30 Jan 2010: SEQ: Unprotected go card readers on stations need weather hoods

[ozbob]

Media Release 30 January 2010

SEQ:  Unprotected go card readers on stations need weather hoods

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 called for weather hoods to be placed on go card readers out in the weather on railway stations.  It is often not possible to read the screens due to glare and internal and external moisture build up on the screens.  Over time the screens also degrade due to the sunlight and this also makes it difficult to read screens. This in turn confuses go card users and often leads to fixed fare penalties and then the subsequent hassles in seeking reimbursements.  There is also the risk that users may be travelling in an untouched state due to 'go confusion' and therefore could be liable for a fare evasion offence through no fault of their own.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track members and public feedback have reported constant issues with go card readers out in the weather since early 2008 (1).  Yesterday was a wet day in south east Queensland, we received reports of readers at Oxley, Sherwood, Boondall, Dinmore and Bethania as being unreadable (2). There is clearly a network wide problem."

"The fitting of hoods that protect the top of the go card readers would stop a lot of the external moisture and glare problems. Internal moisture would also be reduced."

"In the longer term, consideration should also be given to replacing the readers with devices that have larger screens and fonts, similar to the myki equipment in Melbourne (3). Many users struggle with the small screens and often hard to read fonts on the present go card equipment, particularly if the coloured light flashes and beeps are missing or hard to see or hear as the case may be."

References:

1.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?board=27.0

2.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=432.msg20510#msg20510

3.   Melbourne visit January 2010   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3232.msg18950#msg18950


Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Go card reader screen eastern platform 3 Oxley.
This demonstrates well the moisture problem.

Moisture effected, a few drops external but most is moisture build up on the interior of the screen, which then makes it impossible to read the detail.   Not good enough.





Photographs R Dow 22nd December 2009

[ozbob]

Specs for the readers, from http://www.cubic.com/cts/Publications/DataSheets/Ltr/Station%20Validator%206100.pdf

Environmental
Storage Temperature: -30°C to +80°C (-22°F to +176°F)
Operating Temperature: -20°C to +55°C
(-4°F to +131°F); -30°C to +55°C (-22°F to +131°F)
with heater option
Relative Humidity: 15% to 95%
Vibration: Mil-Std-810D, Method 514.3, Category 8,
0.25g (RMS) all three axes, 5 to 200 Hz
Shock: Mil-Std-810D, Procedure I, half-sine pulse,
5g peak, 10msec
Ingress Protection: EN60529
Immunity: EN61000-6-2, EN50121-4
Emissions: FCC 15B, Class A
Flammability: UL 94V-0

Here is the basic issue by the looks of things.  They are simply not built for high humidity (>95%) which is often the case in micro environments around the readers out in the weather.  Hoods will assist.

[#Metro]

The moment hoods go up, someone is going to sit on them and break them or graffiti them.  ::)Just saying

[ozbob]

They do that now, although I have noticed vandalism on the go gear seems to be less common now that it is in more consistent use.  Hoods can be constructed simply and solidly, don't see that as a problem. What is a problem is the poor  punters struggling to read them.

Something like this hood could be adapted.



Another approach might be to build small shelters that protect the readers but allow access.

e.g.

[Mozz]

Or maybe those people who are paid to actually administer the gocard network could actually develop and deliver a solution - Translink.. quoting 99.x reliability of your gocard reader network is a patent farce. The readers are old tech (old as in 5 - 15years old tech - basic led screen the size of a credit card) they don't like rain, they don't like sunshine, there is not enough readers out there .. they have issues.

Option One: continue to do things according to our original plan and ignore commuter feedback = fail
Option Two: put all the responsibility and blame onto the public transport commuter regardless whether they are a CBD commuter warrior, or tourist, or older person,or infrequent user of public transport, or child, or adolescent or person with a disability or...... = fail (of the highest order)



Option Three: try to understand that comments about the effectiveness of the gocard implementation and implement remedial solutions of a short, medium and long term basis = pass (hopefully)

[ozbob]

It is little wonder the folks lose what little faith they have left with TransLink when this sort of thing appears.
To be fair, it may well be an editorialised comment but something like, 'yes there are issues with readers out in the weather and we are working constructively to find a solution'  would create a much more credible reputation, no, just spin and denial ...  goodness, the blogs, letters and feedback has been peppered with punters reporting problems with readers out in the weather.

From the Brisbane mX 2nd February 2010 page 2

Weathering go card call

[ozbob]

In case there is any doubt as to why hoods are needed ...

Overnight rain, this reader is out in the weather eastern end of platform 3 Oxley.
Fortunately there is one a few metres UP out of the weather.





Eastern end platforms 1/2, this is the solitary reader there (another is needed as well as hoods).



Photographs R Dow 7th February 2010

[Mozz]

There appears to be a degree of incompatability between Translinks constant assertion of 99.9xxxxxxx reliability of go card equipment and the patent pictorial evidence and the constant stream of commuter complaints about equipment failure on this forum and in the main stream media.

I for one will get on my soapbox and call for a "royal commission" into the issue..... well we have tried everthing else without result.

3-4 years into the gocard project and we are now only still "talking" about hoods on readers

[#Metro]

There appears to be a degree of incompatability between Translinks constant assertion of 99.9xxxxxxx reliability of go card equipment and the patent pictorial evidence and the constant stream of commuter complaints about equipment failure on this forum and in the main stream media.

Let us suppose that a person who evades fares has a "wallet malfunction" which results in them being unable to pay for their journey, giving them a free trip.

Now let us suppose that a person who uses GoCard has a "card malfunction" which results in them being unable to pay for their journey, giving them a free trip. To tell whether GoCard is doing badly or not, it isn't helpful to say "99. whatever" % of the time Go Card is reliable". What it needs to be compared against is the rate of fare evasion- which is also low.

If more non-payments occur with GoCard than with fare evaders per 10,000 trips, then GoCard could be said to be unreliable. Because it would be cheaper (all things being equal, ignoring time savings etc) to let people dodge the fare with a paper ticket than try to genuinely pay with GoCard.

I have had three free trips in a month, and I never have dodged a fare...

Maybe this might help... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_rate_fallacy