Reclaiming free weekend travel and reducing Go Card fares

[Derwan]

I would never suggest or recommend doing something that is technically an offence..... BUT....

Transit officers currently do not have card readers.  When they come around checking tickets, just show your Go Card and they continue on their way.  Dishonest people could easily rort the system.

But that got me thinking... I'm an honest person.  I pay the equivalent of a weekly during the 5 days I go to work.  Why should I have to pay for weekend travel?  Why not carry the Go Card without touching on/off when I head to Southbank on the weekend to see a movie?  It's within the zones I travel during the week.  I'm not paying less than I would if I bought a weekly.  Seems fair to me!

Of course, there are ways to save without it technically being an offence.....

Everyone knows about the 1-hour rule.  If you can touch back on within an hour of touching off, it's a continuation and you can save yourself the cost of the return journey.  We can expand on that.  You have up to 5 hours for a single journey - and up to 3.5 hours for the final continuation of a journey (between first touch-on and last touch-on).

Let's say it takes 30 minutes to travel to your destination (other than Central, Roma St or Brunswick St where they'll make sure you touch off).  Touch On just before your train leaves - and when you arrive at your destination, you still have 3 hours left in the 3.5-hour continuation window.  DON'T TOUCH OFF.  You now have 3 hours to conduct your business - even see a movie if you time it right.  Return to the station and swipe your card.  It'll be read as a touch off from your original journey (within 5 hours).  Wait 10 seconds and touch on, which will be processed as a continuation.  Head home, touch off and you'll have "legally" been charged for a single journey.

Even if you ran late and went over the 3.5 hours, you'd still have up until the 5-hour limit to touch off from your original journey, but the return journey would then be charged.  You'd have to go over the 5 hours without touching off before being charged the penalty.

Again - I'm not suggesting anyone do anything that would technically be an offence.  But until they introduce a fair fare structure, even the honest people would be tempted to self-adjust their travelling habits to bring fares back in line with paper weeklies.

[ozbob]

Yes, there are ways to reduce the cost of travel within the conditions for sure.

Another loop hole that less than honest folks can drive a train through is using an unregistered card to rack up the 6 trips in a Mon to Sun and then passing  the card to whom ever to capitalise on the 50% fare for that week.  There is no way the card can be attached to anyone.  Although against the rules no way of enforcing at all.

Failing to touch on or early touch off is an interesting situation.  The so called penalty is one thing.  In the legislation  ( http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/T/TranstOpPasTA94.pdf page 108 ) it states very clearly that failing to touch on or early touch off is fare evasion.  So I guess when the TTOs get the mobile readers poor souls who forget to touch on will be sitting ducks for a $150 fine plus the  touch penalty!

[Derwan]

Just to clarify in my second idea, it's not an offence because you're technically not failing to touch off.... it's just that you're doing it a little later than when you actually arrive at the station.

[ozbob]

The idea just occurred to me that another way to promote up take of the card would be to have regular Saturday and Sunday travel free for all registered  Go card users?

[Derwan]

I actually think that all weekend travel should be free if the holder has done at least 10 trips during the week.  It can be a reward for being a regular user of public transport.

[ozbob]

Yes, good idea Derwan!

What you think TL?

[Fares_Fair]

Hello,

My organisation, the 'Say No to GoCard' committee are actively campaigning
against the GoCard until the Fares are Fair.
That is the core issue here, that commuters, and in particular long distance commuters,
are bearing the brunt of the unjustifiable 23% price hikes under the GoCard.
As are Pensioners, Uni Students and Shift Workers to name a few more.

The Government has replaced the old discount system with a new 'improved' one
which is 23% dearer !

They had to give the card away it was so good. then give it away as free travel.
Next thing you know it will be in Corn Flake packets.

Nothing will change until the Government stops their hypocrisy, and acts responsibly.
They are asking Councils to not pass on the latest valuation costs to landowners
whilst slugging hapless train commuters up to 23% and more in increased costs using the GoCard.

This price slug also contributes to inflation -
something I thought the Government would be trying to minimise.

There will not be any good take-up of the card until the Fares are Fair !

[Derwan]

My organisation, the 'Say No to GoCard' committee are actively campaigning
against the GoCard until the Fares are Fair.

I'm with ya Fares_Fair!

Without fair fares, even the most honest commuters would be tempted to take matters into their own hands (using ideas similar to the ones I mentioned) to ensure they don't pay more than a paper weekly for their week's travel.  After all, it's only fair!