9 Jan 2010: SEQ: Airtrain and the new fare strategy ...

[ozbob]

Greetings

On the 5th January I travelled by rail to Brisbane Airport.  I touched on at Oxley, touched off at Roma St, I was debited with the correct 3 zone fare.  Then I touched back on (continuation of travel) and touched off at the Airport, correct fare debited. By doing this I was able to avoid the extra fare charged for a continuous rail journey connecting with an Aitrain service, simply by breaking the journey into two trips. Farcical that we need to do it to avoid the excess fares.

On the 8th January I travelled by rail from Brisbane Airport to Oxley.  I did it as a single journey from Brisbane Airport, as expected I was debited with the excess rip off fare.

For example an adult single journey from Brisbane Airport to Oxley is $20.40, concession $18.10 if done as a single journey, go or paper. So for the non air train leg at peak adult is paying $5.90 for a fare which should cost $3.20. Concession is paying $3.60 for a fare which should cost $1.60.  At off peak the go card holder does not receive the off peak fare either if they do at as a single journey.

The rip off is well and truly in place.  In view of the recent significant price rises for fares why are public transport commuters continued to be slugged these extra fares if they are not smart enough to break their journey?  Most commuters would travel to the airport as a single journey and would not expect to be hit with extra charges for travel on the non Airtrain legs of their journey.  Who would?  Nowhere but the smart state of course.

It is a totally unacceptable situation and needs immediate correction.

Best wishes
Robert

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Media Release 9 January 2010

SEQ:  Airtrain and the new fare strategy and the connecting rail rip off

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 long highlighted the blatant fare rip off for unsuspecting  commuters who travel as a single journey from railway stations on the TransLink network and then the Airtrain from CBD to the airport, as compared to normal fare prices (1). This rip off also impacts on a single rail journey from the Airport as well. This hits unsuspecting TransLink customers with extra fares which can be avoided by breaking the journey into two stages.  How bizarre for a modern public transport system in that a single journey costs more than two separate journeys? The fact that government appears to be happy that hapless commuters continue being slugged extra as evidenced by a lack of action to address this rip off is also cause for concern.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"For example, if you check the online fare calculator on the Airtrain web site, the cost of a single adult go card journey from Nambour to the Brisbane Airport is $30.40 (2).

"Smart commuters do it differently. By breaking the journey into two legs, the correct fares for the first leg for example from Nambour to Eagle Junction is charged, and then subsequently by either purchasing a ticket or touching with go card as a continuation of travel from Eagle Junction to Airport leg the correct fare is charged.  The adult fare from Nambour to Eagle Junction on go card is go card off-peak $8.73 Adult  go card $9.70 Adult  single $14.10 .  The Airtrain fare from Eagle Junction to Airport is $14.50. If a person touches on at Nambour travels to Eagle Junction, touches off and then touches back on they will only pay $23.23 off peak, or $24.20 peak.  Contrast this to the single rip off fare of $30.40. This rip off is confirmed on the Translink journey planner (2)."

"RAIL Back On Track has pointed out this situation with  the fare rip off previously many times (3).  Why is it that Government and TransLink are happy to allow unsuspecting commuters to be stung?"

"With the new high cost fare strategy that rolled out from the 4th January 2010 this fare rip off continues.  Go card users will not be debited with the correct off peak fares for the non-Airtrain legs of their journeys as applicable as well."

"Presently people using the Airtrain would be best advised to use a go card to Central (or Eagle Junction from the north). Touch off if using go card, and then buy another ticket from Central (or Eagle Junction) to the Airport or touch back on as a continuation of travel if using go card. The savings can be substantial as demonstrated."

"This ticket pricing circus is again a good example of what is wrong with public transport in south-east Queensland! It is a further disincentive for people not to use public transport.  It puts railway staff in a no-win situation when challenged by commuters as to the inequity of the fare structure."

"Why is it that Airtrain gets an additional revenue component from travel on the public Translink Citytrain network if a rail user uses a go card in a continuous journey or buys a paper continuous ticket?  This additional fare impost DOES NOT apply to connecting bus or ferry travel.  Why are only rail commuters slugged?  Airtrain can charge what they like for travel on the line from Eagle Junction to the Airports, but why is there is a rip-off fare for travel on public parts of the network paid for by the taxpayer? The fact that it can be correctly and easily avoided by doing a two stage journey highlights the absolute absurdity of this situation."

"We need to encourage people to use public transport.  This fare structure for connecting rail travel to Brisbane airport is anti-public transport, another case of rhetoric not matching reality.  We again call on the government to fix this fare anomaly as a matter of urgency."

"The sooner the Airtrain line is brought back into public ownership and integrated properly as part of the normal TransLink network in terms of fares and timetables, the sooner the road congestion issues to the airport will be over (4)."

Reference:

1.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3091.0

2.   http://www.translink.com.au/  Journey planner accessed 28th December 2009

3.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1304.0

4.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=720.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org