2 Jul 2008: SEQ: Go Card ? overcome price resistance, add off peak fares

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Media Release  2 July 2008

SEQ:  Go Card ? overcome price resistance, add off peak fares

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has called on the TransLink Transit Authority to add off peak fares to the new fare structure for the go card. Off peak fares will encourage use of public transport when there is plenty of capacity and in turn help ease congestion on struggling peak public transport services.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?The present paper ticketing on the TransLink network has an off peak option.  This encourages travel at less congested times and is helpful to retired pensioners, parents and others who can take trips during the off peak periods.  It encourages citizens to use public transport and reduce environmental impacts.?

?Presently off peak ticketing is available for unlimited travel between 9am and 3.30pm and after 7pm on weekdays, and all day on weekends and gazetted public holidays (1).?

?The go card provides a simple means of providing an off peak fare structure. All journeys that commence after 9am  that is, touch on after 9am Monday to Friday,  and touch on before 3.30pm and touch on after 7pm could be given a flat off peak discount of 10%.?

?It would be a simple matter to give all journeys on weekends and gazetted public holidays an off peak discount too.  This is only replicating present ticketing practices.?

?The addition of off peak fares to the go card will go a long way in overcoming public transport commuter price resistance to the go card.  The recently announced fare structure which will be introduced on 4th August is a marked improvement on the initial fare structure. However much community resistance has developed to the go card due to the initial poor fare structure and consequent adverse publicity.?

?Yesterday, as I transited through Roma St railway station I was handed a flyer promoting ?Off Peak Week? (2).  It is odd that off peak fares are actively promoted but are not available on the go card.?

?It makes a lot of sense to add off peak fares to the go card. It would be a big winner!?

?Smart State, smart card??

References:

1.  http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/ti_tickets

2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1086.msg4907#msg4907

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org