Translink's 400,000 giveaway

[johnnigh]

Weeks ago Translink, or the Minister, announced that 400,000 cards were to be given away, each with $10 credit. This is an astounding number, $4m worth, and compare with sales of about 6500 cards touted as 'double' something, that the new fare structure has induced. But, apart from the 6 given to this group just after Xmas, I've heard nothing about the giveaway, or any giveaway. That leaves 399,994 left to distribute somehow and somewhere. Did I miss a big giveaway in the Courier Mail??

To test the waters I have just filled in the online form at Translink with the following:

Dear Translink,
I read that you are to give away 400,000 go cards with $10 credit on each.

Please send me one of these cards. I have a Queensland Senior's Card, number xxxxxx, issued dd/mm/ 2009, so my card will be a concession go card.

I am anxious to enjoy the many benefits of the go card, and am looking forward to using it very soon.

Many thanks in anticipation,
Sincerely,
John Nightingale.
Corinda.

I wonder if I will get any reply at all?

Have a Happy new year of public and active transporting,

John

[stephenk]

Certainly, now would have been the best time for the Go Card give away. Translink have missed the boat (again).

[ozbob]

Yes, I have mentioned in a number of interviews that it would have made a lot of sense to roll out the 400,000 cards this week as the price rises for paper begin to impact.  By the time they roll them out most people would have probably gone and brought one ...

[johnnigh]

A reply to my online query to Translink, seems to indicate pretty clearly that they weren't ready for the giveaway. Missed the opportunity, as stephenk and ozbob pointed out.

Dear John

Thank you for contacting TransLink regarding the 400 000 go card giveaway.
The distribution method for the 400 000 go cards is currently being finalised. Further details will be available in early 2010.

We hope that this information has been of assistance to you. Should you require further information, please visit the TTA website at http://www.translink.com.au/ . Alternatively, the TransLink Call Centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 13 12 30

Kind regards

Patrick
TransLink Customer Support

One has to wonder whether the 400,000 giveaway was imposed on Translink from above. What is wrong with Translink management and marketing? Why is Minister Nolan so slow to act on so many fronts? Would anyone like to speculate that Transport Queensland is a department without a competent and authoritative minister, squeezed from Cabinet by impatient colleagues (thus the 400,000 and the statements by Lucas rather than Nolan) and from below by Translink and possibly politically connected elements in QR's old guard?   

Cheers,
John

[Derwan]

TransLink's lack of forward planning and efficiency never ceases to amaze me.  They've had several years to determine a strategy to move people to the Go Card and yet they're still playing catch up with their own decisions.

Fare structure change from 4 January meaning thousands will want to switch to Go Card.  Still arranging for more train stations to sell the Go Card.

Offer of 400000 free Go Cards so that people can can switch to Go Card and avoid the cost of paper tickets.  Still "being finalised".

[Mozz]

Yesterday I listened to Andrew B from Translink on ABC radio tell people that 3 beeps on a gocard reader was a sign of a failure and commuters should make inquiries with staff or log a call to translink?

Jan 4 was the second biggest day for TL aside from the go live. The CEO is not at the helm, there is an acting CEO in place .... as Rove would say - "What the!!!!!"

Working on a plan to devise a strategy to organise an implementation of more railway stations to sell go cards at a point in the future well past the January 4 drop dead date for the 40% fare increase - as they say in the classics ..... Priceless.

The marketing spin and associated strategy relating to the 400,000 free cards had well and truly backfired, resulting in a huge backlash which firstly saw a belated commitment to around March/April but it seems this too is now under review.

The opportunity cost of this whole debacle is substantial.

There was a golden opportunity to raise fares (reasonably not exorbitantly) to coincide with the announcement of real tangible extra services across rail/bus/train which would have gone a long long way to gaining commuter confidence and trust in those responsible for public transport. Promises of additional services in the future sometime just didn't cut it.

I would agrue the spin around the 75% subsidy is also not defensible once you consider true economic factors of mass public transport over car use.

