Article: Go card causing confusion

[ozbob]

From  Brisbanetimes click here!

Go card causing confusion

Go card causing confusion
Georgina Robinson | July 29, 2008 - 5:44AM

Translink has refunded more than $31,000 worth of go card bus, train and ferry trips since South-East Queensland's public transport smart card launched seven months ago.

Since the go card's rollout on January 29, public transport users have snapped up 86,400 cards and used them on more than 3.4 million bus, train and ferry trips.

But as commuters pile more than $10 million on to the new system, State Government figures reveal passengers are struggling with the technology and equipment.

Translink call centre staff have been fielding, on average, 370 phone calls each day from public transport users with go card queries.

Commuters have also demanded refunds on more than 14,700 trips in the last seven months and Translink has obliged on more than 60 per cent of them, doling out more than $31,200 in "balance adjustments".

RAIL Back on Track spokesperson Robert Dow said people were confused about the new, high-tech system.

"If the system was working properly you wouldn't expect that number of calls or refunds," Mr Dow said.

"I think that reflects problems on the buses and ferries in the main - the trains seem to be working okay to be honest."

Translink has approved 9,144 refund or fare adjustment requests since the end of January, 4000 of which were granted during a "no questions asked" two-month introductory period.

However, figures obtained by brisbanetimes.com.au show Translink granted another 5,109 refunds after the amnesty ended, which is more than half of all those approved.

A Translink spokesperson said the main reasons for the continued refunds were that passengers were still not touching off their cards properly; card readers on buses were not working; or they were showing "inconsistent messages" when a go card was touched on or off.

Mr Dow said the Government needed to do more to improve the go card system.

"I travelled today on the bus from Mater Hill to Woolloongabba and when I was coming back I got a 'dummy stop' reading," he said.

"I have no idea what that means."

A Translink spokesperson said passenger education was improving, with just 6.5 per cent of daily go card users charged a "fixed amount" for not touching off.

"During the first week of go card roll out in Brisbane this nominal fare represented around 10 per cent of go card journeys," he said.

"Ongoing education campaigns for both staff and passengers, and improvements to the go card system, have led to incidents of the fixed amount being charged dropping over time."

Mr Dow said information booths should be set up at major train and bus stations to show people how to use a go card.

"There is a learning curve associated with using the go card," he said.

"They do assume a lot that most users are going to be able to do it but it's not as simple as that actually."

Translink data also revealed the go card was most popular on buses; the same mode of transport the system has had most teething problems on.

Bus users have made 55.7 per cent of all go card trips to date.

Train users have made 40.7 per cent and ferry users have made up just 3.6 per cent of all go card trips.

[ozbob]

TransLink are attempting to be a lot more restrictive of refunds of penalties that users are getting.

There are many reported examples of people having touched off getting hit with penalties due to faulty equipment.  On application to TL they are being refused refunds.  This is only going to cause more anti-GO sentiment in the wider community.

They are really getting the PR side of it appalling wrong IMHO.

Cheers
Bob

[bladesplace]

I just say I kept getting messages saying 'Invalid Card' or 'Seek Assistance'.

I've never had a refund request denied - and believe me, I've had a lot of them with the buses (and the free-standing readers at certain Sunshine Coast rail stations being blown up).

I really wish we could touch on or off at AVMM's.

Cheers

MJ

[ozbob]

Yes, it is what the user says when they ring up often dictates success for their reimbursement!

LOL



Noticed last two days of Go card letters in mX and Courier Mail.  Lot of unhappy users and potential users out there ...

[bladesplace]

In my case, I'm telling them exactly what is happening to me. I haven't been using buses that much lately and I haven't had to request a manual off stop.

I'm amazed at how flimsy the Cubic equipment at rail stations really is. The free standing readers usually have the target touch pad badly damaged - usually smashed in, and the LCD screens covered in graffiti. Then there's the cigarette lighter burns. But, to be fair, you usually can get the reader to read your card - you just can't tell if it's been successful or not.. 

The AVMM screens are very difficult to use up on the North Coast (and probably on the Rosewood line too). The screens are so badly scratched that even when one uses their thumb pressed against them, it still won't recognize a touch. I'm a bit concerned over that, because the AVMM won't show up in the network as being Out of Service, so the TTO's will be inclined to think you're fare evading.

And of course, there are the scum that take great delight in putting Molotov cocktails or fireworks or goodness knows what else in the AVMM dispensary or on top of the free standing readers. It's such a disgusting sight!

Cheers

MJ