Since Gatwick unveiled their new Oyster and Touchless pay points at Gatwick station, their passenger numbers have soared. Since the program started January 11th, nearly 180,000 customers have passed through the new electronic gates.
Gatwick Airport's chief commercial officer Guy Stephenson noted that customers appreciate the convenience and modernity of the new gates and like being able to touch their oyster cards through to the airport without the need to stop and buy a ticket. It also makes for more rapid transit, as the commute is virtually nonstop.
Technology does continue to improve travel for many, with passengers being able to use paperless tickets, online and mobile check in as well as bag checks at the curb. More and more people today prefer this easy method of check-in as well as the ability to pay for any extras or incidentals as they come up with their touch less pay point cards.
With the success of Oyster at Gatwick’s rail station, there are talks about it being implemented at Three Bridges, Crawley and Ifield in time. These stations are run by GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), so in order to implement the changes, they would have to contact London Transport, and request to have them installed. The convenience of having a seamless ride straight through to the airport is priceless.
With Gatwick’s continued success, and plans to increase the number of passengers using the system from 40% to 50%, it appears other stations will soon follow as this method improves passenger transition as well as smooth fare collection.