New fare strategy - articles and discussion

[ozbob]

Well folks, we are GOing ....

There are still more details of the new fare structure to be released but key points:

Introduction of off peak discounts on the go card, initially 10%, 5% yearly increase to 20% in 2012.
No early bird discount although this is a further option for the future.

Off peak fares on go card weekends and gazetted public holidays.

Paper tickets will be significantly dearer than go card.  

No capping?

Fare increases.  Go fares will be equivalent to 2007 paper.  Paper will be roughly 40% more expensive.

From the Courier Mail click here!

Anna Bligh lures commuters to Go Card with giveaway plan

Anna Bligh lures commuters to Go Card with giveaway plan
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Patrick Lion

October 15, 2009 12:00am

QUEENSLAND commuters will be showered with millions of dollars of giveaways and off-peak discounts to lure them from paper tickets to Go Cards.

But those who fail to take up the new technology will be slapped with massive fare rises of up to 40 per cent.

About 400,000 Go Cards ? each loaded with $10 free credit ? will be given away, while Go Card users will receive incentives for travelling outside of peak times for the first time.

The changes are part of a radical new Bligh Government public transport strategy to be unveiled today, including the first fare rise since August last year.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Go Card fares will rise about 20 per cent from the new year, while paper ticket users will suffer increases of up to 40 per cent.

But the five-year plan also outlines a long-term price increase strategy to wind back subsidising public transport, with 15 per cent annual fare hikes scheduled from 2011 to 2014.

Acting Premier Paul Lucas last night said the new Go Card fare price was the same fare that paper ticket users were paying in July 2007.

"Commuters have taken to the Go Card and swear by it, but there are still casual public transport users out there who have not made the switch for one reason or another and this will provide them with an added incentive," Mr Lucas told The Courier-Mail.

Under the new off-peak discount scheme, commuters will receive 10 per cent off the fare price for trips between 9am and 3.30pm or after 7pm. But the incentive will increase by 5 per cent each year up to a full 20 per cent discount in 2012.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the fare strategy aimed to return the State Government's per-trip subsidy from 75 per cent back to 70 per cent within five years.

"For every dollar that a passenger spends on a fare, taxpayers spend three in subsidy and that ratio needs to decrease," Ms Nolan said.

"The off-peak discount will also assist in spreading the peak by encouraging people to travel outside the busiest periods on the network."

Under the new fare changes, paper tickets for a two-zone trip ? taken by more than one-third of all passengers ? will rise $1 from $2.90 to $3.90 from January 1.

However, Go Card fares for the same journey will only rise 38? from $2.32 to $2.70.

Almost 450,000 Go Cards have been taken up by commuters since its roll-out at the start of last year after Translink initially faced anger from commuters due to technical bungles.

[ozbob]

There is still more detail to come later today I understand.




Media Release 15 October 2009

SEQ:  Go card is going!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has welcomed the new fare strategy for the go card (1).

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The introduction of off peak discounts for the go card is a welcome move."

"There have been significant improvements in public transport overall and these improvements do cost.  Fares are to be increased but there are commitments for additional services. Under the new fare structure go card fares will be equivalent to the 2007 paper ticket cost.  Paper tickets will significantly dearer than for the equivalent go card travel under the new fare strategy."

"Cost of public transport is an important factor but frequent accessible services is what will drive change."

"We welcome the go card 'give away' initiative to further encourage commuters to make the change."

"The go card has had a long introduction and clearly has now reached the point to become the ticketing option for public transport in south-east Queensland.  The overall gains for improved efficiency for the entire public transport network are significant."

"We await more detail of the fare strategy but clearly there is now a strong incentive for users to make the change from paper to go card."

Reference:

1.  http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26211617-952,00.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[david]

Sounds promising...I will certainly be lining up to get a free go card (I only have a concession one at the moment)

I will be waiting until the monthly ticket costs come out before making any decisions on whether to permanently convert to go card. It may seem that go card fares will be much cheaper, but since I tend to make more than 10 trips a week, that still might not work in my favour.

This is a good step forward. Now all we need is a monthly-style fare cap. Then the government could possibly start winding back the selling of paper tickets.

[O_128]

We are finally getting somewhere but where is capping and is the off peak discount on top of the already 20% discount? IF go card is to become more successfull get private bussiness involved for example mcdonalds so that you can use your go card there!

[somebody]

This is a step in the right direction not far enough.  On days which I take 3 trips, it would still be cheaper to buy a daily.  And why phase in the discount for off peak travel?