A few words from me but then again I might just be "plain stupid"

[dwb]

Surely the best way to distribute that $4mil is a sweetener for people who just went out and bought their cards anyway! They could do it as a balance adjust on all cards currently "active".

Easy.

And if they did it when they announce the new services they might be able to start to claw back some of the negativity surrounding GO card.

[longboi]

Perhaps they are holding back because they are going to use the cards to penetrate hard to crack markets (i.e. Seniors, disabled people, Centrelink receipients, migrants etc.)

[Derwan]

hard to crack markets (i.e. Seniors, disabled people, Centrelink receipients, migrants etc.)

... business people, lawyers, politicians....  (I think they'd need more than $10 though!)

[O_128]

I remember they were saying that he Go card would be integrated into seniors cards?

[Mozz]

hard to crack markets (i.e. Seniors, disabled people, Centrelink receipients, migrants etc.)

... business people, lawyers, politicians....  (I think they'd need more than $10 though!)

Therein is the issue, if that was the tactic then don't announce it to the whole world as a benevolent act when you don't actually plan to do it for 3 or 4 or perhaps longer months, commuters need a gocard today this week or next week.

It just causes angst with commuters as we have seen, who get slugged with a 40% fare increase for paper tickets, or they have to BUY a gocard from somewhere, (only some of the train stations and pretty much none of the bus stops or ferries) - now Translink has to deal with the fallout.

[dwb]

Centrelink recipients - a hard to crack market? no when you're pushed for income you look actively for the cheapest option!

Besides, they don't currently get any special deal under Translink - altho in my mind, with the fare increases some form of low income discount is probably warranted, and it would be simple, just as QLD issued health care cards to the list.

I can understand why the 301,000 new seats didn't start on Jan 4 - why would they, its holidays and that would be a waste of money, but they could have announced all the new timetables and when they'd start, but they prolly haven't entirely fixed that up yet.

The 400,000 go cards... well they've prolly budgeted $4mil, and they didn't want it to look like a backflip later when they give that out... but yeah I agree all the carrots should have come out before the sticks!!

[Gingerbeer]

Righto, I rang Translink and found that the free GoCard will be coming in early 2010 and will be availble via a form found in the paper, once you recieve the card and register it you get $10 added to the card. I have a few problems with this.

1/ I dont read the news papers to much
2/ I stupidy went out and bought a GoCard instead of waiting for a free one with $10. 
3/ I would have though that it would have made more sense to release them the same time as the new fare structure.

I guess I got sucked into the advertising.

[WTN]

The free cards are already late, and they're going to come even later once you buy the newspaper, fill out the form, mail it, and wait for your card to be mailed to you.  I was wondering why they didn't just hand them out at stations.  But then you can't use it straight away because they want people to register and not have multiple cards.

[Otto]

Yesterday I listened to Andrew B from Translink on ABC radio tell people that 3 beeps on a gocard reader was a sign of a failure and commuters should make inquiries with staff or log a call to translink?

3 beeps can also mean your card balance is low... Under $7 with Adult cards, not sure re $ amount on concession cards. Another common reason is that the reader has read your card twice...

[Mozz]

Good info. I knew about the low balance because but the double read is an interesting one. As I wait for the train on the oxley platform I constantly hear triple beeps and always thought it was the low balance but it obviously must also include people who aren't able to use the technology the way the technology wants it to be used 

[ozbob]

The beeps are an important design component of the go card readers.  When the beeps are NOT working, which is often on buses particularly (the beeps were not working out the domestic airport last Friday either) it puts users at another disadvantage, particularly those with not the best vision.  Clearly TransLink and Cubic do not seem to include readers with beep failures as equipment failures, otherwise it would be rather embarrassing for all I guess ..   

Where are the free cards?  This is beyond farce, by the time they come around to distribution the punters will have their cards.  Just give everyone registered $10 and be done with it.

[dwb]

I agree Bob - can you bring this up at the next meeting.