TransLink Smart card the Go Card - what's going on?

[ozbob]

The general manager of TransLink responded to my letter in Brisbane mX stating I had made some inaccurate and misleading statements about TransLink's smart card.

Here is my reply submitted to mX.

The general manager of Translink, Luke Franzmann said in his response to my smart card queries (mX, June 27) that my letter contained inaccurate and misleading statements. Mr Franzmann should re-read my letter. I simply said that the original article had no guarantees for the future of weekly tickets, and it didn't. However, Brisbane commuters are grateful that at last we have had a public commitment that weekly and monthly tickets will continue to be available. Thank you Mr. Franzmann. I have made numerous requests to TransLink for confirmation of the continuance of weekly tickets with no written response until now. Many thanks to mX for publishing my original letter; we finally have a commitment for weekly and monthly tickets. The next question is: how long will weekly and monthly tickets continue to be available?

It is also a fact that if a weekly ticket user changes to smart card they will be worse off. Using a weekly ticket (cost of 4 daily tickets) a commuter can make unrestricted trips for their zones for 7 days. Using a smart card the cost will be 7 daily tickets.

The matter of what the charge will be for a commuter who fails to touch off is yet to be determined according to Mr. Franzmann. Another correspondent (mX,June 27) suggests the penalty will be $15. This is equivalent to a zone 20 single fare. It beggars belief that the touch off penalty will not be a significant cost because high zone commuters would then soon realise it will be cheaper to not touch off. If the smart card was truly smart, it would be capable of being programmed for weekly tickets. The TransLink smart cards are old technology. Other Smart card systems just require the holder to pass through a sensor area. A failure to provide for an audible alert to remind to 'touch off' will also disadvantage visually impaired commuters.

The TransLink smart card project is a long way behind schedule. There really needs to be better communication with the travelling public. I still think we are being sold a dud.

Isn't it amazing that the penalty for not touching off is still to be determined.  As I stated in my response, it will be a significant penalty otherwise people will opt for the cheaper option. 

Consider this.  A commuter, lets say a zones 1-3 commuter, tops up their smart card on Monday morning with say $30, enough to cover their anticipated travel for that week.  They manage to negotiate the touch on and touch off queues Monday to Wednesday.  Thursday night they work late, on arrival at their home station the touch off is not working.  Bang, their Smart card is debited with a penalty when they touch back on Friday morning.  But now their card is in debit, and they are unable to touch on.  Our hapless commuter has no money, what next?  Will they walk to work?

The TransLink smart card is not able to handle weekly ticketing apparently.  Weekly ticketing is a lot more affordable for many commuters as a weekly tickets costs the equivalent of 4 daily tickets.  For that a commuter can take unrestricted travel for their zones for seven days.  Do that on a smart card and it will cost an extra three days of daily tickets.  I predict that many commuters will continue to use weekly tickets as they will not have to worry about touching on and touching off.  Also they will still be able to use them on weekends for travel for shopping, going to church and visiting relatives for example.

Another major issue.  The new ticket machines loudly trumpeted by the Minister and TransLink don't issue weekly tickets!  It would have been simple to include that capability when designing the machines.  I think they intended to do away with weekly tickets absolutely.

RAIL Back On Track has been trying for months to get some confirmation of the continuance of weekly tickets.  It was only when the letter was published in the mX newspaper that a public commitment was made to me.  Why is it that Queensland Transport and TransLink generally ignore requests from us?

We extend an open invitation to TransLink to respond to this thread.  You can register and post yourself, or if you prefer email your response to our queries to admin@backontrack.org and we will post for you.

Regards
Admin
RAIL Back On Track

[ozbob]

I have received a response to a letter I sent to the Minister of Transport and Main Roads.
I have requested permission to publish it here.
Suffice to say that weekly (and other paper tickets) will be retained for a period.

More to come hopefully.

Regards
Ozbob
Admin

[ozbob]

Again we would like to invite Translink to respond to these questions:

You can do that at  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.msg291#msg291 or email admin@backontrack.org

The TransLink smart card pilot site is here ---> http://www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/smart_main

There are many unanswered questions from the information presented there.

The pilot participants are being given a 30% discount on their travel.  Why you may well ask?  Because is the cost of travelling with a smart card is higher than what can be achieved by the use of 10 trip tickets on bus, or weekly ticket on rail?  Hence the discount.  Is this the case?

Does the Smart card drop to a daily ticket cost once that threshold is reached?  One would hope so.  What happens here?

If you travel on 7 days you will pay 7 daily tickets?  Contrast that to a weekly ticket, 4 daily tickets for 7 days travel. That is a 75% cost increase.

The  failure to touch off penalty.  What will that be?  If you forget or the system fails what happens then?  Do you get debited $15 as for the pilot or will it increase to a full zone 23 fare.  If the touch off penalty is not high then it will be cheaper for high zone travelers to not touch off.  What will the failure to touch on penalty be?

Why is there no audible warning to touch off?  This may disadvantage visually impaired users in particular.

I have received advice that there may well be a frequent traveler type discount.  Is this because there will be many objections to a huge increase in the cost of travel.  What will this discount be?

For some commuters smart cards will be handy, but for regular travelers they will be costly.  There is convenience in being able to recharge via phone and the machines (which with the increased costs of travel will be fairly frequent we would suggest).  But surely they could include the Internet re-charging as well (this seems to be planned but not operational)?

TransLink, many questions remain.  Any answers please?