The higher overall fares is probably a necessary thing, but will the extra money be used to get rid of the disgraceful penny pinching on the rail network?  30 minute frequency, what's the extra to run a decent off peak service?

[Derwan]

And why phase in the discount for off peak travel?

Probably because it needs to be offset by the 15% p/a increase.

Is decreasing the subsidy a good idea considering the billions we're spending on roads infrastructure?

We fully expected to see the gap between Go Card and paper tickets increase.  It's just come a little later than expected.

No mention of capping.  Some may still hang on to paper tickets - just to be sure of their weekly/monthly spend no matter how many services they catch.

The off peak discount should definitely be extended to include travel before 7am.

[ozbob]

Early bird travel will possibly be added later, there might be some technical reasons as the moment why it can't.

There are commitments that the extra fare revenue is to be translated into extra services.

Time will tell ...

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Off-peak discounts to boost Go Card uptake

Off-peak discounts to boost Go Card uptake
MARISSA CALLIGEROS
October 15, 2009 - 8:04AM

Public transport fares in South-East Queensland are set to rise 20 per cent over the next five years.

The State Government will offer off-peak discounts and free public transport Go Cards loaded with credit to commuters in a bid to boost uptake of the flagging electronic card.

Under a new five-year fare scheme, Go Card users who travel between 9am and 3.30pm or after 7pm will receive a 10 per cent discount on a single fare, while paper ticket users face a 40 per cent fare hike.

The push to phase out paper ticketing will be buoyed by a mass giveaway of 400,000 Go Cards, each loaded with $10 free travel credit.

"Commuters have taken to the go card and swear by it but there are still casual public transport users out there who have not made the switch for one reason or another and this will provide them with an added incentive," Acting Premier Paul Lucas said.

Paper tickets for a two-zone trip taken, taken by more than one-third of all passengers, will rise from $2.90 to $3.90 in January, while the rise in Go Card fares over the same journey would only be 38 cents - from $2.32 to $2.70.

The price hike is designed to reduce government travel subsidies from 75 per cent to 70 per cent within five years.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said fares for a typical zone two ticket would therefore increase up to 60 cents each year between 2011 and 2014.

"For every dollar that a passenger spends on a fare, taxpayers spend three in subsidy and that ratio needs to decrease rather than increase in the next five years," Ms Nolan said.

"Public transport in SEQ currently costs $1.2 billion and our funding won't go backwards  extra money brought in through the fare box will directly fund new services."

The extra funds will be pay for 301,000 additional passengers to come with the the rail line extension to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast from July next year, Mr Lucas said.

"If we're going to provide even more infrastructure and more services in a growing region we need to make sure the system has a sound financial base," he said.

[stephenk]

Anna Bligh lures commuters to Go Card with giveaway plan
Article from: The Courier-Mail
"Commuters have taken to the Go Card and swear by it, but there are still casual public transport users out there who have not made the switch for one reason or another and this will provide them with an added incentive," Mr Lucas told The Courier-Mail.

I thought it was the other way around. When asked at a CRG meeting earlier this year 100% of people at the meeting still used paper tickets.

In London, the Oyster Card price actually went down, and the paper tickets went up. Of course, this is Queensland and they hike the fares on both.  I seriously expect an improvement in public transport to go along with this hefty fare hike - max 15 mins peak wait, 15mins off-peak, buses that are frequent and not chronically full (Northern Busway hint hint wink wink), and a customer charter with refunds for major delays. If the increased fares are not passed on to public transport improvements, I will be very very disappointed! However, the reduced off-peak fares are welcome, and as a shift worker they may benefit me.

Finally, yet again, there is no daily or weekly capping on the go card. Heavy public transport users are penalised yet again. As  I often make 3 journeys a day - this annoys me - I await seeing the new weekly paper ticket pricing.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Weekly, monthly tickets to be scrapped

Weekly, monthly tickets to be scrapped
MARISSA CALLIGEROS AND TONY MOORE
October 15, 2009 - 9:00AM

Weekly and monthly tickets for public transport in South-East Queensland are to be scrapped.

brisbanetimes.com.au understands the State Government will this morning announce the phasing out of all paper tickets, including monthly and weekly saver passes, in an attempt to force commuters to take up electronic Go Cards. It is expected they will be scrapped by the end of 2010.

