Data stored on Oyster cards

Ref: TFL084265

Dear Harry

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 28
July.

You have asked for information on a list of data that is stored on Oyster
cards.

We will deal with your request as soon as possible, and in any case
provide you with a response by 25 August.

In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your
request, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you once again for contacting us.

Yours sincerely

Adeniyi Adegoroye
Transport for London
Central Customer Services

As part of our continuing efforts to improve our services to our
customers, TfL undertakes, from time to time, research aimed at
identifying issues and opportunities. We may contact you in the next few
weeks via our appointed research agency, GFK NOP, in connection with your
recent communication with us. If you are contacted, we would greatly
appreciate your contribution to the research survey. Any information that
you give would be totally confidential and you would not be identified
personally. If you do not wish to be contacted for research purposes,
please could you let us know.

show quoted sections

Ref: TFL084265

Dear Harry

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 28
July.

Unfortunately, from the description provided, we cannot identify the
information you requested. This is because there is much information
stored on the Oyster card, of which some is technical and confidential.

It might help us if you could provide a more detailed description of the
information you're seeking together with any other details you think might
help us locate the information you require. For example, are you enquiring
if personal data, history of travel or Pay As You Go (PAYG) value is
stored on the card?

Please note that the 20 working day deadline for responding to requests
under the Freedom of Information Act will not begin until we receive some
additional information to help clarify your request.

In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your
request, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you once again for contacting us.

Yours sincerely

Adeniyi Adegoroye
Transport for London
Central Customer Services

As part of our continuing efforts to improve our services to our
customers, TfL undertakes, from time to time, research aimed at
identifying issues and opportunities. We may contact you in the next few
weeks via our appointed research agency, GFK NOP, in connection with your
recent communication with us. If you are contacted, we would greatly
appreciate your contribution to the research survey. Any information that
you give would be totally confidential and you would not be identified
personally. If you do not wish to be contacted for research purposes,
please could you let us know.

show quoted sections

Ref: TFL084757

Dear Harry

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 31
July.

You have asked for a list of all data that is stored on Oyster cards,
while redacting any confidential information.

We will deal with your request as soon as possible, and in any case
provide you with a response by 29 August.

In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your
request, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you once again for contacting us.

Yours sincerely

Adeniyi Adegoroye
Transport for London
Central Customer Services

As part of our continuing efforts to improve our services to our
customers, TfL undertakes, from time to time, research aimed at
identifying issues and opportunities. We may contact you in the next few
weeks via our appointed research agency, GFK NOP, in connection with your
recent communication with us. If you are contacted, we would greatly
appreciate your contribution to the research survey. Any information that
you give would be totally confidential and you would not be identified
personally. If you do not wish to be contacted for research purposes,
please could you let us know.

show quoted sections

Ref: TFL084757

Dear Harry

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 31
July. You asked for a list of all data that is stored on Oyster cards,
while redacting any confidential information.

Your request has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information (FOI) Act and I can confirm that TfL does hold the information
you have requested.

Please see information below on the list of data stored on the Oyster Card
which we can disclose:

* Generic Card Data: Identification number of the card, Pay As You Go
(PAYG) Balance, Passenger type, type of discount, Photocard
identification number if applicable, Staff identification number if
applicable, the deposit value, and Registration flag.
* PAYG top up Data: Date, Time, Location, and value added.
* Ticket Data: Type of ticket, start and expiry date, and time
restriction if applicable.
* Transaction Data: Date, Time, Station number or bus route, and fare
charged.

TfL is not obliged to supply some of the information you have requested,
as it is subject to the following statutory exemption to the right of
access to information:

* SECTION 43 - COMMERCIAL INTERESTS

Some information related to your request is exempt from disclosure under
section 43(2) of the FOI Act as disclosure of the structure and the nature
of the data stored on the card would, or would be likely to, prejudice
TfL's commercial interests. This data is critical as it is the core of
fare calculation and putting it into the public domain would give
potential fraudsters considerable assistance in any intended attack on the
security of the system.

This commercial prejudice would, or would be likely to, arise from the
effect a breach of the Oyster system would have on TfL's revenue.
Knowledge of the redacted information would allow fraudsters to identify
data stored in the card and then modify them, changing the characteristics
of a ticket for example allowing them to travel free on the transport
network.

Section 43(2) is a qualified exemption which means it can be used only if
the public interest in applying the exemption is greater than the public
interest in disclosure. It is recognised that there is a degree of public
interest in the disclosure of this information to allow members of the
public understand the complexity of the Oyster system much better, and
demonstrate TfL's transparency and accountability for its decisions.

However, there is also considerable public interest in ensuring that TfL
protects the security of the Oyster card system from potential fraudsters.
It is considered that at the current time this is a public interest that
outweighs the public interest in disclosure and accordingly justifies the
use of section 43(2).

If you are not satisfied with this response, please read the attached
help-sheet entitled `Your Right to Appeal'

Thank you once again for contacting us.

Yours sincerely

Adeniyi Adegoroye
Transport for London
Central Customer Services

As part of our continuing efforts to improve our services to our
customers, TfL undertakes, from time to time, research aimed at
identifying issues and opportunities. We may contact you in the next few
weeks via our appointed research agency, GFK NOP, in connection with your
recent communication with us. If you are contacted, we would greatly
appreciate your contribution to the research survey. Any information that
you give would be totally confidential and you would not be identified
personally. If you do not wish to be contacted for research purposes,
please could you let us know.

Your Right to Appeal

Internal Review

If you are dissatisfied with the way TfL has handled your information
request, you can ask us to conduct an internal review of our decision.

The internal review will be conducted by someone other than the person who
made the original decision, in accordance with the complaints procedure
published on our website at [1]www.tfl.gov.uk/foi.

Requests for internal review should be addressed to:

Head of Information Access and Compliance
6^th Floor Windsor House
42 - 50
Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0TL

Complaints to the Information Commissioner

If, following the internal review, you remain dissatisfied with the way
TfL has handled your request, then you can take your complaint to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

A complaint form is available on the Information Commissioner's Office
website
[2]www.ico.gov.uk

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/foi
2. http://www.ico.gov.uk/