
The mainarguments against Oyster zoning are:-
1. Swanley not being a London Borough
2. Distance of Swanley from London
3. An unsatisfactory and unresolved debate about being inside or outside of the M25
4. Suitability and cost of conversion of Swanley station to Oyster machines
The arguments for Oyster zoning are:-
- Caterham station in Surrey, like Swanley, is the same distance from London, where Charing Cross is the measure of centre.
- Caterham station is not a London Borough but already enjoys zone 6 status.
- Caterham station is inside the M25 like Swanley.
- Knockholt station in Kent is further in distance from London than Swanley
- The 233 bus passing through Swanley operates on the Pay As You Go, Oyster system.
- Swanley station has an identical layout arrangement as St Mary Cray Station where the Oyster card system is used.
In summary, the only possible reasons for Swanley station's exclusion from the Oyster Scheme is, either it was overlooked at the planning stage or that South Eastern Railway abused their monopoly position and denied Swanley station's inclusion.
There are many benefits to re-zoning Swanley station for the hard working passengers that commute to London and we ask residents who support the campaign to please write to The Minster for Transport and TFL.