The government this morning announced stiff price hikes for paper tickets from January as part of their strategy to encourage commuters to use the Go Card. Paper tickets for a two-zone trip, taken by more than one-third of all passengers, will rise from $2.90 to $3.90 - or 34 per cent - in January, while the rise in Go Card fares over the same journey would only be 38 cents - from $2.32 to $2.70.

The State Government will also offer off-peak discounts and free credit to lure commuters to take up the electronic card.

"Commuters have taken to the Go Card and swear by it but there are still casual public transport users out there who have not made the switch for one reason or another and this will provide them with an added incentive," Acting Premier Paul Lucas said this morning.

Under a new five-year fare scheme, Go Card users who travel between 9am and 3.30pm or after 7pm will receive a 10 per cent discount on a single fare.

The push to phase out paper ticketing will be buoyed by a mass giveaway of 400,000 Go Cards, each loaded with $10 free travel credit.

It is understood commuters will not be able to load their Go Card with the equivalent of a monthly or weekly paper ticket, which allows for unlimited travel while the ticket is valid.

Commuters will instead be forced to pay for each and every trip on the network.

The price hikes are designed to reduce government travel subsidies from 75 per cent to 70 per cent within five years.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said fares for a typical zone two ticket would therefore increase up to 60 cents each year between 2011 and 2014.

"For every dollar that a passenger spends on a fare, taxpayers spend three in subsidy and that ratio needs to decrease rather than increase in the next five years," Ms Nolan said.

"Public transport in SEQ currently costs $1.2 billion and our funding won't go backwards - extra money brought in through the fare box will directly fund new services."

The extra funds will be pay for 301,000 additional passengers to come with the the rail line extension to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast from July next year, Mr Lucas said.

"If we're going to provide even more infrastructure and more services in a growing region we need to make sure the system has a sound financial base," he said.

[#Metro]

Wow. That's amazing.

So, I'm waiting to hear something about congestion tolling in the CBD and surrounds.

[somebody]

Finally, yet again, there is no daily or weekly capping on the go card. Heavy public transport users are penalised yet again. As  I often make 3 journeys a day - this annoys me - I await seeing the new weekly paper ticket pricing.

There is the frequent user scheme: trips after the 10th per week get a 50% discount.  That's not too bad.  I'm starting to think that my monthly might become unattractive under this plan.

[#Metro]

I've read the comments on the Courier Mail website.

Most people are up in arms (as expected) about having to pay more.
Of course, just like in the tunnels fare thread a while ago, everyone wants to their use to be free, and someone else to pay.
Which is unfair.

I guess this is expected. Some people have asked for higher subsidy so that more people catch PT. But the fact is that PT system is saturated, and can't fit extra people on (without more money).

Others have said that there is too much overcrowding. Higher prices will ease overcrowding in two ways:
- People who can carpool, bicycle, walk or are willing to sit in traffic will stop using PT, freeing up spaces on buses, trains, ferries for those who have no other choice. I think this is fair.
- Extra funding and less subsidy paid to make buses/train/ferries drive around can now go into purchasing more PT vehicles and funding expensive infrastructure.

I came across one comment- why is it so expensive to run PT?

Riddle me this. I pay $2.40 to travel to work via bus, and the government (apparently) chips in three times that - total cost $9.60. If I drive, I use $2.10 of fuel plus around $1.50 of sundries (rego, maintenance, etc) - total cost $3.60. So it costs 2.5 times more to travel via public transport. WHAT?? Only government could manage to make one vehicle (a bus) carrying 50 people cost more to run than one vechicle (a car) carrying one person. Can the Minister please tell us how this could possibly be? Perhaps the Minister can tell us how much of my $2.40 bus fare goes on administration and how much goes on the necessary things like diesel, maintenance, etc?

Posted by: Amanda Johnston of Stafford Heights 7:53am today
Comment 62 of 102

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/comments/0,23836,26211617-952,00.html

[ozbob]

From Twitter, a TransLink Tweet

TransLinkSEQ Information on TransLink's new fare structure will be available from 12pm today. Stay tuned!

[#Metro]

Exciting!

[Mozz]

Weekly and monthly tickets to be scrapped as part  of the new fare structure is being reported:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/weekly-monthly-tickets-to-be-scrapped-20091015-gxv1.html

Weekly, monthly tickets to be scrapped
MARISSA CALLIGEROS AND TONY MOORE
October 15, 2009 - 9:13AM

Weekly and monthly tickets for public transport in South-East Queensland are to be scrapped.

brisbanetimes.com.au understands the State Government will this morning announce the phasing out of all paper tickets, including monthly and weekly saver passes, in an attempt to force commuters to take up electronic Go Cards. It is expected they will be scrapped by the end of 2010.

