Sunshine Coast outlets stopped from selling go cards

[Sunbus639]

Sunshine Coast outlets stopped from selling go cards
Friday, 30 October 2009

Newsagents and convenience store owners are being forced to turn away commuters searching for elusive electronic public transport tickets, the Opposition said today.

LNP Spokeswoman for Main Roads and Transport Fiona Simpson said she had been approached by a number of newsagents and shop keepers frustrated by the government?s decision to block them from selling go cards.

?If the Minister for Transport wants to reach her 100% go card target she needs to ensure both regular commuters and those who catch the bus every now and then can find somewhere to buy a go card.

?Simply doubling the number of go card outlets is not enough ? these cards need to be available in every community that has public transport.

?On the Sunshine Coast, only two of the 17 railway stations between Caboolture and Gympie North sell go cards.

?Yes, there are 11 outlets on the coast, but commuters are generally forced to make a special trip to an out there location just to purchase a go card.

?With go card black holes like these, commuters simply won?t bother to find an outlet and the higher fares will force them back into their cars.?

Media Centre - Fiona Simpson MP HERE

[Derwan]

I see both sides.  Yes - there should be more locations that sell Go Cards, but this doesn't limit the purchase of them.

My 71-year-old mother from Maryborough successfully purchased at Go Card online (with my help).  Once it arrived, she logged in and topped the card up herself.

People need to get with the times.

[STB]

Indeed, you can easily just ring up and get one sent out to you.  To physically go and get a Go Card is incredibly 19th Century way of thinking, although sadly the Aussie PT users seem to be stuck in a timewarp with some things.

And anyway, I suppose one of the positives of limiting the Go Card locations is ease of remembering where you can buy one in the first place and where to top one up if one so wishes.

[Fares_Fair]

Limiting places of purchase so one can remember where to get them or top up ?
What kind of logic is that ? 
It should be all newsagents and former ticket sellers !

The question should be why aren't they allowed to sell it ?

It reeks of the potential for nepotism or cronyism otherwise,
and this current government has a sad history of that, just ask Gordon Nuttall or Merrie Rose

Indeed, such failures occur across all political parties.

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[#Metro]

What a silly idea.
Anybody who wants to sell go card (and is willing to put up the cash for the equipment and sign an agreement) should be allowed to.
I want to see GoCards in Coles and Woolies and newsagents everywhere.

Limiting GoCard retailers? What is this government doing Don't they want people to catch PT?
Madness...

[Fares_Fair]

I agree with you tramtrain. (except for the silly idea bit- if you meant my note above)  
I didn't mean it should be limited, only that the minimum requirement would be the current status of suppliers.

My suggestion above was the minimum - by all means sell it everywhere  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[#Metro]

Hi, of course not. 
I meant the gov appears to be artificially restricting the number of outlets for GoCard, which is silly.

[ozbob]

I am getting increasingly nervous about the go card.  There is deterioration of equipment around the system, nothing is being done to move forwards.  A number of elderly people have vision acuity issues (3% or so) who really will have problems with the go card equipment. 

This morning I checked out the touch device east Oxley 1/2, screen is now completely translucent and unreadable.  Hopped over to platform 3, reader east partial translucence and moisture (internal) screen such that unreadable.  I touched, no beep and a just a light very hard to see.

[Fares_Fair]

In fact not to do so (i.e. sell it everywhere) is highly questionable, in light of this government's record of nepotism and cronyism.
Even to the point of allowing lying in Parliament (which Anna Bligh shepherded in during the Gordon Nuttall fiasco in order to protect him).
However, such situations are not necessarily limited to one political party.

Maybe we should look into who owns the 7/11 outlets and others awarded the opportunity to sell goCard
and that seem to have been delivered such a windfall.
Could it be that the owner/owners have some kind of link to the government, either by lobbyists or directly ?

This is something that should be researched !

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

My local newsagent has contacted TL a number of times about getting go card for sale only to be put into endless loops of customer enhanced service satisfaction spin.  No go card sales and punters continue to berate the sales staff in the news-agency ...

If you ever wanted to develop worlds worst practice for a go card roll out it would be hard to go past Brisbane.

Folks the contract was signed 2003 for 12 years.  More than half way through and it is still problematical.  

[Fares_Fair]

Evening Bob,

You know where I stand on go Card, I am saving up for an annual QR season ticket.
The equipment and refund problems and errors only strengthen my resolve.
It really is a crying shame that it is in such a mess.

An annual QR season ticket will cost me $3224.00 for 52 weeks. 
go Card will cost me $5044 for 52 weeks. ($1820.00 more) 
paper tickets will cost me $5824.00 for 52 weeks. ($2600.00 more) 

If I can stave off having to buy the wretched go Card - I will - for as long as possible ! 

I can only hope that it is in far better shape in just over 12 months time, but I doubt it.

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[#Metro]

Yes, it is somewhat... Bizzare? Why are they doing this?

TransLink 13 12 30 (24 hours, 7 days a week)
Fiona Simpson (LNP) 07 5443 7995
Rachel Nolan (ALP) 3202 3452

Phone and Letters are better I think. E-mail is so easy to delete.

In the long run, I support GoCard being introduced, and price rises (I know, not everyone agrees).
$1820 sounds like a lot more, but it is $35/week (2.5hrs extra work/week if you are on minimum wage), and I think with GoCard you pay as you go (sorry for bad pun), while with QR 12 month pass you have to pay lump sum (IIRC). I imagine that off-peak would be cheaper still. But what is the alternative? Long distance people can't bicycle or walk. Car could be even worse with petrol going up and up and toll rises.

[Fares_Fair]

Bring it on !!!!

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

Yes, it is difficult for some Fares_Fair.

I always thought that Government contracts specified equipment fit for purpose.  The damaged equipment on show for all to see acts as a major disincentive.  The plastic material in the readers needs to be replaced with glass, or a material that doesn't deteriorate in the sun (as many are placed in the open).  They did tell us once they were going to put hoods on them to protect from sun (and also would assist to stop glare as well) and it would have helped I think with the internal moisture problem.

The other thing that is concerning is that because the equipment can be so damaged it can be difficult for users (who are not necessarily focussed on the go card as say I am) to know if they are touched on, touched off or whatever.  One day, one of these poor souls will no doubt screw a touch, the TOs will find them on a train in an untouched state (but I touched on!  Sure you did ...)  Here is a $200 fine (possibly $400 down the track) for being so silly as to use damaged not fit for purpose equipment ...     I will be happy to contribute the legal defence fund to set a precedent.  

Won't happen?  Well this is the same outfit that figures a timetable gap at peak on the Rosewood line from Ipswich (4.38pm then 5.51pm) is OK.