Regards

Admin
RAIL Back On Track

[ozbob]

RAIL Back On Track emailed the Minister of Transport and Main Roads with a request to ascertain the status of weekly tickets after the general roll out of the TransLink smart card.

The Minister's representatives responded with the email below.

This is published with the express permission of the Ministers Office.  Thanks for the response and for the permission to post this email as it will help to answer some of the queries that people have had about the smart card.


-----------------------------------------
Email received 29 June 2007

Dear Mr Dow

Re: TransLink weekly tickets

Thank you for your email of 23 May 2007 to the Honourable Paul Lucas MP,
Minister for Transport and Main Roads about the purchase of TransLink
weekly tickets.  The Minister has asked that I respond on his behalf.

After the launch of smart card TransLink will continue to have a range of
paper based products available for a period of time, including weekly
tickets.

The TransLink smart card project is part of a wider program to introduce
an electronic fare collection system in South East Queensland (SEQ).

The TransLink smart card system is currently undergoing an extensive
testing and pilot program.  Following the successful completion of
testing, the system will be rolled out across the network in a phased
approach, on a region by region basis.

Customers will be kept fully informed in the lead up to the introduction
of smart card.  Detailed information will be provided in local media, on
the TransLink website at www.translink.com.au and through the TransLink
Call Centre on 13 12 30.

Smart cards store value for travel on buses, trains and ferries and will
make it easier and quicker for customers to travel across SEQ.  Passengers
will be required to touch their smart card to a card reader when starting
and ending each leg of the journey.

Smart card will address many of the issues associated with access to
ticketing products. When the system is fully operational, customers will
be able to obtain a smart card and add value to a smart card using a range
of options including by mail, over the internet and by phone.

Unlike the daily, off-peak daily, weekly or monthly tickets where you must
nominate prior to purchase the zones of travel, with a smart card you will
be able to travel freely within the TransLink network and the system will
work out the total fare based on one continuous trip at the completion of
your journey.

When calculating the fare, the smart card will automatically account for a
host of variables including discounted travel periods, frequent traveller
discounts, transfers, number of zones travelled and concessions.

A frequent loyalty scheme is being developed and will offer eligible
frequent users greater discount. Details of the program are yet to be
finalised. Once confirmed, information about this program will be promoted
through the local media, and via the TransLink Call Centre and the
TransLink website.

In addition, new fare machines located across the TransLink network will
allow customers to purchase Single, Daily and Off-peak Daily paper tickets
using small denomination notes as well as coins.

I trust the above information is of assistance.  If you require any
further information about this issue, please contact Ms Kristin
Breitkreuz, Client and Project Liaison Officer, TransLink on 3167 4180 who
will be pleased to assist.

Yours sincerely

PAUL SORENSEN
Senior Policy Advisor

[ozbob]

There are significant details in the response above.  It would seem that paper tickets as we presently have them are only to be maintained for a period after the introduction of the smart card system wide.  But, I note the mention of the frequent travellers discount.  This discount will need to be substantial.

I have written to the CM today:

The Smart cards soon to be introduced for the Brisbane TransLink system promise convenience, but are not without issues.  Many commuters use weekly, ten trip savers and other periodical tickets as they help to make commuting at least a little more affordable, and give some flexibility for weekend travel. These tickets are a major incentive for people to use public transport. It would appear that when the smart cards are rolled out the present paper tickets will only be available for a period to be determined.  The intention being to move all to smart cards. The TransLink smart card is not able to handle weekly ticketing apparently.  Weekly ticketing is a lot more affordable for many commuters as a weekly tickets costs the equivalent of 4 daily tickets.  For that, a commuter can take unrestricted travel for their zones for seven days.  Do that on a smart card and it will cost an extra three days of daily tickets, a 75% increase in cost.
Recent advice suggests that some type of frequent traveller discount might be available when smart card rolled out. The smart card pilot program presently under way has participants given a 30% discount perhaps, in recognition of some of these cost impacts.

Also, what happens when people fail to 'touch off', or the system fails, will they be debited with a high zone fare? Presently there is a $15 penalty for pilot program participants who fail to touch off.  Can you imagine children and others who regularly forget to touch off?  The costs will be very high. Consider this.  A commuter, lets say a zones 1-3 commuter, tops up their smart card on Monday morning with say $30, enough to cover their anticipated travel for that week.  They manage to negotiate the touch on and touch off queues Monday to Wednesday.  Thursday night they work late, on arrival at their home station the touch off is not working, or perhaps they forget to touch off.  Bang, their smart card is debited with a penalty when they touch back on Friday morning.  But now their card is in debit, and they are unable to touch on.  Our hapless commuter has no money, what next?  Will they walk to work?  I think weekly, 10 trip savers and other periodical tickets must be maintained indefinitely to attract and retain commuters on public transport.

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

Check out this ....

Smartcardalliance  2003

I think readers will understand why we are concerned.

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

There is more ...

Press Release Cubic Aug 11 2005

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

Thanks Noel for your comments.

Dear reader if you wish to comment please feel free to post if registered or email admin@backontrack.org and we can post on your behalf.

Nothing has been mentioned what penalty the operators will pay if a person is unable to touch off or touch on and is then penalised for this.

Is it a case of one rule for the users and a different rule for the operators?  As mentioned before, I can purchase through the machine at my station, but the touch on /off equipment is ?Out of Service?.

