26 Jan 2008: Go Card users need to beware of potential cost impacts

[ozbob]

Media Release 26 January 2008

SEQ:  Go Card users need to beware of potential cost impacts on their public transport travel

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport has highlighted some of the fare price increases commuters will face if they choose to use a Go Card.

Robert Dow said:
?The Go Card promises to improve public transport efficiency throughout the Translink area.  The first public roll out of the card will commence on January 29th north of Brisbane.?

?However, commuters are not being told the full story with respect to significant  financial impacts in certain situations of the very unusual frequent user fare scheme that is the basis of  fare costs on the Go Card.?

?Attached to this media release are typical examples of cost increases using the Go Card relative to weekly tickets. These examples are also available on the RAIL Back On Track web site.?

?In view of the demonstrated financial penalties on many commuters should they elect to use the Go Card, can the Transport Minister give a guarantee that paper integrated ticketing such as weekly and monthly tickets will continue to be available indefinitely, or until such fares are made available on the Go Card?? said Robert Dow, spokesman for RAIL Back On Track.

Contact:

Robert  Dow


Administration
admin@backontrack.org RAIL Back On Track
http://backontrack.org


Examples of the  impact of Go Card frequent user fare scheme on commuters costs

1.  Typical tertiary student

This example is a university student who lives in zone 4.  Attends university in zone 1 (eg. QUT) and works part time in a shop in zone 3.

Goes to university Mon Tue Wed and Thu.  Works Wed Thu Sat.  This is a typical profile for a university student.

If using a Go Card:

Home zone 4  Uni zone 1 Work Zone 3.

Mon  2 single trips a $1.80  = $3.60
Tue  2 single trips @ $1.80  = $3.60

Wed  1 single to uni @ $1.80 = $1.80
Wed  1 single uni to work @ $1.60 = $1.60   Note 6 trip threshold reached - 50% after 6 trips.
Wed  1 single work to home 1 @ $0.70 =$0.70

Thu  1 single to uni @ $0.90  = $0.90
Thu  1 single uni to work @ $0.80 = $0.80
Thu 1 single work to home 1 @ $0.70

Friday night out in the city
2 single trips @ $0.90 = $1.80

Sat 2 single trips @ $0.90 = $1.80

Total if using Go Card $17.70 compared to Weekly ticket cost $14.40

Increase if using Go Card 23%

If using the weekly the student also has the option of using the ticket for Sunday travel in zones for no cost.  Also should extra trips be necessary during the week if using the weekly ticket no additional cost, on the Go Card additional expenditure.  This highlights why the Go Card should be capped to daily fare limits as most in other jurisdictions are.



2.  High use

To further highlight the cost of using the Go Card for high use commuters;

Consider a commuter who does 2 round trips a day outside transfer time limit (one hour) say Zones 1 to 3, 7 days a week (and a number do, eg. part time uni students who work full time, people who work a number of part time jobs and so forth) cost on card is 4 x $1.60 (50% discount) x 7 = $44.80 + the 6 x $1.60 = $54.40

Go Card cost of travel $54.40 compared to weekly $25.60 that is a 112% increase if they use the Go Card.

Should our hapless commuters forget to tag off or on with the Go Card then further penalties additional to fare costs to pay too.



3.  High zone

High zone weeklies are about 3.5 times a daily fare cost.

The Go Card means that even people who do exactly 10 trips per week high zone (> zone 10) will be facing an increase should they use card.

Take a zone 20 commuter, Mon to Fri commute.  Go Card Cost ($15.50 x 6) + ($7.75 x 4) = $124

Cost of a paper weekly ticket is $100.80

This is 23% increase in cost of travel if the commuter uses the Go Card and doesn't even consider extra trips which would be free if user had a weekly!



4.  Shift workers

The Go Card FU (frequent user) fare scheme operates on a Monday to Sunday basis.

So a person who works five days a week, say Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Monday and Tuesday does not receive the 50% discount on their Go Card as the counter resets each Monday.

So for example consider a zone 7 worker.

Cost of Go Card Travel is 10 x $5 = $50.

Weekly cost $40.

Go Card costs 25% more!!

Note: If the worker stays on the same shift  in the following week they will receive the FU  discount on the Sat Sun  and then approximate a weekly, as the Mon Tue and Fri will be full fare.  The problem for shift workers is that they are often moving days worked so they will need to consider these effects.  For many a weekly ticket would be a better option, particularly if greater than ten zones.