To have not reasoned how expensive travel within London is!

[Flippingflamingo]

Niece started uni in London a few weeks ago and I offered to pay to keep her Oyster card topped up as my contribution.

However I have just discovered she has spent £27 on it from Monday to Thursday this week!!

I really want to be able to pay it for her, but it’s not sustainable for me to keep topping it up constantly.

I didn’t realise it was this much and thought there were daily caps on travel!

I am just walking to the station now (25 mins) rather than get the bus or tram as it feels like £1.75 unnecessarily spent. If I was not paying then I might feel differently especially if I was a young person 🤪

You sound like an amazing aunt (and I'm sure she is lovely too)

It's for zone 1 and 2

The bus is cheaper than the tube .

Cycling in many parts of London is dangerous.

Not saying this applies to OP's niece, but so many students these days a little bit lazy when it comes to walking. I work in a Uni and students queue up for ages for a shuttle bus that takes them max a mile down the road.
When I was a student in London in the late 90s we walked everywhere!

@Motnight well I haven't felt unsafe, and neither have my teenage DCs. Can't live risk free in life.

I have a theory that money now being mainly digital rather than coins and notes means it doesn't feel real in the same way. So easier to spend without realising

She doesn’t really have an incentive to walk or bus does she? I’d contribute a set amount and let her use it as she likes.

I only had £25 a week spending money and no way was I going to use any of it on buses!

Cycling in many parts of London is dangerous.

Says who, have you tried it?

That's very kind of you - how nice that she'll have free travel if you're able to pay the £32 a week. Hope she's grateful!

If you get a zones 1-3 monthly student oyster travelcard it works out cheaper than the zones 2-3 one weekly so she could get to use in in zone 1 too
It's 134 a month
If you multiply that by 12 and divide by 52 it's £30.90

I’m surprised it’s that much tbh. West Midlands metro is £7 zones 1-4 unlimited and buses are around £5 day. Mind you I live in a village with no buses at weekends and 2 a day in the week so I need to drive to civilisation to get to where public transport exists.
Contributing a set amount sounds sensible and she might find things are in walking distance after all if travel expenses are not unlimited.

Thank you! I bought her a physical Oyster card and I have all the log in details so I can see where she is travelling.

I will ask her to link her young persons railcard to it and then monitor her travel this month. If it looks like a student oyster with a monthly pass would work out cheaper we will get one once the system is running again.

Thank you everyone for your help! Looks like there are a few options for us to consider to make it a little cheaper.

Niece had a very rough start to life and has had to overcome so many hurdles to get to uni, I am so proud of her. Sadly her DM hasn’t even wished her good luck, never mind contributed anything financially so I try to do my bit where I can.

I did the 6 hour round trip to drive her there the other weekend and got to look around.

Not to mention when a generous aunt has said she'll cover your travel for you!

I did too but as child fares on buses etc are now free, there’s less incentive to walk for short distances. And even when it stops being free, many continue to use public transport for short journeys as they’ve always done.

Can you not offer to get her a monthly Santander bike pass instead? That’s £20 a month for unlimited rides

I wouldn’t feel comfortable with her using bikes, especially as some of her travel will be after dark if she has been out drinking!

My priorities were making sure she can always get to lectures, and that she can get home safely after socialising.

When i was at uni in london students didn't get the tube because buses were cheaper. We walked a lot.

Is she being sensible about walking more rather than getting the tube everywhere

Really? I thought the last government had capped most bus fares to £2 until the end of the year. One of the few good things they did.

@Blueroses99 I agree. Although I don't think child fares for buses are free everywhere. Certainly not in Manchester. My DD takes a bus once a week to an activity after school with her friend and every Thursday she is scrambling round for a pound for the bus!

'most' is the operative word here. Some companies don't take part.

You sound like a lovely aunt

And it’s why people won’t be forced out of their cars.