I realise that the system is not fully functional, but what if it happens?  The majority of commuters arrive at the station from 5 pm on and there are only 3 machines to service anything up to 150 to 200 people on a single train.  Will there be a fight to jump the cue to get through first and what if the machines are out of order.  What a good idea to collect $15 from these people ? someone could retire early on the penalties.

What about going into the city when they cannot touch on and then go through the gate ? does that mean that they really touch on and are shown as joining a service at the city and then get penalised when they come back in the afternoon to go home?

A new issue I have just thought about.  If these cards are topped up using a credit card is there a problem with the penalty system.  My understanding is that a retailer is not legally able to debit a credit card account for goods that they do not have in stock or do not intend to supply.  Is it a case of taking money for a service that they do not supply?

Just some thoughts on the mine fields to come.

Noel Haynes 

Posted on behalf of Noel by Admin.

[ozbob]

Still no response from Translink.

[ozbob]

Still no response from Translink.

[ozbob]

Some more feedback received ...  thanks!

I live in an area where smart cards have been in use for some time on certain
stations and some buses. They are only smart for the occasional traveller
Regular travellers cannot go past a weekly or monthly. I use my train periodical
regularly for buses and ferries all of which represent free travel.

The smart card machine does not allow an extension ticket on a periodical to be bought and I
am not about to get off a train to buy an extension, then wait half an hour for
the next train. I live at Wooloowin and travel 5 or 6 times to the CBD and twice
weekly to Petrie so I live in the middle of my ticket span. It is cheaper to buy a
periodical over the whole journey than a periodical home to CBD and get 2
dailies a week to Petrie.

[ozbob]

I met with the Shadow Public Transport spokesman Mr Tim Nicholls this morning and put our concerns about the Translink Smart Card.  Thank you Mr. Nicholls for the opportunity to raise our concerns.

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

Here is a summary of the concerns RAIL Back On Track has with the TransLink Smart Card.

TransLink Smart Card ? Key problems:

1.   Cost implications for users of weekly tickets, ten trip savers.
   If you travel on 7 days you will pay 7 daily tickets?  Contrast that to a weekly ticket, 4 daily tickets for 7 days travel. That is approx. 75% cost increase.

2.   Failure to touch on and particularly to touch off penalties.
   Presently $15 - failure to touch off for the pilot. What happens when system fails?  Holders penalised.  What will be the system for reimbursement?  It will be a serious administrative load.

3.   Transfer time limitations ? far too tight.
   30 mins peak, 60 mins off peak for pilot.  Who defines peak times?  What happens when services cancelled or full and bypass, Smart card holders penalised?

4.   How long will weekly tickets and other paper periodical tickets be available after the roll out?
Minister?s Office has said available for a period.  Why not indefinitely?

5.   Does the Smart card drop to a daily ticket cost once that threshold is reached?
   If not it will be extremely expensive compared to current ticketing options.
   If so surely it would be easy to program a weekly eg. 4 consecutive daily tickets, then next 3 days in a weekly mode as for now with paper weekly tickets?

6.   Why is there no audible warning to touch off?  This may disadvantage visually impaired users in particular.

7.   New ticket machines cannot issue extensions (or weeklies).

8.   Frequent traveller discount?  What will this be and how will it work?

9.   The overall cost of the project seems excessive and is years behind.
   Does this indicate ongoing issues?

10.   Does the Smart card roll out mean that staffing at railway stations will be decreased?  It is important to maintain a ?people? presence for security and safety, as well as alternative ticket purchases.

The TransLink Smart Card will be the ?face? of public transport in SEQ.  If it is problematical it will be a major disincentive for maximising public transport use.

[ozbob]

Some feedback received, thanks!

See http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/ti_tickets_type

If you have a daily, weekly or monthly ticket you are entitled to:

Unlimited travel on all TransLink services for (date of issue ? daily), (seven consecutive days from the date of issue ? weekly) or (for one calendar month from the date of issue ? monthly) and within the zones printed on the ticket

These are the conditions under which they are bought.

QR used to allow an extra day when a holiday occurred in a weekly, but they now do not.

In looking for this, I also found that this site also recommends use of weekly or monthly tickets if you anticipate more that 10 trips per week.

Why wasn?t Cubic required to allow for these types of tickets when they were given the contract?  Was it a case of those administering the contract having no experience of having to use public transport?

Always the users being rorted.

[johnnigh]

Sigh, the cost of collecting and enforcing fares on public transport must go a long way to leaving an empty farebox. I know that the taxpayer already puts in quite a bit to keeping PT on the rails and on roads all over Australia, and in especially in SE Queensland where busways add to the burden of capital infrastructure while adding less than equivalent rail-based transit to people-moving capacity. But the cost of fare collection is enormous. Is it such a radical idea to forget totally about fares? Treat PT as such an important public good that the benefits of moving people, or, better, giving people easy access to anywhere on the PT network, are great enough to justify taxpayers footing the whole bill.

In this situation, all PT users will be taxpayers (GST at least), and most taxpayers will be PT users. Swings and roundabouts... Anyone who is aggrieved at not getting their money's worth can either use PT more or agitate for more services they can use. And govts will have to provide their constituents with service to match their taxes.

But I guess this proposal would again benefit the old inner suburbs at the expense of the cheaper land suburbs way out there for whom adequate PT is a pipe-dream, and aren't marginal electorates.

