Go Card Errors & Yardstick

[#Metro]

Caught a bus today. GoCard readers were not working. People on the bus will probably get a penalty.
This is the second time it has happened to me in a month.

I know often we are told "The rate of errors is 0.00000something%" which is vanishingly small.
But one can't tell if this is "good" or "bad". What is missing is a base rate to compare to.

The rate of GoCard errors per 10,000 trips should be compared to the rate of fare evasion per 10,000 trips.
You could think of a person who fare evades as a person who has a "payment malfunction" with their purse or wallet.

[ozbob]

The official rate of equipment failure is clearly not in agreement with the punter observed official rate (the POOR).

The POOR for a free trip on bus is a about a 1:25 chance, rail about 1:100 or less. (this is when you are unable to touch on at the commencement of a journey/trip)

The POOR for equipment failure can approach 50% (eg. beeps not working on readers, particularly on bus/ferry ... hold on just not working full stop on ferry).


The problem with comparing any thing to fare evasion is that fare evasion is not really known.  Go card is touted as reducing fare evasion, it might if it was a truly closed system.  What I think is a bigger hole in the fare box revenue is not fare evasion but loss of revenue due to equipment failures!  And as we move to a virtual 100% go ticketing environment this is a very significant factor.  But like fare evasion, will never really be accurately known.

[#Metro]

Guess what.
Bus today- GoCard machine failed so that everyone got a free ride!

Second time this week!

This is better than fare evasion, and perfectly legal too! Thank you Anna! The more errors you have, the less I pay 

[beauyboy]

I also got a free ride into the city yesterday.

Donald