RAIL - Back On Track Forum

There appears to be a new iteration of the Smart Ticketing reader which are being indtalled on the new busses being manufactured for the rail replacement program. They look to be smaller and without the large brim that the smart ticketing decal covers on the older iteration. Here's a sceen grab from one of the Premiers recent reels with the reader on the left.

Couriermail --> Qld smart ticketing: 50c fares to start as $22.8 million blowout revealed $

Quote...It can be revealed the public transport ticketing program will now cost nearly $400m and take a total of seven years to complete amid cost and time blowouts.

TransLink's smart ticketing program, allowing commuters to tap on and off public transport using credit and debit cards and mobile devices will now cost $22.8 million more than originally planned, the state government has confirmed.

This comes amid an extension of the project timeline to mid-2025 — despite being announced in mid-2018 with a promise of delivery in four years. ...

Caboolture Bus Lines went live with smart ticketing today. First bus operator in Queensland. Next will be Kinetic Sunshine Coast ~ mid September.

https://translink.com.au/about-translink/projects-and-initiatives/smart-ticketing/customer-trials

 " Contactless payment is available on all South East Queensland trains, including Airtrain services, trams, Brisbane River ferries, and Caboolture Bus Lines (CBL) services. "

^^The Translink site is now showing that it's available on Kinetic on the Sunny Coast.

https://www.facebook.com/share/gvUsjupgBkKfp5o2/

Hornibrook Bus Lines now accepting smart payment.

The green Translink buses and some of the 299 buses I have been on no longer have the 'Go Card only' signage.
Wasn't sure if someone ripped it off or they actually accept card now.

^^ The Go Card Only signage is simply a sticker that covers the Credit Cards part of the surround, and I have seen a few cases where it has either fallen off or been picked off. Earlier this week, I saw one stuck to the glass of the back door.

At the Metro open day they were saying by Christmas most buses in Se Queensland will have the tap n pay feature enabled.

Quote from: verbatim9 on October 19, 2024, 17:08:26 PMAt the Metro open day they were saying by Christmas most buses in Se Queensland will have the tap n pay feature enabled.

I have heard that Gold Coast buses might be next, hopefully before the full on holiday season. 

Brisbane might be early 2025.

Moreton Bay is now apparently fully enabled.

Interesting that there seems to be nothing on TL socials about it. Do they not care to inform their passengers?

Quote from: SurfRail on November 12, 2024, 16:16:54 PMMoreton Bay is now apparently fully enabled.

Hopefully, the roll out will be much quicker now.

Heard a rumour that Smart Ticketing will be enabled on Westside this week.

ABC News --->https://amp.abc.net.au/article/104626516

Smart ticketing on Brisbane Buses delayed until next year due to remnants of COVID.

$20 says the delays are due to BCC political interference to "create the longest rollout in history."

^ I don't see why.  None of the operations where it hasn't been enabled yet have a political axe to grind.

Quote from: verbatim9 on November 21, 2024, 11:27:17 AMABC News --->https://amp.abc.net.au/article/104626516

Smart ticketing on Brisbane Buses delayed until next year due to remnants of COVID.

Indeed, covid-related supply chain issues slowed down the procurement of the hardware, but it feels like that's just an excuse now.

On a technical level, as far as I know, every bus could accept tap and pay tomorrow. And because the physical rollout was so slow, the system's been in pilot phase for much longer than usual. It's clearly working fine.

These things are always staged, and I'm not saying 2025 is the wrong decision. But it's a decision by a project manager - or politican - to wait until a more opportune time, nothing to do with any actual work that needs to be done.

Although the app and website aren't complete yet...