More prospective in the medium term is putting a user-charge on roads - an anti-congestion charge - which makes car users pay for their use of the road and especially for adding to congestion. It is technically simple to use satellite based tracking of all cars along with a meter recording how long they clogged up a congested road. See my piece at http://www.qccqld.org.au/files/Transport/ST%20NL%20WEB%2005-07.pdf, page 7.

Why should PT users be the only commuters who pay directly for their daily journey to work?

[ozbob]

Welcome John!

Thanks for your comments.  I agree that in many ways that 'free' PT is the way to go.  I don't think we have the lateral thinkers around to drive that through though at the top. 

The cost of the TransLink Smart Card project is now in the terms of hundreds of millions of dollars.  That would have brought a number of new trains.  And yet years behind in the roll out. 

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

The mX Brisbane (10 August) has run a lead story on the Smart card, or perhaps importantly the lack of the Smart Card.

This story highlights the delays and cost.  Copy article attached below.

Thanks to the mX for their interest in commuter related matters. 

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

RAIL Back On Track has released a media release today.  This Smart card is problematical to say the least ...


Copy of media release here, from http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=198.0

RAIL Back On Track - Media Release 18 August 2007

Brisbane: TRANSLink Smart Card - A dud!

RAIL ? Back On Track (http://backontrack.org)  a web based community organisation for the promotion of rail throughout Australia has called for the Cubic  TRANSLink Smart Card to be junked, and a decent system implemented!

Robert Dow said:

?The TRANSLink Smart Card is dead in the water.  Presently undergoing yet more pilot studies with bemused commuters, it simply fails to deliver.  Plagued by inflexible software, it is unable to cope with the present fare and ticket options throughout the TRANSLink network.  The ramifications being that there will be significant cost increases for most regular commuters when it is finally rolled out.?

?Two hundred million dollars are already spent, how much more before this farce is foisted upon the travelling public?  Small pilot studies are not representative of the stress that will be placed on the Smart Card system when rolled out.  If a small pilot is struggling, how much more the real thing?  The project is about four years behind schedule already, a sure sign of the mediocre nature of the ticketing system. Or, perhaps the initial contract was struck from the comfort of taxpayer funded luxury cars by a bureaucracy that never actually ventured onto 'public' transport, hence the full ticketing requirements were not understood and made clear initially??

?Repeated requests to TRANSLink and the Minister of Transport and Main Roads for clarification on specific points has not resulted in clear unambiguous answers. (1).?

?Queensland Taxpayers are entitled to know what the justification is for the delays and the massive expense.  They also need to be informed in unequivocal terms that the cost of this ?dud? system is not going to borne by the travelling public if and when it is rolled out.  A public already suffering because of chronic congestion and service shortfalls.?

Reference:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.0

Contact:

Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track

http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

There is a Brisbane Smart card thread on the Australian Transport discussion forum here --> http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9708

This is part of the Bus Australia website.

The thread at Bus Australia has been going for almost two years now.  It is chronicles the ongoing saga rather well particularly from the bus perspective. 

It would appear that the the Smart card does not cap at a daily limit either, we have asked TRANSLink for answers on this point and none forthcoming.  This would have greater cost implications for some than we previously understood.  For this reason it appears that some participants in the pilot left as it was too dear to remain in the pilot, even with a 30% discount.  Exactly what we have been saying.  Much more affordable to use weekly or even daily tickets than the Smart card system.

The spin about the convenience of the Smart card is over rated in my opinion.  It is much easier for the regular commuter to buy a weekly ticket (or monthly) and not have to worry about touching on and touching off (and coping substantial financial penalties should they forget or perhaps system issues), and not have to worry about transfer times, and not have to worry about the cost of extra trips on the weekend, or perhaps extra trips in your zones during the day.  I think most people who use weeklies etc. will be rather dismayed when they realise the full cost impost.

Being a computer based real time system it will also have system failures from time to time, I don't know a system that doesn't.  Can you imagine what would happen if the Smart card system went down at peak?

[ozbob]

If the TRANSLink Smart Card could operate as for London's Oyster Card, in that various ticketing modes possible. Weeklies, and monthlies being easily implemented if the software was 'state of the art'. I think the Cubic system in Brisbane is technologically quite old now (5 years is many generations in the IT world).

QT and TRANSlink need to insist on decent software so that all ticketing requirements can be met by the Smart card. That way the costly paper duplications and options would not be needed to the same extent. Some paper tickets, singles and dailies might still be needed for casual and tourists though.

It would be better to delay the roll out and get a better product than proceed with the way it is now. It will cause a lot of flack as it is.

[ozbob]

This correspondence submitted today.


-------------------------

21 August 2007

Dear Minister,

Reference:  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.0

RAIL Back On Track has major concerns with the TRANSLink Smart card.  A summary of these concerns is listed below.

Feedback from RAIL Back On Track  members and the general public has indicated that there are many aspects of the system that are flawed, and in the absence of any meaningful response to these questions would suggest that there is something to hide.
Namely, the very significant increases in the cost of travel for regular commuters.

I have received advice that some participants in the pilot project withdraw because of the increase cost of their travel using the Smart Card. This is of major concern.  Depending on travel patterns cost increases could be anywhere between 75% and over 200%.  This is not acceptable, particularly at a time when citizens are being pounded by water price increases, out of control rents, electricity and rate rises, cost of living increases far exceeding the notional CPI.

Here is a summary of the concerns RAIL Back On Track has with the TransLink Smart Card.

We would like specific answers to these questions. We do not want the standard 'spin' thanks.

