I want to urge all your readers who do not currently hold an Oyster card to be the first to take advantage of the Mayor of London's free Oyster card giveaway.

About 100,000 Oyster cards are available free on a first-come-first-served basis - with the usual deposit fee of £3 dropped.

You can get your Oyster card from Tube stations, London Travel Centres, online at tfl.gov.uk/oyster or by telephoning 0845 330 9878. There are no forms to fill in.

Travel on the bus, Tube, tram and DLR is always cheaper with Oyster - which has prices pegged at year 2000 levels.

Oyster pre-pay technology on mainline train services is starting this autumn and will continue over the next year, allowing rail passengers the same kind of discounted fares as Underground users.

I'm keen for as many people as possible to get switched to Oyster, so get on board now.

VALERIE SHAWCROSS Labour Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark