Commuters using London's public transport network of buses and overground and underground trains were allowed to travel for free on Saturday, when a technical glitch brought the city's Oyster card network to a standstill.
London's Oyster card system merges travel passes and pay-as-you-go credit for different public transport services onto a plastic smart card, which commuters swipe at ticket barriers in train stations and upon entering buses to be allowed on board.
Card-readers across the city failed on Saturday, prompting train station staff to open barriers and bus drivers to wave passengers on without swiping their cards.
While masses of commuters could luck out on free rides, the city will have lost millions of pounds in travel revenue.
According to Transport for London's most recent figures, an average of over 2 million people used their Oyster cards to pay for public transport each Saturday in 2014. With adult travel fares starting at £1.50 for a single bus trip, the city will have lost at least £3 million in travel fares due to this technical glitch.
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