TransLink Smart Card ? Key problems:

1.   Cost implications for users of weekly tickets, ten trip savers.
If you travel on 7 days you will pay 7 daily tickets?  Contrast that to a weekly ticket, 4 daily tickets for 7 days travel. That is approx. 75% cost increase. (This assumes a daily ticket cap, which appears not to be the case, therefore cost increases will be > 75%, particularly for multiple trips on same day).

2.   Failure to touch on and particularly to touch off penalties.
Presently $15 - failure to touch off for the pilot. What happens when system fails?  Holders penalised? What will be the system for reimbursement?  It will be a serious administrative load.  One can only imagine the difficulties this will present for minors and other uses that forget to touch off.

3.   Transfer time limitations ? far too tight.
30 mins peak, 60 mins off peak for pilot.  Who defines peak times?  What happens when services cancelled or full and bypass, Smart card holders penalised?

4.   How long will weekly tickets and other paper periodical tickets be available after the roll out?
Your Office has said available for a period.  Why not indefinitely?

5.   Does the Smart card drop to a daily ticket cost once that threshold is reached?
If not it will be extremely expensive compared to current ticketing options.
If so surely it would be easy to program a weekly eg. 4 consecutive daily tickets, then next 3 days in a weekly mode as for now with paper weekly tickets?

6.   Will 'off peak' travel be available?

7.   New ticket machines cannot issue extensions (or weeklies).  Why not?

8.   Frequent traveller discount?  What will this be and how will it work?

9.   The overall cost of the project seems excessive and is years behind.
Does this indicate ongoing issues?

10.   Does the Smart card roll out mean that staffing at railway stations will be decreased?  It is important to maintain a ?people? presence for security and safety, as well as alternative ticket purchases.

The TransLink Smart Card will be the ?face? of public transport in SEQ.  If it is problematical as it appears to be, it will be a major disincentive for maximising public transport use.  This will force yet more frustrated public transport commuters on to Brisbane's congested roads.

Thank you for attention to these matters.

Best wishes,

Administration
RAIL Back On Track
http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

The Cubic press releases (links above in thread)  suggest that revenue from the Smart Card is going to be shared with Cubic and the State Government.  This is no doubt, influencing the limited ticketing outcomes and the attempts to increase the cost of travel using the Smart Card.

RAIL Back On Track again calls on the Minister of Transport and Main Roads to force Cubic to implement ticketing solutions in line with present practice.

Ozbob

[ozbob]

Thanks to Brisbanetimes for their interest in commuter support and  story:

=============================================

For Brisbanetimes click here

Lobby group attacks Smart Card fines
Tony Moore | August 23, 2007

A Brisbane commuter lobby group has spoken out against the possible introduction of a TransLink smartcard fine.

Rail: Back on Track raised the concerns after receiving negative feedback from people involved in trials currently running in Redcliffe and north Brisbane.

Under the proposal a fine - which has been set at $15 in the trial - will be administered to commuters who fail to "touch-on" or "touch-off" their smartcards to sensors on Brisbane's public transport.

The fine aims to ensure passengers use the cards correctly.

Smartcards are set to be introduced as part of an overhaul of South East Queensland's ticketing system, which is four years overdue.

The estimated cost of the Translink-run project has blown out from $134 million to more than $200 million.

The lobby group believes the smartcard system will be more expensive for regular commuters as weekly and monthly payment options are not available.

Translink yesterday said the proposed fee would not be $15, but did not reveal any further details.

Rail Back on Track co-ordinator Robert Dow said the smartcard's "touch on, touch off" system would be "a disaster" for student travellers.

A Translink spokesman agreed there would be difficulties when the system was introduced, but said the fee would be phased in at lower level over several months.

Mr Dow said he had serious doubts about the scheme after talking to Redcliffe and north Brisbane commuters.

He did not believe it would work as efficiently or cheaply as the existing weekly, monthly and 10-trip saver tickets system.

"The smartcard will be very good for people doing two to three trips a week, but for regular commuters, it is going to be a disaster," he said.

"Kids are going to forget to touch-off once, or twice a week and, with the $15 penalty each time, it is going to be a very expensive exercise."

He called on Queensland Transport to introduce a transition period where the "flat fee" wasn't imposed.

The scheme is set to be introduced by Christmas.

Mr Dow said Queensland Transport had failed to answer specific questions about the smartcard.

"We would like to know if the smartcard is going to be capped at a daily threshold," he said.

"There has to be some latitude with the touch-on policy.

"What happens if someone touches off, but they haven't touched-on.

"Will they still get a penalty?

"We also want to know what this fee is going to be."

He said the $15 trial fine gave commuters a strong indication of the likely penalty.

Translink says a new "frequent loyalty" scheme will be introduced, although declined to release further information.

Information about the system is available on the Translink website at: http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/smartcard


======================================

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes  here!

Smart card fine to start at lower rate

Translink intends to roll out its flat fee fine at a "lower rate" at the start of the smart card trial, it said last night.

A Translink spokesman said it recognises that the introduction of the flat fee scheme will cause major inconveniences to commuters.

"In recognition of this, the flat fee, or nominal fare, will be set at a lower level during the rollout of smart card and for several months beyond," the spokesperson said.

Translink also said it would keep the paper ticket system at the same time as the smart cards, but customer feedback will determine how long this process continues.

[ozbob]

The lack of weekly and monthly options will still present a very significant cost increase for those using weeklies etc. if they move to Smart card for multiple trips.  Simply using it for Monday to Friday for a single journey to work will represent a 25% increase in weekly costs.  Use it for additional trips on those days or weekends will mean increases above 100%.