The government this morning announced stiff price hikes for paper tickets from January as part of their strategy to encourage commuters to use the Go Card.

Paper tickets for a two-zone trip, taken by more than one-third of all passengers, will rise from $2.90 to $3.90 - or 34 per cent - in January, while the rise in Go Card fares over the same journey would only be 38 cents - from $2.32 to $2.70.

The State Government will also offer off-peak discounts and free credit to lure commuters to take up the electronic card.

"Commuters have taken to the Go Card and swear by it but there are still casual public transport users out there who have not made the switch for one reason or another and this will provide them with an added incentive," Acting Premier Paul Lucas said this morning.

Under a new five-year fare scheme, Go Card users who travel between 9am and 3.30pm or after 7pm will receive a 10 per cent discount on a single fare.

The push to phase out paper ticketing will be buoyed by a mass giveaway of 400,000 Go Cards, each loaded with $10 free travel credit.

It is understood commuters will not be able to load their Go Card with the equivalent of a monthly or weekly paper ticket, which allows for unlimited travel while the ticket is valid.

Travellers will instead be forced to pay for each and every trip on the network.

Commuter lobby group Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said a lack of capped weekly or monthly tickets would make motorists of some existing commuters.

"Without Go Card capping the government is probably going to force users of the existing system back onto the road," Mr Dow said.

But he welcomed the introduction of off-peak Go Card fares and said widespread uptake of the electronic ticket would improve travel times across the bus network.

"People will see a marked improvement in the efficiency of the network, once everyone is using a Go Card. They will be able to tweak the timetables a lot better, because they will have real time-loading information and know exactly when passengers are travelling and where."

The price hikes are designed to reduce government travel subsidies from 75 per cent to 70 per cent within five years.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said fares for a typical zone two ticket would therefore increase up to 60 cents each year between 2011 and 2014.

"For every dollar that a passenger spends on a fare, taxpayers spend three in subsidy and that ratio needs to decrease rather than increase in the next five years," Ms Nolan said.

"Public transport in SEQ currently costs $1.2 billion and our funding won't go backwards - extra money brought in through the fare box will directly fund new services."

The extra funds will be pay for 301,000 additional passengers to come with the the rail line extension to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast from July next year, Mr Lucas said.

"If we're going to provide even more infrastructure and more services in a growing region we need to make sure the system has a sound financial base," he said.

[ozbob]

This information has been supplied to us by the Minister of Transport staff, and was embargoed till 11am.


TRANSLINK FARE CHANGES

What are we doing?

Public transport is going paperless.  Under the changes to be introduced on 4 January 2010:
?   New fares: go card fares will return to 2007 levels or less, meaning a typical two zone go card journey will increase from $2.30 to $2.70.  If you use go card for a single journey, you will pay the same or less than two and a half years ago, and less than a paper ticket costs now.
?   Paper premium: paper ticket prices will increase so that the go card is always 30% cheaper for a single journey.
?   Off-peak price cut: go card users will get a 10% discount on all journeys between 9:00am and 3:30pm Monday to Friday, after 7:00pm and on weekends and public holidays.

Three, six and 12 month rail tickets will also be removed from 1 January 2010, with all paper tickets removed in December 2010.  A new limited life go card will be available for infrequent users.

go card?s 50% concession discount and frequent user scheme will continue, with a 50% discount when you use your go card more than 10 times in a week (Monday to Sunday). 

The off-peak discount will be increased to 15% in 2011 and then 20% in 2012.  Fares will also be increased by 15% per annum over the next five years, so we can keep rolling out more and better services.

What will this deliver?

Every cent collected from the fare changes will be pumped back into better public transport services.  Over the next year, this will deliver 301,000 new public transport seats every single week.

We will roll out:
?   201 000 seats on buses
?   83 400 seats on rail
?   17 000 seats on ferries

Over the next five years we will keep delivering new services to keep pace with demand.

Why go card?

There are many benefits of go card:
?   quicker ? could save up to seven minutes on an average bus trip
?   easier ? no more searching for change and go card works out the cheapest fare for you
?   safer ? registered go cards are protected against theft or loss
?   planning ? we will be able to build the network you want and need

Nearly 450,000 go cards have now been issued, with more than 1.25 million trips a week made on go card.

