Transport for London has confirmed that youngsters under 16 who have been unable to update their Zip Oyster cards can continue to use their expired cards until the end of this year, as the transport authority continues to wrestle with the consequences of the cyber attack on its tech systems last month.
TfL updated its online advice last night.
They say: “Children with expired 5-10 or 11-15 Zip Oyster photocards should show their card to staff at Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line and National Rail stations (where normally accepted) and when boarding buses or to tram revenue inspectors.
“Staff will accept expired 5-10 Zip Oyster and 11-15 Zip Oyster photocards until 31 December. This includes 16-year-olds whose 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard expired on 30 September 2024.
“We will inform expired 5-10 and 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard customers when they can apply for their next Zip Oyster photocard.”
The rules are different, however, for those Zip card-users who are approaching their 18th birthday.
TfL says: “16+ Zip Oyster photocards are for children aged 16-18 and expire in the year of a pass-holders 18th birthday. Expired photocards will not be accepted beyond their expiry date. If your card has expired, you should use an alternative payment method for your travel.”
The cyber attack happened at the start of September. Just over a week later, TfL was forced to suspend all Oyster card renewals as a precaution.
By the end of the month, TfL was admitting that as many as 5,000 regular passengers on the capital’s bus, Tube, Overground and Tram networks may have had their banking details illegally accessed.
Of those affected, “This includes some customer names and contact details, including email addresses and home addresses where provided,” TfL said. Some Oyster card refund data may have also been accessed, “possibly including bank account numbers and sort codes for a limited number of customers”.
Almost two months since the cyber attack, and TfL is still unable to reinstate its Oyster card renewals system. Over-60s, who benefit from free travel around the capital with the little magic card, are supposed to renew once every 12 months. That system remains suspended.
TfL’s website currently states: “We’re currently unable to process 60+ photocard yearly address checks. Your photocard will keep working as normal. We’ll let you know when we can run these checks again.”
They also advise:
- Applications for new Oyster photocards, including Zip cards, have been temporarily suspended. If you want to replace a lost photocard then call us on 0343 222 1234 between 08.00-20.00 every day and select option 1 (charges may apply).
- Please keep a record of fares paid as it is our intention to refund customers for additional travel costs incurred while our Oyster photocard website is unavailable.
TfL’s website states: “We are currently dealing with an ongoing cyber security incident. The security of our systems and customer data is very important to us, and we have taken immediate action to protect our systems.
“We identified some suspicious activity on Sunday 1 September and took action to limit access. We are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, alongside the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre.
Temporary arrangement: younger passengers will need to show their expired Zip cards to ticket inspectors
“Although there has been very little impact on our customers so far, the situation is evolving and our investigations have identified that certain customer data has been accessed. This includes some customer names and contact details, including email addresses and home addresses where provided.
“Some Oyster card refund data may have been accessed. This could include bank account numbers and sort codes for a limited number of customers (around 5,000). If you are affected, we have contacted you directly as a precautionary measure, to offer you support and guidance.
“If you have received direct communication from TfL that your personal information has been accessed as a result of a cyber attack incident and you would like to verify the contents of that communication, please speak to one of our customer services advisers on 0343 222 1234. Unfortunately, given the nature of the investigation and the incident, we cannot directly confirm what data each individual customer may have had accessed.
“We are doing all we can to protect our services and secure our systems and data.”
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