OYSTER card users have been trailed by the police a record number of times in 2010 and the Met says it plans to increase surveillance next year.
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Transport for London admits that the Met made 6,576 requests for information about Tube, rail and bus travellers this year, a rise of nearly 20% on 2009.
“As Oyster cards become more widely used, it is likely that such requests will rise in proportion with their usage,” said a Metropolitan Police spokesperson.
The huge rise in Oyster card surveillance was discovered by the Green Party using TfL’s own figures. Out of the 6,576 requests for information on commuters, 810 were turned down.
As police demands for personal information soar and as mass staff lay-offs at London Underground bite, the fear is that TfL won’t be in a position to review the requests properly.
“There is clearly a risk that TfL could be overwhelmed with requests or otherwise pressured into handing over personal data without sufficient checks,” said Noel Lynch, chair of the Green Party in London.
“It is concerning that TfL already have to reject about 1 in 8 police requests for this information.”