Making go card easier

We will make it easier to buy and top up go card. We?ll double the number of locations where you can buy a go card, with pre-loaded adult and senior go cards available at 200 new resellers.

These retailers won?t top up cards, which is why we will also roll out 40 new machines at busway stations and key interchanges with the ability to top up and dispense adult go cards.

These changes will mean nearly 450 places to buy go card and over 350 locations to top up ? as well as online or over the phone.  Automatic top up will also be available in 2010, so when your balance falls below a threshold amount, it is automatically reloaded to an amount set by you.

In 2010 we will also deliver:
?   Seniors partnership: we will be providing a Seniors Card with go card functionality. This will ensure seniors can enjoy the safety, convenience and savings of go card.
?   Limited life go card: we will introduce a product using go card technology that caters for infrequent users such as tourists.

Free go cards

We know some people are unsure about trying a new system.  That?s why we?ll offer 400,000 free go cards through newspapers in early 2010.  These cards will be loaded with $10 credit once registered, providing a great incentive to give public transport a go.

Why are fares changing?

Public transport has changed a lot since TransLink was introduced in 2004.  Integrated ticketing, new buses, trains and ferries, new busways, new railway lines and upgraded stations.

To keep building a better network, it needs to be sustainable.  Currently, for every $1 you pay in fares, taxpayers put in $3.  That means cost recovery is less than 25 per cent ? well below international benchmarks and much lower than cost recovery on roads, which is about 50 per cent.

Even after these changes, fares will still only cover a quarter of costs because we are continuing to roll out new services.  But over the next five years, fares will increase to cover 30 per cent of costs.  That means taxpayers will still provide a 70 per cent subsidy ? more than for roads.

Remember, if you use a go card you will pay no more for a single journey than you did in 2007, and you will pay less than a paper ticket costs now.

[Jon Bryant]

Overall I too think this is heading in the right direction.  My concern is that support public transport is still seen as a subsidy whist building roads is "a basic need to keep the economy going".  What also needs to be highligted (as others have also pointed out) that for every person who uses public transport we save millions in not hvaing to build more roads, public saftey, health costs, etc. etc.  Thus is it a subsidy or is it a cost reduction scheme??

I am not opposed to the price rise as I know it is cheaper than running my car each and everyday.   I am more than happy to pay more for a better service and healthier, safter, pretttier and more posperous city.  Might make we ride a bit more often too ..and I need it.

PS. The blog reference above is totally incorrect.  It cost including depreciation and interest on car loans/leases is easily over 100 a week to own and operate a small car travelling limited distances.  The reference also does not include car parking.

Edit post the press release above....  The 50% recovery on roads can not take into account the associated health and other costs from a road addicted society.  We may be getting to the bottom of QT's flawed economic modelling that shows road transport is sustainable long-term!!

[ozbob]

Glad the 50% after ten trips is still alive!  And at weekends it will be 50% off off peak fare to boot. Gympie North here we come!!  

Seniors card will have go card functionality ... cool move!

More go card agents and places where you will be able to top up go card.

Auto topup finally available .... three cheers!

There will also be preloaded go cards for sale as well.  These can be used directly and registered too as desired.

Limited life tourist go card.

40 ticket machines to go out on the bus network.  This will facilitate top ups as well.

Also can confirm that early bird discount is on the go horizon as well, there is a software issue to be addressed first as I understand it.

[somebody]

Three, six and 12 month rail tickets will also be removed from 1 January 2010, with all paper tickets removed in December 2010.  A new limited life go card will be available for infrequent users.

This part seems a little rough.  Why not keep the paper tickets so that out-of-towners or very infrequent users can negotiate the system?

[#Metro]

To keep building a better network, it needs to be sustainable.  Currently, for every $1 you pay in fares, taxpayers put in $3. That means cost recovery is less than 25 per cent ? well below international benchmarks and much lower than cost recovery on roads, which is about 50 per cent.

This is excellent. Spend a bit more, and get more back. That's called investment.

Every cent collected from the fare changes will be pumped back into better public transport services.  Over the next year, this will deliver 301,000 new public transport seats every single week.

We will roll out:
?   201 000 seats on buses
?   83 400 seats on rail
?   17 000 seats on ferries

Over the next five years we will keep delivering new services to keep pace with demand.

