Weather Afternoon: 10°c Sunny spells Tonight: 4°c Partly Cloudy Night

News

TfL faces big fight to keep Oyster name

Dick Murray, Transport Editor
11 Aug 2008


Tube bosses face a fierce battle to keep the Oyster card name in a legal dispute which could cost millions of pounds.

Transport for London has sacked private sector contractor TranSys from the £100million-a-year Oyster card deal after two major failures allowed hundreds of thousands of passengers to travel free.

TfL is using a "break" clause to terminate the 17-year contract in 2010.

But TfL wants to retain the Oyster brand name, owned by TranSys - and the sacked company does not appear to be giving it up willingly. It could force TfL to issue new cards to the current six million holders.

Senior sources have told the Standard the legal battle could cost "tens of millions of pounds".

A TfL spokesman confirmed: "Tran-Sys owns the Oyster name. We intend that Oyster will continue, including in name. We are confident that we will get better value for money out of the contracts." He added: "There won't be any discernible changes for card holders."

A source at TranSys said: "If we can't come to an arrangement with TfL they will have to issue a complete set of new cards."

Reader views (7)

 Add your view

Has the brand got any value?

Do we love it?

- Pete, London, 11/08/2008 15:10
Report abuse

Change the name - "Routemaster" would be a good choice and a nice way of honouring Ken's time in charge.

- John, London, 11/08/2008 14:45
Report abuse

Further proof of the incompetence of Ken's regime .... oh, hold on Hendy the Bendy Bus man is still the Commissioner isn't he. How?

- Brian, London, 11/08/2008 12:44
Report abuse

I agree with Oscillator. It's basic licensing common-sense for a party making public use of a trade mark to get the ownership of the trade mark in this type of agreement. I thought, before all this blew up, that TfL had developed the trade mark separate from the RFID card software it was licensing. What a screw-up.

In any case, some good comes out of it. Oyster is a silly name, and one that I never liked. So TfL just has to think up a new catchy trade mark. Why not hold a contest, with some nice prize for the best submission?

- Phil Jones, London UK, 11/08/2008 12:34
Report abuse

It's a silly name for a card anyway!

- Steve, London, 11/08/2008 11:33
Report abuse

Seeing as the Oyster card has proved that it's inherently insecure as card can be scanned and forged, shouldn't we be going with an entirely new software system using the current hardware to save costs? A re branding exercise could be just what's needed?

- Harry Clam, London, 11/08/2008 10:35
Report abuse

How can anyone have signed a fixed term contract where the private firm retains onwership of the brand beyond the contract term?! Sheer unbelievable incompetence if true, whoever was responsible should be sacked.

- Oscillator, London UK, 11/08/2008 10:18
Report abuse


Add your comment

 

Terms and conditions Make text area bigger You have  characters left.

We welcome your opinions. This is a public forum. Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.

For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.


 

 

  • Riot axeman terror at McDonald's Axe man A rioter who terrorised diners with an axe at McDonald's has been jailed for five years and three months - one of the toughest sentences for...
  • Terror of boy exposed as gang witness Scotland Yard A boy and his family had to flee their London home after a blunder by the Met and Crown Prosecution Service gave his name to gang members he...
  • Mayor of poverty-hit council hires adviser in £1,000-a-day deal Lutfur Rahman Winterbottom One of the poorest boroughs in London is under fire for spending £1,000 a day on a personal aide for its mayor
  • Hyde Park mega-concerts at risk after neighbours complain about the noise Hyde park crowd Major music concerts in Hyde Park could be axed because Westminster council believes they are too noisy
  • Soho 'field hospital' for drunks reopens David Cameron smile A field hospital set up to deal with London's drunks is being extended as the binge-drinking crisis deepens in the capital
  • Jobless total jumps by 48,000 with UK facing 'zig-zag year' Job Centre unemployment Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King warned Britain faces a "zig-zag" year of growth and gloom today as unemployment rose by 48,000
  • Greens and Ukip could test Paddick in fight for mayor poll third place Paddick Brian Paddick could struggle even to finish third in this year's mayoral election, as smaller parties look set to capitalise on Lib-Dem woes...
  • Phone-hack private eye can appeal over human rights ruling Glenn Mulcaire The private investigator at the centre of the phone hacking scandal was today granted the right by the Supreme Court to appeal against a...
  • Britain's athletes could be banned from 2012 for criticising the team Olympic site British athletes risk being banned from the Olympics if they criticise team-mates or sponsors under rules that cover tattoos, contact lenses...
  • Teenager who dreamt of being a judge stabbed 24 times in 45 seconds Three thugs are facing life sentences for stabbing a teenager who had dreams of being a judge 24 times in 45 seconds in front of horrified bus passengers
  •  

    Don't Miss
    • London Gateway

      Supersize superport: London Gateway

      London Gateway, the £1.5bn container port under construction on the Thames at Thurrock, will have capacity to unload six of the world's largest ships at one time and have as much impact on the capital as a new airport or half a dozen Westfield shopping centres
    • Matthew Williamson

      One stylish affair: Matthew Williamson

      With London Fashion Week kicking off on Friday, British designer Matthew Williamson tells Rosamund Urwin about breaking up with his ex, post-show partying and his new model man