Article: Stations to sell Go Cards but no word on top ups

[Derwan]

From Brisbane Times (added to the previous article on price increases).

Go Cards will be available to buy at all manned train stations on the City Train network by March, TransLink says.

However, not all stations will have the facilities to top up existing cards.

The move will see an additional 94 stations kitted out with facilities to sell Go Cards, taking the total number to 128 of 144 stations.

"We will be a paperless network in 2011 and we are expanding the Go Card retail network to continue to meet future customer demand," TransLink Acting CEO Steve Banaghan said.

QR Passenger CEO Paul Scurrah said manned QR stations would sell either pre-loaded Go Cards or the original "purchase and top-up, go cards", currently available at 34 train stations.

"The pre-loaded product gives us the opportunities to provide go cards at more stations," he said.

TransLink has not revealed how many stations will have the ability to top up the Go Card.

Comment: Every station already has the ability to top up Go Cards.  They're called AVVM's!

[Mozz]

Couriermail article today Wednesday 6th January 2010:

[Derwan]

The details in the Brisbane Times article were a follow-up to the Courier Mail article (i.e. the CM article came first).

With the advent of pre-loaded cards, there is no longer a need for outlets to have machines.  The only downfall is that the outlets without machines can't top up cards.  This may be an issue for bus users who buy cards from newsagents and don't have credit cards, but it shouldn't be an issue for train users.

As every station has at least one AVVM, I don't see a problem with them selling pre-loaded cards without having top-up machines within the office.

[Mozz]

Couriermail editorial Wednesday 6 January 2010:

[Jon Bryant]

Backontrack suggested that over 12 months ago.  Are Translink finally using us for crowd sourcing purposes.  I hope so.

[bladesplace]

Couriermail editorial Wednesday 6 January 2010:

I had to smile when I read the letter from the person waiting for 5 minutes to tag off. It says she's from Murrumba Downs - another Petrie station commuter!

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

More go card outlets on the go, says TransLink

More go card outlets on the go, says TransLink
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

January 07, 2010 12:00am

AN extra 94 southeast Queensland train stations will be fitted with facilities to purchase go cards after revelations less than a quarter of stations sell them.

As anger grows over the State Government's push for commuters to take up the smartcard technology, TransLink announced all manned train stations from March would sell go cards.

The Opposition called on the Government to suspend fare rises for paper tickets until the rollout of retailers was complete, and referred the issue to the Office of Fair Trading.

TransLink acting chief executive officer Steve Banaghan said all manned stations would either sell pre-paid go cards or provide other facilities to purchase regular cards.

"The pre-loaded product gives us the opportunities to provide go cards at more stations," he said.

It will nearly quadruple the number of stations selling go cards on the Citytrain network, from 34 to 128.

But Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek said commuters were being unfairly penalised, and the Government should suspend fare hikes of up to 40 per cent on paper tickets until go cards were more widely available.

"If you can't buy a go card anyway, and you are penalised by using paper tickets, then clearly the massive increase for someone using paper tickets is unfair and should be referred to the Office of Fair Trading to investigate," he said.

"They should have had more train stations online, you should be able to use eftpos, and you should be able to buy go cards at more places than are currently available."

He said commuters were having to deal with some of the highest public transport fares in the country.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan denied the rollout of go card retailers had been bungled.

"The existing network, which is the largest smart card retail network in Australia, has been set up to cater for the expected additional go card customers as a result of this week's fare changes," Ms Nolan said.

She said there would be no amnesty for new go card users, adding it was "plain stupid" if cards were used incorrectly.

"If there was no default fare, then everyone who failed to touch off would travel free of charge," she said.

"That would mean a loss of up to $100 million a year on current levels and up to $300 million a year by 2011."

Penalties for incorrectly touching on or off are $3 for buses/ferries and $5 for trains.

[dwb]

If they are fitting busway stations with automatic card dispensers, surely the best approach, given many stations are not staffed or are not staffed much of the time would have been simply to install the card dispensers at EVERY busway station, railway station and major interchange BEFORE forcing most people onto the cards.

Surely they will only distribute 1/10 if that of the number of cards after most people already have one. the damage/lost/stolen/entirely new to pt rate can't be that high, so its now that counts!

I do tend to think statements that cards are "impossible to get" a bit strange, who doesn't have either a phone line or an internet connection who is travelling on PT - very few people!

[longboi]

Most stations already have the GO card terminals to sell/top-up GO cards etc. but because of cubic stuffing around they don't work.

[dwb]

I assumed it was an actual different machine.. one that just dispensed pre loaded cards??

[Jon Bryant]

I am sure when I lived in Singapore I just bought a "smart card" ticket for the day from a ticket vending machine and dropped it into the same machine when I was finished?  I have travelled on many systems with smart cards and can not always remember exactly how they worked.  The despensing part I am sure of.  Easy and quick.  I could also have bought from a ticket office if I was not comfortable with a vending machine.

We need this type of choice as well.

[#Metro]

That is a good idea Jonno.
Paper tickets which are thrown away eventually rot. But plastic GoCards?
It might turn into a rubbish problem. Is GoCard recyclable?

[longboi]

I assumed it was an actual different machine.. one that just dispensed pre loaded cards??

I'm talking about the terminals you see at 7-11. Most stations have these installed but they're just not online.

[p858snake]

Go Cards will be available to buy at all manned train stations on the City Train network by March, TransLink says.

However, not all stations will have the facilities to top up existing cards.

The move will see an additional 94 stations kitted out with facilities to sell Go Cards, taking the total number to 128 of 144 stations.

"We will be a paperless network in 2011 and we are expanding the Go Card retail network to continue to meet future customer demand," TransLink Acting CEO Steve Banaghan said.

QR Passenger CEO Paul Scurrah said manned QR stations would sell either pre-loaded Go Cards or the original "purchase and top-up, go cards", currently available at 34 train stations.

"The pre-loaded product gives us the opportunities to provide go cards at more stations," he said.

TransLink has not revealed how many stations will have the ability to top up the Go Card.

I don't see why all stations can't have access to the equipment, it's just silly to restrict access to legally ride the train network to certain selected train stations even if some of the stations already close at like 10-11am, there is still the morning crowds.

"We will be a paperless network in 2011 and we are expanding the Go Card retail network to continue to meet future customer demand," Well if its going paperless that means the demand will be AT EVERY STATION!

Comment: Every station already has the ability to top up Go Cards.  They're called AVVM's!

Not if your topping up by coins or buying a new one unless there has been changes recently, Not all stations have the equipment to sell or top up go cards at the station counter.

I assumed it was an actual different machine.. one that just dispensed pre loaded cards??

Based on the articles I'm assuming its the computerised equipment for the station staff to handle it within their little station houses.

That is a good idea Jonno.
Paper tickets which are thrown away eventually rot. But plastic GoCards?
It might turn into a rubbish problem. Is GoCard recyclable?

The outside plastic should be , but they also have electronics on the inside which means it isn't.

[longboi]

I assumed it was an actual different machine.. one that just dispensed pre loaded cards??

Based on the articles I'm assuming its the computerised equipment for the station staff to handle it within their little station houses.

Yep, as I said they are the same machines you see at 7-11 and other GO card outlets.

That is a good idea Jonno.
Paper tickets which are thrown away eventually rot. But plastic GoCards?
It might turn into a rubbish problem. Is GoCard recyclable?

The outside plastic should be , but they also have electronics on the inside which means it isn't.

Actually they do make disposable RFID tags these days which can be embedded in anything (paper, cardboard, plastic etc.)