There is nothing wrong with the principle of subsidy, given our circumstances. Indeed, subsidies could be considered a "second best" solution as we can't charge car users for the amount of road they use (it can't be measured easily). And while roads might be cheap to build (spend $1, get 50c back) there is a limit to this as there simply won't be the space!

Rather than pay people big discounts to catch services they would anyway, that 5% will now go to network improvements and buying vehicles.

Subsidies are a tricky thing. Most PT ran without subsidies in the pre-car era. Brisbane trams were owned by the tramway trust and ran at a profit (during the depression!). But when cars came along, the operators made losses, and these needed to be covered somehow (otherwise the operation would have to close). Bogota's Transmillenio system and Hong Kongs heavy rail network both operate at a profit, while still having all the benefits mentioned that PT brings to the public.

The reason why subsidies are generally disliked is that most people pay twice. If a commuter is also a taxpayer (which they would be if they catch the bus to work), then they pay $1 at the farebox and then $3 in taxes. Which is a total $4 for a perceived saving of $3.

[ozbob]

Fares are now available.

From Monday 4 January 2010, TransLink will restructure fares to maximise the customer benefits of the go card ticketing system and improve public transport services.

    * Across the network, go card fares will increase by 16 to 21 per cent. Paper ticket fares will increase by 13 to 42 per cent.
    * go card fares will always be at least 30 per cent cheaper than a single paper ticket.
    * Off-peak travel discounts and an auto top-up feature will be introduced on go card.
    * The go card frequent user scheme will continue (50 per cent discount after ten or more trips in a Monday to Sunday period).
    * Three, six and 12 months tickets sold for travel on the rail network will be withdrawn from sale from 1 January 2010.

--> http://www.translink.com.au/fares2010.php

[ozbob]

Brochure on the new fare structure here --> http://www.translink.com.au/resources/ticketing/100104_fares.pdf

[ozbob]

I have sent a tweet to TL to ask how the off peak go will work.

Say you touch on 3.20pm and travel to Robina ... is that off peak, or does it mean you must complete and touch off by 3.30pm to be off peak?

[brismike]

Ok all well and good . . but the one thing that really peeves    me when I do use my Go Card is the queue to touch off at Darra Station. (Or any other station too I presume.) With only one Go Card reader at the end of the platform it can take ages to touch off in peak hour. Why cant they install more readers? At least one on each side of the exit would be a start. But five or six of them would be better. 

[somebody]

One other thing: How come the cost per zone RISES with the number of zones travelled in.  I.e. the difference between a 2 zone & a 3 zone ticket is 50c, but between a 21 zone & a 22 zone ticket is 70c.  Shouldn't it go the other way, declining cost per distance for longer distance commuters?

[p858snake]

Fare hike for Qld public transport

The cost of using public transport in south-east Queensland will increase from January.

Go Card fares will rise by about 20 per cent under a five-year plan to be unveiled today,

Paper tickets will climb by around 40 per cent.

Fares will jump by about 15 per cent annually from 2011 to 2014 and Go Card users will be offered incentives such as discounted off-peak travel from next year.

Translink chief executive Peter Strachan says the new Go Card fare will be the same as the paper ticket price in 2007.

"If a customer travels two zones on the system on the Go Card they'll be paying an extra 38c a trip - so around $3.80 a week," he said.

"On a paper ticket basis that's about $2 a trip - a huge incentive to use the Go Card as opposed to the paper ticket."

Mr Strachan says the fare increase is necessary so new services can be rolled out.

"It's appropriate that we raise sufficient revenue in the fare box to roll out new services and invest in new infrastructure to meet that growing demand for public transport here in south-east Queensland," he said.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/15/2714779.htm

Weekly, monthly tickets to be scrapped: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/weekly-monthly-tickets-to-be-scrapped-20091015-gxv1.html
Anna Bligh lures commuters to Go Card with giveaway plan: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26211617-952,00.html

[p858snake]

Ok all well and good . . but the one thing that really peeves    me when I do use my Go Card is the queue to touch off at Darra Station. (Or any other station too I presume.) With only one Go Card reader at the end of the platform it can take ages to touch off in peak hour. Why cant they install more readers? At least one on each side of the exit would be a start. But five or six of them would be better. 

They do at some stations, for example FG has them both sides at either exit.

[Jon Bryant]

I am with you Brismike.  The single reader at each exit at Morningside (outbound) creates ques of 20 or so people and can take 3-4 minutes to clear. As paperless ticketing is on its way then all stations should have gates installed monitored by staff (more jobs).  This should also crack down on fare evasion.  Modern ticket system need modern stations.

