| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of Oyster card readers not working has happened before within the same organization, Transport for London (TfL). Passengers mentioned that it was the "second time the Oyster card readers haven’t worked" [39971]. This indicates a recurring issue with the Oyster card system within TfL.
(b) There is no specific mention in the provided article about a similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the Oyster card system can be attributed to the design phase. The incident was described as a "technical glitch" that affected the Oyster card readers on London buses, rail, and tube stations [39971]. This glitch caused the system fault in the early hours of Saturday, leading to passengers being able to travel for free. The issue was acknowledged by Transport for London (TfL), and they were working to fix the problem. Additionally, the incident occurred on the day new fare increases were introduced, indicating a potential system design flaw that failed to account for such changes seamlessly.
(b) The software failure incident does not seem to be directly related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. There were no reports of user error or misuse contributing to the Oyster card system glitch. Staff at the stations were aware of the problem and were allowing passengers to pass through the barriers despite the system failure. The focus was more on the technical issues with the Oyster card readers rather than operational errors. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident with the Oyster card system in London was within the system. The incident was described as a "technical glitch" in the Oyster card system [39971]. The article mentions that Oyster card readers on London buses, rail, and tube stations suffered a system fault, indicating an internal issue within the Oyster card system itself. Additionally, the tweet from TfL Ways to Pay apologizing for the disruption earlier further confirms that the failure originated from within the system [39971]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Oyster card system in London was due to a technical glitch, which is a non-human action. The glitch caused Oyster card readers on buses, rail, and tube stations to suffer a system fault, leading to passengers being able to travel for free. Southeastern Railway acknowledged the issue and mentioned that Transport for London (TfL) was working to fix the problem [39971].
(b) Human actions were also involved in the response to the software failure incident. Staff at various stations were seen waving passengers through open ticket barriers and informing commuters about the issues with Oyster cards. Additionally, passengers took to social media to express their frustration with the situation, highlighting unhelpful staff and the inconvenience caused by the malfunctioning Oyster card readers [39971]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the Oyster card system was not attributed to hardware issues but rather to a technical glitch in the software. The incident was described as a system fault affecting Oyster card readers on London buses, rail, and tube stations [39971].
(b) The software failure incident was specifically mentioned to be caused by a technical glitch in the Transport for London's Oyster card system. This glitch led to Oyster card readers being out of service, preventing passengers from touching in and out as usual, resulting in free travel for many passengers [39971]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Oyster card system in London does not appear to be malicious. It was described as a technical glitch that caused the Oyster card readers to suffer a system fault, leading to passengers being able to travel for free [39971]. There is no indication in the articles that the failure was caused by any malicious intent or actions. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Oyster card system in London appears to be more aligned with poor_decisions. The incident was described as a technical glitch that caused the Oyster card readers to suffer a system fault, leading to passengers being able to travel for free. This glitch occurred on the day new fare increases were introduced, indicating a potential issue with the software's handling of the fare changes. Additionally, the incident sparked criticism regarding the rising rail fares compared to wages, suggesting a broader dissatisfaction with the fare pricing strategy implemented by Transport for London [39971]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the Oyster card system in London was not explicitly attributed to development incompetence. The incident was described as a technical glitch that caused Oyster card readers on buses, rail, and tube stations to suffer a system fault [39971]. There was no mention of the failure being caused by lack of professional competence by humans or the development organization.
(b) The software failure incident was described as a technical glitch that affected the Oyster card system, leading to Oyster card readers being out of service and passengers being able to travel for free. This incident was not portrayed as intentional but rather as an accidental system fault that disrupted the normal operation of the Oyster card system [39971]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Oyster card system in London was temporary. The incident was described as a technical glitch that was resolved, allowing customers to use the Oyster card readers again [39971]. Staff at various stations were aware of the problem and took measures such as waving passengers through open ticket barriers [39971]. Additionally, customers took to social media to report the issue, indicating that it was a temporary disruption rather than a permanent failure of the system. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in this case can be categorized as a crash. The Oyster card system suffered a system fault, causing the Oyster card readers on London buses, rail, and tube stations to be out of service [39971].
(b) omission: The incident also involved omission as the Oyster card readers were not performing their intended functions, leading to passengers being able to travel for free due to the glitch [39971].
(c) timing: There is no specific indication in the articles that the software failure incident was related to timing issues.
(d) value: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The incident did not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be described as a system-wide disruption affecting multiple modes of transportation in London, leading to passengers being unable to use the Oyster card system for fare payment [39971]. |