Article: Station top-ups a Goer

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 19th August 2009 page 1

Station top-ups a Goer

[dwb]

so sometime within the next six months they are going to redesign the interface and all the programming for the machines and do the installation of electrics and network for something that should have been done 2 years ago and this is meant to be a good thing???  I wrote a letter to the Minister about this ages ago, as soon as the one at Roma St was turned on for closed trial...

ok, maybe it is a good thing, but rather overdue, and such a minor action on the list of things they need to do! and still no actual date! so i wouldn't be surprised if it slips... especially as we haven't heard anything of the fares strategy that was promised by "mid" year...

[WTN]

Hooray!  They're finally listening and fixing something that we needed a long time ago.  It's a bit silly to have to go to the city or a train station for topups/prepaid tickets.  In the case of Cultural Centre busway station, it's not much to walk to and from South Brisbane train station, but it's not convenient to do so.

There's a chance that some busy stations miss out because they were overlooked, then fixed later "by popular demand".  Chermside and Carindale could be a few.

[ozbob]

Yes we have been pushing for AVVMs in the bus stations for a while now Dwb, at least there is a firm commitment that it is now to occur.  There are many benefits to this and the fact that it was not done has caused issues and caused some problems with the publics perception of the go card.

The fare path strategy for the gocard and other ticketing is under active negotiation at the moment.  I am hopeful that there will be news sooner than later of how we are going to proceed.

I do believe they are taking too long for positive change.  Lets move forwards!

[Emmie]

Do we know which bus stations will get these yet?  Maybe we should list the ones that need considering - not just on the busways but elsewhere - I'll start by nominating UQ and UQ Lakes.

[ozbob]

Advice received is bus stations and key change points.  I would hope UQ UQ Lakes is included.

[p858snake]

Would those be a minimal version compared to QR's that only allow gocard top ups or will they be able to purchase paper tickets as well?, because that would be helpful with pre-purchased/cashless services.

Will these finally be able to accept coins for top ups (and/or give change if you only want to put half a note or such on)?

[Derwan]

Would those be a minimal version compared to QR's that only allow gocard top ups or will they be able to purchase paper tickets as well?

My guess (and it's only a guess) is that they will be the same as the ones at train stations.  You'll be able to top-up (with the same restrictions) and purchase tickets from that zone to a specified location/zone.  (It'll be interesting to see how they set that up.)

[dwb]

The fare path strategy for the gocard and other ticketing is under active negotiation at the moment.  I am hopeful that there will be news sooner than later of how we are going to proceed.

I do believe they are taking too long for positive change.  Lets move forwards!

Hi Bob, wondering exactly what you mean by 'active negotiation'? I'm aware of the promise to have a fare strategy to the Minister by mid year... if I expect anything this should mean that TL has made a recommendation based on the ACNielsen survey to the Minister and this is currently being considered by Treasury.

This in itself is rather disappointing as it is my firm believe that the travelling public's views should be integrated with an fares strategy working up from a 'values basis'. Unfortunately the ACNielsen survey did not do this, and indeed proposed some ideas that were rather backwards. Given TL's rushed implementation of the first and second review of fares under Go card, I think a third rushed change WITHOUT proper consultation will simply lead to a repeat of earlier mistakes and close off options for future improvements.

From my perspective it is unfortunate that TL is not doing more to engender community trust in it or achieve other such goals from its strategic policy document.

[ozbob]

It is frustrating I agree.  Active negotiation means just that, it has been suggested that details are still being worked out between the various parties!  I have heard that some folks have been interviewed about the go card, and there was the publicity in the press stating that a new fare path would be put forward mid year. Other than that all a bit speculative at the moment.  There doesn't seem to be any hurry at all.  

Regards
Bob

[dwb]

But Bob, which parties? was my real question... (and it was vaguely rhetorical to give you an out if you have access to privileged info)

And further in relation to the original news posting of 17 value adding machines, which places out of the following seem "worthy"... why has TL negotiated only 17 with cubic when there is demonstrable need for upwards of 40 more!

Presumably only one per station (great for queuing at) on the 'concourse'...

There are 10 busway stations along the length of the South East Busway:
   * Cultural Centre busway station
   * South Bank busway station
   * Mater Hill busway station
   * Woolloongabba busway station
   * Buranda busway station
   * Greenslopes busway station
   * Holland Park West busway station
   * Griffith University busway station
   * Upper Mt Gravatt (Garden City) busway station
   * Eight Mile Plains busway station

There are 7 stations or busway stations on INB/Northern stage 1
   * Queen Street station
   * King George busway station
   * Roma Street busway station
   * Normanby busway station
   * QUT Kelvin Grove busway station
   * RCH busway station
   * RBWH busway station

Eastern/Boggo Road has
   * PAH busway station
   * Boggo Rd busway station
   * UQ lakes station
   * (and soon) Stones Corner
   * (and soon) Langlands Park

There are also stations at:
   * Aspley
   * Adelaide Street (in the mall would seem a good place to have a ticket machine)
   * Brookside
   * Browns Plains
   * Capalaba
   * Carindale
   * Chermside
   * Garden City
   * Indooroopilly
   * Loganholme
   * Springwood
   * Stafford
   * Strathpine
   * Toombul
   * Victoria Point

So who's going to get lucky??

[ButFli]

One would assume that the machines will be placed at stations where there is the most need for them.

Stations in the CBD have 24 hour convenience stores nearby which allow go-card topups. The stations at shopping centres presumably have newsagents that topup go-cards during business hours. I know UQCP has a newsagent nearby and I would assume some of the other stations do too. That probably leaves about 17 stations that are crying out for a machine.

[Sunbus610]

This is good news and gets a **FINALLY, It's about time** from me
You could also include some of the larger bus stations outside Brisbane to the list like:-

Sunshine Plaza (Maroochydore)
Pacific Fair (Broadbeach)
Kawana Shoppingworld
Noosa Heads bus station
Caloundra bus station
Springwood bus station (Logan City)