I read an artcile the other day that reported fare evasion on non-gated train systems will range upwards as high as 80%.  I suspect it may be this high in brisbane for short trips between suburban stations.

[beauyboy]

Personally I am disgusted with this government and I am saying that as a once proud labor votors

The fact they are refusing to cap daily and weekly usage. effectively fining people that use paper.

I think we need to start a partition.

I don't think it is fair and we should do something about it.

Donald

[ozbob]

Yes, it is disappointing that some option for a weekly/monthly was not retained.  The fact is most people don't do more 10 trips are week so they are gearing it for them.

But when you take the 50% discount into effect it is not as bad as it first seems if you are doing multiple journeys in a day.

I would expect a petition will be set up at Parliament sooner than later as often happens with these sort of things.  There is a year before paper is removed so there may be some further refinements.

Cheers
Bob

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
15/10/2009

Paperless public transport a smarter way to go

The future of public transport in SEQ is paperless, according to the State Government's five-year fares and products strategy announced today.

The strategy, announced today by Acting Premier Paul Lucas and Minister for Transport Rachel Nolan, would see all paper tickets replaced by the go card by the end of 2010.

"In just over 18 months since the roll out began, we've issued almost 450,000 go cards, had more than $120 million loaded on to them and seen 50 million trips taken using the new system," Mr Lucas said.

"And now we want to move to the next step.

"Smart cards mean faster boarding times, better on-time performance and more data to tailor the rollout of new services where they're needed.

"Using a go card cuts individual boarding time from around 11 seconds to just three and that translates to a time saving of up to seven minutes on an average bus service.

"More than 1.25 million weekly trips are now taken using go cards, which is about one-third of all trips taken on the TransLink network and more than half of all trips taken during the morning and afternoon peak periods.

"But we want to make sure everyone has every opportunity to get a go card and experience how easy it is to use."

Mr Lucas said the State Government would next year:

?issue 400,000 free go cards loaded with $10 credit upon registration to encourage take-up;

?immediately offer off-peak go card discounts of 10%, rising to 20% by 2012;

?double the retail network for go card purchases;

?massively expand the number of go card machines at major busway stations and transport interchanges;

?roll-out a Seniors Card that will double as a go card;

?introduce a limited-life go card suitable for occasional users and tourists available everywhere a go card can be purchased.

Mr Lucas said TransLink would implement a new fare structure from January next year, which offered substantial discounts on go card fares compared with paper tickets.

Paper tickets for a two-zone trip, taken by more than one-third of all passengers, will rise from $2.90 to $3.90 in January, while the rise in go card fares over the same journey would only be 38 cents - from $2.32 to $2.70.

"The new go card fare is the same fare paper ticket users were paying in July 2007," Mr Lucas said.

"This new fare structure is all about encouraging people to make the switch to go card."

Mr Lucas said the fare rise was the first since August 2008, when a CPI rise was added and a 20-35 per cent discount given to go card users.

Mr Lucas said extra funds would be used to help add more than 301,000 additional passenger capacity a week to the SEQ network by July next year.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the paper ticket phase-out would include a range of product options such as new off-peak discounts.

"Any go card user who travels between 9am and 3.30pm or after 7pm will receive an automatic 10 per cent discount off the single go card fare. This discount will increase by five per cent each year up to a full 20 per cent off-peak discount in 2012," Ms Nolan said.

"The off-peak discount will also assist in spreading the peak by encouraging people to travel outside the busiest periods.

"We will certainly be communicating with passengers in general over the next 12 months but we will also target special groups such as seniors, tourists and parents to ensure their specific questions or needs have been considered.

Ms Nolan said the fare strategy also aimed to return the State Government's per-trip subsidy from 75 per cent back to 70 per cent within five years. To help reach that goal fares will increase 15% a year from 2011 to 2014 - or around 40 cents to 60 cents a year for a typical two-zone ticket.

"For every dollar that a passenger spends on a fare, taxpayers spend three in subsidy and that ratio needs to decrease rather than increase in the next five years," Ms Nolan said.

"The January fare increase will continue to see passengers paying cheaper fares than in Sydney and Melbourne.

"This government currently provides $1.2 billion in funding of public transport and that funding won't go backwards - extra money brought in through the fare box will directly fund new services.

