The front page of last Monday’s Evening Standard highlighted an issue repeatedly raised by Caroline, that of the millions of pounds lying dormant on unused Oyster cards and the serious problems many passengers face in seeking refunds.

At present there are 19.7 million Oyster cards which have not been used for more than a year, with a total value of £53 million on them. Some people might purposefully be keeping credit on their Oyster cards for occasional travel in London, but clearly there are many people who are unaware that they can claim back their credit (and their returnable deposit), or have faced problems in trying to do so, especially at Tube stations.

Transport for London now claims that they will improve their software and make it easier for people to claim a refund at Tube stations from June. At present the best way to reclaim a refund is by calling the Oyster contact centre on the low rate number of 0343 222 1234. Speaking to the Evening Standard, Caroline said: “For too long TfL has defended keeping hold of millions of pounds on dormant Oyster cards by claiming that it is easy to claim a refund at every Tube station.

Finally they have admitted that this is not always the case for people seeking to claim back their own money. “Making it far easier for people to claim back their money is long overdue. It is also vital these changes are properly publicised.” For more information see the Evening Standard’s extensive report. Further reports can be seen at Lib Dem Voice and the website London Loves Business. Will the Mayor agree to a new approach to sponsorship? One of the long standing criticisms of recent high profile sponsorship deals struck by Transport for London, such as for the Emirates cable car and the Barclays cycle hire scheme, has been the excessive secrecy over the contracts. Whether the deals are actually good value for Londoners has been hard to judge. Now, after consistent pressure from Assembly Members, it has been accepted by Transport for London that the sponsorship deals should be far more transparent.

After hearing about these proposed changes Stephen Knight, who is Deputy Chair of the Assembly’s Budget and Performance Committee, said: “Sponsorship can bring real benefits to transport, however all new deals must be transparent, provide value for money and protect TfL’s reputation. The real test is whether these positive proposals are actually signed off by the Mayor of London and properly implemented. “TfL also needs to show far more engagement with local communities and avoid upsetting people with tacky and inappropriate advertising displays, as has recently happened.”