We would like to see details of the 'frequent traveller discount', which will help to some extent to offset these increases in cost of travel for Smart card users.

Thanks to TRANSLink for  the indication that a reduced failure to touch off penalty ('flat fare') will be in place when card rolled out, but again we request that provision be made for weekly and monthly options on Smart card.

I predict there will be an initial burst of enthusiasm for the Smart card on roll out, when the real costs start to impact folks will revert back to weeklies etc. unless costs are kept inline with CPI and present ticketing practices.  This occurred with Smart card pilot participants, even with the 30% discount they had.

Translink also said it would keep the paper ticket system at the same time as the smart cards, but customer feedback will determine how long this process continues.

Paper tickets will have to continue to be available, particularly for casual users and tourists.  And the new ticket machines issue paper tickets!  Minister's office has given clear advice that paper tickets will continue to be available.

In addition, new fare machines located across the TransLink network will
allow customers to purchase Single, Daily and Off-peak Daily paper tickets
using small denomination notes as well as coins.

If as predicted and the cost of Smart card travel is not reduced, customer feedback will be anti-Smart card.  This has happened on the pilot trial, particularly the lack of daily cap thresholds, but that feedback ignored.  So the whole process is fast being exposed for a sham, as it is just adding a costly duplicate ticket system at a very considerable expense ($200 Million plus). It appears to be an attempt to get more revenue from an already financially battered public. 

End result, more people forced onto the congested roads of Brisbane adding to the now chronic mayhem.

[ozbob]

See this post too ---> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=205.0

Impact will be very significant on students.

Regards
Ozbob

[Derwan]

I'm very interested in the roll-out of the smart card.  It will be great not to have to worry about ensuring I have enough cash to pay for the new weekly or losing my ticket.

I even joined the discussion forum for pilot participants to see how the pilot was going.  I was just going to observe but I made the mistake of posting and admitting that I wasn't a pilot participant, and was subsequently banned from the forum.

I hear about nothing but hassles from a friend of a friend who is working on the smart card project.... and I think that BOT is rightfully concerned about it - despite promises that it will be implemented by the end of the year.

[ozbob]

Hi Derwan,

Welcome!  Yes more than a few issues .. lol.

We are trying to get weekly options.  As it stands at the moment it will be very expensive for those used to weekly tickets to go over to Smart card, but we have been told there will be a frequent traveller discount.

I think it would be better to have the weekly and monthly as an option to pre-purchase on the card.  Others pay as you go.  That would keep everyone happy!

Regards
Ozbob

[Derwan]

We are trying to get weekly options.  As it stands at the moment it will be very expensive for those used to weekly tickets to go over to Smart card, but we have been told there will be a frequent traveller discount.

I think it would be better to have the weekly and monthly as an option to pre-purchase on the card.  Others pay as you go.  That would keep everyone happy!

Thanks for the welcome.  :-)

I would like to see daily, weekly and monthly caps:

Daily
Where more than one trip occurs in a day, the total charge is capped at the current daily cost for all zones travelled.

For example, I travel from zone 3 to zone 1.  During the day, I travel to a location in zone 2.  I then return home to zone 3.  As it stands with the smart card, they are 3 separate trips - 1-3, 1-2, 2-3.  With the cap, it would be equivalent to 2 times 1-3.

Weekly
Where more than 4 "daily" (as per above) trips occur within the same zones within a calendar week, the total charge for the week is capped at the current weekly (4 dailies) cost.

For example, I travel between zones 1 and 3 to get to work each weekday.  Even though I touch on and off on Friday, there is no actual charge for the trip.  On the weekend I visit a friend in zone 4.  The weekly cap covers zones 1 to 3, so I would be charged for a zone 4 (only) ticket.

Monthly
Once the card holder qualifies for 4 weekly caps (as per above) within a calendar month, the total charge for the month is capped at the current monthly (4 weeklies) cost.

Seems simple enough, but I dare say that they'd have trouble programming the system to do it.  If it's not smart enough to work out what the regular journey is, perhaps cardholders could nominate their regular travelled zones.

This would still be more expensive than the current system... as it would rely on calendar weeks and months.  With the current system, you can work around holidays and days off to maximise discounts.

[ozbob]

Exactly Derwan 

The lack of daily caps is also a problem.  The public is just not aware of the significant cost increases that await users of the Smart card.  It is not acceptable.

RAIL Back On Track has made a number of representations re this Smart card and the implications.  We are still waiting for specific answers from the Minister and TRANSLink.

The software behind the card must be very weak if it cannot cope with current ticketing options.  The initial contract was signed in 2003, and this is many lifetimes ago in IT terms.  The lengthy roll out time is also an indication of the problematical nature.

Another very concerning issue is that Cubic will be sharing revenue raised with this card.  This may be acting as an incentive to maximise revenue and minimise ticketing options, with the travelling public the ones paying in a grossly unfair manner.

All in all, not satisfactory.  We again call on the Minister of Transport and Main Roads to force Cubic and Translink to provide daily, weekly and monthly caps and options on the TRANSLink Smart Card.

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

The following letter has been sent to all Queensland State Members of Parliament

-------------------------------------------

Dear Hon. Members,

My name is Robert Dow and I am the administrator of a web based community organisation RAIL Back On Track that supports rail transport through out Australia.

