Ministerial Statement: go card ready to roll into Brisbane

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
21/02/2008

go card ready to roll into Brisbane

Brisbane public transport users will be able to buy the much-anticipated go cards from today at almost 100 go card retailers, selected QR Citytrain stations, over the phone or on-line.

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said that from Monday, go card users would also be able to take advantage of the go card frequent user scheme on the region's bus, rail and ferry services.

"Monday marks the start of a comprehensive user education campaign in Brisbane.

TransLink staff will be on hand at rail stations and major bus interchanges to talk to passengers about go card and answer any questions.

"I would encourage passengers to have a chat to one of the go card representatives and find out if go card is right for them,'' he said.

Mr Mickel said use of the card was building gradually as part of the successful region by region roll out.

"On the first day go card was available to residents on the Sunshine Coast and north of Strathpine, there were 633 journeys made by passengers using the card.

"By Monday of the following week the number of journeys on go cards had already doubled to 1270 and by yesterday 3 weeks from launch day there were 2811 journeys on go cards.

"So far more than 1000 cards have been ordered through the go card website - a clear sign people are eager to embrace the convenience offered by using the internet to buy their card,'' he said.

Mr Mickel said the release of the go card product on Monday was "just the beginning".
"Over time we will be able to add on additional products, offering new choices for public transport users.

"I am committed to providing public transport users in South East Queensland with choice - that is why we are retaining TransLink integrated paper tickets.

"I encourage all public transport users in Brisbane to consider giving the go cards a try but if you prefer to continue using a paper ticket, that option is available too,'' he said.

Four different go cards will be available - child, concession, senior and adult.

Cards can be used on all buses, trains and ferries across South East Queensland with the exception of Airtrain services and Surfside Buslines on the Gold Coast.

It is anticipated go card will be available for use on these services in the near future.

Get a go card by calling 13 12 30, visiting the go card website at www.translink.com.au/go or a go card retailer at:

Brisbane CBD
Paperman Supanews Myer Centre, 55 Queen Street (level A) Brisbane
Myer Centre Supanews Myer Centre, Queen Street (level E) Brisbane
Post Office Square Post Office Square, 280 Queen Street Brisbane
Creek Street News 40 Creek Street Brisbane
White Heather News 131 George Street Brisbane
City Mall News Queen Street Kiosk Brisbane
Macarthur Supanews Macarthur Central Building, Queen Street Brisbane
Brisbane Supanews Xpress 97 Adelaide Street Brisbane
Riverside News Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle Street Brisbane
Myer Supanews Express Myer Centre, 97 Queen Street (level E) Brisbane
Supanews Central Station Central station (Central Concourse), Anne St Brisbane
Supanews Brisbane Square Brisbane Square, George St Brisbane
Broadway Supanews Broadway On The Mall, Queen Street Brisbane
Supanews Xpress Central station, Anne Street (platform 1/2 ) Brisbane
Supanews Xpress Central station, Anne Street (platform 3/4 ) Brisbane
Supanews Xpress Central station, Anne Street (platform 5/6 ) Brisbane
Supanews Xpress Level Q Myer Centre Myer Centre, Queen St Mall Brisbane
7-Eleven 231 George Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 97 Albert Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 458 George Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 324 Queen Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 120 Edward Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 136 Queens Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 189 George Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 174 Adelaide Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 243 Edward Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 99 Creek Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 155 Edward Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 331-333 George Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 420 Queen Street (corner Wharf Street) Brisbane
7-Eleven 153 Elizabeth Street Brisbane
7-Eleven 91 Queen Street Brisbane

Brisbane East
Carindale Newsagency Carindale Shopping Centre, Creek Road (level 2) Carindale
7-Eleven 1505 Creek Road Carina
7-Eleven 902 Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road Mackenzie
7-Eleven 468 Vulture Street East Brisbane
7-Eleven corner Bailey and Birkdale Roads Birkdale
7-Eleven 459 Manly Road Manly West
7-Eleven corner Edith and Tingal Roads Wynnum

Brisbane North
Nextra General Hospital News Ned Hanlon Building, Royal Brisbane Hospital Herston
Nextra Chermside Newsagency Westfield Shopping Centre, Gympie Road Chermside
Supanews Keperra Great Western Super Centre, Settlement Road Keperra
7-Eleven 446 Lutwyche Road Lutwyche
7-Eleven 70 Albany Creek Road Albany Creek
7-Eleven 11 Depot Road Deagon
7-Eleven corner Zillmere and Handford Roads Zillmere
7-Eleven corner Days and Kedron Brook Roads Grange
7-Eleven corner Nundah and Gympie Streets Kedron
7-Eleven corner Telegraph Road and Norris Road Bracken Ridge
7-Eleven 170 Leichhardt Street Spring Hill
7-Eleven 376 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley
7-Eleven 152 Musgrave Road Red Hill
7-Eleven corner Kingsford Smith Drive and Racecourse Road Hamilton

