TubeTap App Could Make Tube Delays Profitable

A new iPhone app promising to help Londoners claw some cash back when their Tube journeys are delayed has been released, TubeTap, using a combination of geolocation and automated refund applications. The £0.69 iOS app tracks each journey and, if any delay encountered exceeds the 15 minutes Underground authority TFL mandates, offers a one-tap process to submit a claim.

All the user need do is tap a button to say they've entered the station, and then choose their destination stop. TubeTap offers up a list of nearby possibilities, and then the time starts. The "normal" journey time is calculated and – when you tap out at the end – the difference between that and its actual duration is crunched. If you're eligible for a refund then the app uses its store of your personal details to pre-populate the form; a single button press files it.

There's social networking integration for Facebook and Twitter, but really this is about Londoners – and visitors to the UK capital – venting their public transport frustrations in a more rewarding manner. Of course, it's up to TFL to actually decide whether to send you a check in the mail, but it's nice to know you're keeping them on their toes.