Delay to Wave And Pay - now make it work from day one

Talking to the Evening Standard about the news that Transport for London has delayed the introduction of "wave and pay" facilities for credit and debit cards on the Tube, Caroline Pidgeon commented:

“No one is against new technology but the delayed start of Wave and Pay is a great opportunity to ensure the new technology works properly from day one of its introduction.

“At the same time the Mayor and TfL must ensure that whenever it starts people who decide to stick with Oyster ‘pay as you go’ don’t get penalised with higher fares.”

You can read the full story here in the Standard, and here in the Guardian.

Also, you can read the London Assembly Transport Committee's report from November 2011, setting the guiding principles for introducing Wave And Pay securely without disadvantaging customers who do not have access to credit and debit cards.

UPDATE (7th June)
The latest news is that the Mayor and TfL now seem reluctant to provide any specific details about the timetable for the rollout of Wave and Pay.

The question below was finally answered by the Mayor on 7th June.

Caroline Pidgeon:
What date will the wave and pay system be operational on London buses?

Written response from the Mayor:
TfL is leading the world in pioneering this exciting new technology that will make paying for journeys quicker, easier and more convenient for passengers on London’s transport network. It will only be introduced, however, when there is confidence that it is 100 per cent robust.

The upcoming early stages of real-life trialling will determine the detailed timescales for the rollout programme.

You can read more at Mayorwatch.