Brisbane South
7-Eleven 94 Boundary Road West End
Mater News Central 550 Stanley Street Woolloongabba
Nathan Post Office - Griffith Community Centre, Griffith University, Kessels Road Nathan
7-Eleven 246 Oxley Avenue Graceville
7-Eleven 180 Fairfield Road Fairfield Gardens
7-Eleven 563 Fairfield Road Yeronga
7-Eleven 129 Orange Grove Road Coopers Plains
7-Eleven 82 Pinelands Road Sunnybank
7-Eleven 169 Algester Road Algester
7-Eleven 524 Compton Street Sunnybank Hills
7-Eleven corner Compton Road and Gowan Road Sunnybank Hills
7-Eleven corner Mains Road and McCulloch Street Sunnybank
7-Eleven corner Mt. Gravatt-Capalaba and Newham Roads Wishart
7-Eleven 14 Rosemary Street Durack
7-Eleven 264-266 Browns Plain Road Browns Plain
Supanews Underwood Marketplace 3215 Logan Road Underwood
7-Eleven corner Springwood and Pannikin Streets Springwood
7-Eleven corner Coronation and Middle Roads Boronia Heights
7-Eleven 159-163 Beenleigh-Beaudesert Road Windaroo
7-Eleven 79 Logan River Road East Beenleigh
7-Eleven corner Compton and North Roads Woodridge
7-Eleven 118 Waller Road Heritage Park
7-Eleven 2-6 City Road Beenleigh
7-Eleven corner Kingston Road and Wanda Street Kingston
7-Eleven 120 Wembley Road Logan City

Brisbane West
Newsxpress Indooroopilly Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, 318 Moggill Road (level 3) Indooroopilly
Campus News - UQ Staffhouse Road, Union Complex, University Of Queensland (building 4) St Lucia
7-Eleven 50 Sherwood Road Toowong
7-Eleven 14 Station Road Indooroopilly
7-Eleven 2058-2062 Moggill Road Kenmore
7-Eleven 721 Seventeen Mile Rock Road Jindalee
7-Eleven 354 Redbank Plains Road Bellbird Park
7-Eleven 355 Redbanks Plains Road Redbank Plains
7-Eleven 29-31 Brisbane Road Dinmore
7-Eleven corner Blackstone and South Station Roads Silkstone
7-Eleven 130 Ash Street (corner Astral Court) Yamanto
7-Eleven 21 Hunter Street Brassall
7-Eleven corner Sumners and Wacol Station Roads River Hills

In addition, the following agencies are now also available in the region north of Brisbane.
Supanews Northlakes Westfield Northlakes Mango Hill
Supanews Xpress Northlakes Westfield Northlakes Mango Hill
7-Eleven corner Samsonvale and Old North Roads Bray Park
7-Eleven 1 Sovereign Avenue Bray Park
7-Eleven 9 Blyth Road Murrumba Downs


People can also get a go card at the following QR Citytrain stations:
? Roma Street
? Central
? Bowen Hills
? South Brisbane
? Toowong
? Strathpine
? Carseldine
? Zillmere
? Northgate
? Toombul ? Corinda
? Oxley
? Darra
? Booval
? Ipswich
? Rosewood
? Woodridge
? Beenleigh
? Helensvale ? Eagle Junction
? Albion
? Sandgate
? Ferny Grove
? Mitchelton
? Nerang
? Robina
? Manly
? Cleveland

Staff will be available to answer questions about go card at major train stations and bus interchanges from Monday 25 February. For information on where and when TransLink representatives will be available, visit www.translink.com.au/go or phone 13 12 30.


February 21, 2008

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[ozbob]

Obviously TransLink and the Government are not concerned with the cost impacts on commuters.  Most commuters are probably blissfully unaware of the cost traps that await.

My bet is that in June, the cost of paper integrated ticketing will be increased, go card kept the same as now. To further drive go card uptake.

The go card is potentially a great boon for public transport in SEQ.  It is a tragedy that they have got the fare structure so wrong IMHO.

[haakon]

With the Minister saying that they will be introducing new products, I'm hopeful that they will bring in weekly or monthly caps on the go card. I'm just not going to hold my breath.

[Derwan]

With the Minister saying that they will be introducing new products, I'm hopeful that they will bring in weekly or monthly caps on the go card. I'm just not going to hold my breath.

Yeah - the FU2.

[ozbob]

The official line is changing to one of acknowledgement of cost impacts and that you have choice.
They will not commit to a guarantee of the longevity of the paper tickets though.

But,  again why spend $134 million dollars or so for a duplicate ticket system?  They got the fare structure wrong, won't admit that it is wrong, and are too ego-centric to correct it. 

So we will go through iterations of costly non-events and spin, blunder and bluster until some sort of equilibrium is reached.  The loser?  Public transport and the community.  At a time when we should be encouraging sustainable transport options we have people who travel on Go card, on weekends will now probably drive whereas if the fare was equitable and incentive would use the the Go card to travel.

Consider this if the Go Card was cost neutral with real incentives for uptake, there would be no loss of revenue.  People presently using weekly daily tickets would move readily to Go card.  Then there is savings as efficiency improves, and money saved with no cash handling and ticket sales.  Buses loading improves out of sight!  Transport authorities would infact increase revenue!!  This is the standard model of all other smart card systems in the world. 

The odd one out?  You got it!  Brisbane, the so called smart state!!