You may be aware that the TRANSLink Smart Card is soon to be rolled out to facilitate ticketing for public transport in South East Queensland.
The initial contract was struck in 2003, with a promise to roll it out in 2004.  It is now years late and at least $200 million dollars has been spent.  Money that could have been much better spent on real transport infrastructure.

There are many issues with this ticketing program.  The fact that it is almost four years late gives you some idea of the many problems.  It was a real shame that an Australian company eg. ERG was not used.  This Australian company successfully implemented the Octopus card in Hong Kong - a project that dwarfs the complexity of the SEQ requirements.

Our major concern is that there will be very significant cost increases for regular public transport users.  This is due to the failure of the TRANSLink Smart card to have a daily threshold cap, and a lack of options for weekly and monthly tickets.  At a time when we need to be encouraging public transport use, the Smart card will have the perverse effect of forcing citizens back on to the congested mess which is the roads in SEQ.  We understand that the contractor is to share in Smart card revenue with the Government and we believe this is leading to minimal ticketing options and attempts to maximise revenue.

For full details please visit our thread on our discussion forum --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.0

Of particular concern are reports that TRANSLink Smart card participants have actually pulled out of the trial as it was costing them to much to use the card for regular commuting even though trial participants have a 30% discount.  This is further corroborated at Bus Australia --> http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9708

RAIL Back On Track believes it is essential that present ticketing practices are maintained indefinitely  (viz. daily, weekly and monthly), other wise the impact on regular commuters will be severe in terms of financial costs, and the impact on road congestion will also be a major issue.
We have asked repeatedly for specific clarification on a number of issues only to be served up vague descriptions and 'spin'.
Again full details --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.0

RAIL Back On Track has no political affiliations or commercial interests.  We are a group of very concerned citizens that is only interested in best outcomes for the community.
We ask that you explore the problems as they are for the TRANSLink Smart Card system and reflect on the implications.
You will then understand our concern.

Yours sincerely,

Robert Dow
Administration
RAIL Back On Track
http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

An opinion piece in Courier Mail  31 August  --> http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22333602-5012447,00.html

"The smartcard ticketing project is a managerial disaster, a political disgrace and a public scandal."

Said Terry Sweetman in the article "Purge sins on passage to hell".  A great read.

[ozbob]

2nd September 2007

Dear Hon. Members,

Further to our previous correspondence.

This past weekend was the highlight of the River Festival in Brisbane, the Riverfire Fireworks spectacular on Saturday evening. The Ferny Grove railway line was closed this weekend to allow work on the duplication project.  This caused considerable inconvenience to citizens who would have otherwise used the Citytrain service to attend the celebrations.

QR has cancelled planned closures many times because of inclement weather. Deadlines are not that exacting as 'spin' response to objections to the Ferny Grove closure would suggest. It would have not mattered much in the overall context of the project to have kept the Ferny Grove line open, on perhaps the busiest weekend for public transport in South East Queensland.  The work could have been scheduled next weekend or later,  and by doing that goodwill with the public would be maintained.

People have had enough of the 'couldn't care less' attitude by transport authorities. They have been battered for months and months by unannounced service cancellations, chronic congestion and overloading, left standing at bus stops as full bus after full bus passes on by, left stranded at ferry and River Catamaran  embarkation points.  The constant weekend rail track closures are also testing the patience of many.  A positive response to the calls to maintain rail services on the Ferny Grove line this weekend would have gone a long way with the public, and perhaps would help build some goodwill for the further disruptions to come.

Further more on Smart card.  An article appeared in the Courier Mail on Friday.

The author, Sweetman made an interesting comment  "The smartcard ticketing project is a managerial disaster, a political disgrace and a public scandal." http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22333602-5012447,00.html

Seems RAIL Back On Track is not alone in their concerns.

Best wishes

Robert Dow
Administration
RAIL Back On Track
http://backontrack.org

[Derwan]

The following was sent to everyone at work today:

Last night I purchased a ticket "Single, Full fare to Murrarie (Zone 1-3)."  I paid the correct amount on screen (being $3.20) and got on my train.  The ticket inspectors started to check tickets as we pulled into my stop, luckily my ticket wasn't checked closely because when I looked down the machine had issued a"Single, Concession to Zone 1-5" and had registered on the bottom of the ticket the amount of $2.10 instead.

This morning when leaving Roma Street, I mentioned to the Inspectors what had occurred, and typically they suggested I must have pressed inicorrect buttons!  He walked with me to the machine to check what or how I could have pressed incorrectly.  A lady was walking up also so she went first.  With us watching she entered the details of "Daily, Full Fare to Wynnum North and the correct fare amount was paid.  When she looked at the ticket her ticket said "Single to the Domestic Airport"

Just be careful as the inspector then admitted there are still a few problems with these machines, but they possibly would have issued me with a ticket.

It's a bit of a worry when the machines can't even issue the correct ticket.

[ozbob]

Thanks for the heads up. 

Bit like the mystery flights on the airlines, now we have mystery train trips!!   

[kinematic]

Also, I went to buy a single ticket from the new machines and chose the select station by name option. The price of a single return ticket to the city (gaythorne to central) was $23.40 (or something in that vacinity).

However, if you selected the station by the map option, the cost of the ticket is only $5.40. Much more appropriate.

Needless to say I purchase my ticket through the older machines.

My problem is not so much me but more so the many number of seniors that live in my area. Some of these elderly people have trouble walking to the station so it's not unreasonable to think that they would just follow the prompts and enter their money without looking at the price.