"And we're continuing our massive expansion of the public transport network - already this year we've opened $564 million worth of busways and the rail line extension to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast is on track to open by the end of the year."

Ms Nolan said while there was never a good time to increase fares, taxpayers had an expectation that government would recover more than 25 per cent of the true cost of providing public transport.

"The actual cost of delivering public transport has increased dramatically in the past five years due but we've seen fares only increasing with CPI in that period," Ms Nolan said.

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

[dwb]

One other thing: How come the cost per zone RISES with the number of zones travelled in.  I.e. the difference between a 2 zone & a 3 zone ticket is 50c, but between a 21 zone & a 22 zone ticket is 70c.  Shouldn't it go the other way, declining cost per distance for longer distance commuters?

It originally started at 40c (travel in one to ten zones) and 80c (more than eleven) with a boarding fee of $1.60 (in 2004).

The price has then been indexed to CPI and rounded to nearest 10c (for cashhandling purposes). As this has occured numerous times the difference in costs between zones has varied due to rounding errors. I'd assume the cost difference is simply to stop them needing the equivalent of having 34-5 zones.

[dwb]

Ms Nolan said while there was never a good time to increase fares, taxpayers had an expectation that government would recover more than 25 per cent of the true cost of providing public transport.

Public transport patrons who are themselves also taxpayers have an expectation that external benefits of PT should be considered when determining the overall cost/benefit implications of funding public transport. eg health benefits, carbon emission benefits, reduced road toll, reduced need for new roads, higher productivity, high social benefit of reduced time sitting in congestion etc etc.

[dwb]

From the press release it states the removal of paper tickets by 2010. This is not mentioned in the PDF on TL's website (http://www.translink.com.au/resources/ticketing/100104_fares.pdf)

I think it will be important to get stated guarantees that weekly and monthly tickets will not prematurely be withdrawn and that singles/dailies for instance purchased at railway stations (either office windows or machines) will still be able to be used. Even Transport for London has NOT tried to remove ALL paper tickets from sale in any where near a short time period as this statement implies!!

More carrot, less stick!!

[#Metro]

The argument public transport should be subsidised is valid under the current circumstances, and given its benefits.
But as I have stated before, public transport does not necessarily have to make a loss to continue to have public benefits that people mentioned.

However, it is the level of subsidy that is under argument, and what government funds should be used for: Cheaper tickets or more trains? Now that those subsidies are now being reduced (by 5%), that money saved will go back into the network in the form of more buses, trains etc.

I support this, especially given that there is no space on full services.

We need to invest in the system.
Not give people free rides that will ultimately lead to the lack of funds for upgrades we need.

[STB]

From the press release it states the removal of paper tickets by 2010. This is not mentioned in the PDF on TL's website (http://www.translink.com.au/resources/ticketing/100104_fares.pdf)

Yes it is, on page 1, left hand side, second last paragraph.

So, if paper tickets are taken out completely, I presume limited life Go Cards will be able to be brought on buses and ferries?

[Jon Bryant]

I think/recommed that we spearate the 2 debates.  Users are happy to pay for a good service.  The strategy release today goes along way in the right direction.  There is a little way to go on top-up availability, gate on rail stations, caps (it is a visible decision making/marketing perception) and more innovative pricing options (e.g. Coles and Woolies Points).  The price of public transport IS less than driving.  That is without question even before you take into account all the external cost outlined by dwb.  

The second debate is about the cost effectiveness of our investment (aka taxes) on public/active transport infrastructure vs road infrastructure.  Yes,Yes my favorite topic!!  It is this debate where we need to discuss the cost effictivess/efficiency of PT/AT over more and more road funding which only increase road usage.   See other blog for more discussion. http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2868.0

[somebody]

As paperless ticketing is on its way then all stations should have gates installed monitored by staff (more jobs).  This should also crack down on fare evasion.  

I read an artcile the other day that reported fare evasion on non-gated train systems will range upwards as high as 80%.  I suspect it may be this high in brisbane for short trips between suburban stations.

Translink's tracker claims fare evasion is roughly 8% over the network.  That's not a problem that justifies a massive expensive.  Staff on the gates in the city stations are often overloaded and increasing Go Card use will improve this.  I do think, though, that stations like Robina justify staff and gates.

[STB]

Have just put forward a suggestion on Twitter to TransLink if Uni Student cards can have Go Card capability built in.  Would require a business deal between the universities and TransLink to work though I would think.