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Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, most Tube stations no longer accept cash to pay for tickets due to the spread of the virus. Thus, a safe and clean environment for passengers and employees was desired, following the imposed restrictions.
The passengers were asked to pay by card to limit the number of contacts between people. The measure was introduced by Transport for London (TfL) as an effort to reduce the risk of the coronavirus spreading to coins and notes. Now Transport for London wants to make this change in all stations on the network, at least temporarily.
This change could make Tube travel difficult for many people because not everyone has a bank account. Affected groups include 18-24-year-old and the unemployed, although everyone has the legal right to open a basic bank account.
The only way to pay will be by card or through payment applications such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. While passengers will not be able to use cash within stations, there are almost 4,000 Oyster ticket machines in the immediate proximity of the stations. Therefore, passengers will still be able to use cash to top up their Oyster card at these locations.
If you want to find out how to use the London Underground, check out our article on this topic: How to use the London Underground?
[Photo from Pixabay]