I'm sure QR wouldn't be keen to refund the money without a number of items of evidence.

[ozbob]

Have started a thread  New TRANSLink Ticket Machines ... Problems?   

Please continue on the new thread for comments on the new machines.

Go here --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=217.0

Thanks.

Regards
Ozbob

[ozbob]

RAIL Back On Track - Media Release 8 September 2007

Brisbane: TRANSLink Smart Card - Serious concerns ignored, now more problems.

RAIL ? Back On Track (http://backontrack.org)  a web based community organisation for the promotion of rail throughout Australia has again called for the TRANSLink Smart Card to be junked, and a decent system implemented!

Robert Dow said:

?The TRANSLink Smart Card is years late and is an expensive failure.  It simply fails to deliver.  Plagued by inflexible software, it is unable to cope with the present fare and ticket options throughout the TRANSLink network.  The ramifications being that there will be significant cost increases for most regular commuters when it is finally rolled out.  This is because there is not a daily cap threshold or weekly or monthly options.?

?Regular commuters, particularly rail,  are going to be hit with very significant cost increases in their weekly commuting costs, anywhere from 25% to perhaps as much as 200% as it stands, depending on their patterns of travel with the Smart card, and that is not even considering the penalties for touch off and touch on failures!?

?Two hundred million dollars are already spent.  Small pilot studies are not representative of the stress that will be placed on the Smart Card system when and if it is finally rolled out.  Recent reports have indicated there are now problems with the new TRANSLink Smart card ticketing machines and problems with some machines on the buses. If a small pilot trial is struggling, how much more the real thing??

?The project is about four years behind schedule already, a sure sign of the mediocre nature of the ticketing system.?

?Abysmal is the apt description of this ticketing fiasco!?

?Repeated requests to TRANSLink and the Minister of Transport and Main Roads for clarification on specific points has not resulted in clear unambiguous answers. (See reference 1).  Is there something to hide??

?Why the ?cone of silence? and an apparent policy of keeping commuters in the dark??

?Queensland Taxpayers are entitled to know what the justification is for the delays and the massive expense.  They also need to be informed in unequivocal terms that the cost of this ?dud? system is not going to borne by the travelling public; if and when it is rolled out, and that the cost of using public transport will remain in general terms as for present ticketing options.?

?The public is already suffering because of chronic congestion and service shortfalls.?

?Is the Smart Card rip-off designed to force hapless commuters from already stressed public transport back onto the even more congested roads??

?The project is a disgrace!?

Reference:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.0

Contact:

Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track
http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

RAIL Back On Track - Media Release 9 September 2007

Brisbane:  TRANSLink Smart card a ticketing failure!

Melbourne:  myki smart card  ticketing  a success!

RAIL ? Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community organisation for the promotion of rail throughout Australia has previously highlighted the mediocre nature of the TRANSLink Smart Card ticketing system. (Reference 1.)

The smart card ticketing system being implemented for Melbourne ? known as  myki has the ticketing options that the TRANSLink Smart Card cannot presently provide, which means huge cost increases for commuters in South East Queensland unless changes are made now. (Reference 2.)

Robert Dow said:

?Why is it that the proposed smart ticketing system for Melbourne, the myki ticketing smart card system, can do things such as if you travel more than once during the same day, myki will re-calculate the best fare for you as a daily fare. Whereas with the TRANSLink system it doesn?t have a daily ticket cap, commuters in south east Queensland will be flogged for every trip??

?The more you travel during the same week, myki will automatically give you the best fare by capping your accrued travel to a weekly fare.  The TRANSLink Smart card system doesn?t have a weekly or monthly capability. Commuters will be forced to pay huge increases in the cost of their travel.?

?Why can they do it Melbourne, but not Brisbane?  I thought Queensland was the Smart State. Queensland is fast becoming the late state!?

?We have been calling for a daily cap threshold, and weekly and monthly options for some time.  Only to be ignored. It is time the Minister for Transport and Main Roads sorted out this fiasco.?

?RAIL Back On Track again calls for the TRANSLink Smart Card to be junked, and a decent system implemented!?

References:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.0

2.  http://www.myki.com.au/default.aspx


Contact:

Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track
http://backontrack.org

Footnote:  According to reports in the Herald Sun the myki project has had delays (nothing like the 4 years for TRANSLink Smart Card).  The point is though that the Melbourne scheme will have daily and weekly automatic defaults ( see --> http://www.myki.com.au/use-myki_best-fare-free-metro.aspx ), something that is really needed with the Brisbane scheme. The only other alternative would be to reduce the fares by 60% for all smart card users.  That way on average, it would be cost neutral for the majority and encourage take-up.

[ozbob]

Submitted to Courier Mail September 10

The article Compute the commute, (C-M, Sept 10) is very timely.  The TRANSLink network is about to have the flawed TRANSLink Smart Card ticketing system rolled out.  Implicit in this system are huge increases in the cost of public transport for regular commuters as there is no daily fare threshold cap or provision for weekly or monthly ticketing on the card system.  Contrast this to the scheme that is being rolled out in Melbourne, the 'myki' smart card system.  It has daily fare caps, automatic weekly fares and so forth. Exactly what commuters could reasonably expect from a smart ticketing system.

The TRANSLink smart card system will only add to the already significant costs of public transport travel  and force more citizens on to the mega congestion and gridlock pits of despair that are the roads of South East Queensland.  Parking?  You have got to be joking!