6 Sep 2008: SEQ: Fares on the Airtrain don?t add up!

[ozbob]

Media Release 6 September 2008

SEQ:  Fares on the Airtrain don?t add up!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has discovered that single ticket and go card journeys to the Brisbane Airport from suburban stations cost more than the sum of the individual fares.  For example, the cost of a single ticket to the Brisbane Airport (Domestic or International) from Oxley is $18.10 according to the TransLink journey planner (1).

The same planner confirms that the cost of a single ticket from Oxley (zone 3) to Central is $3.40,  and the cost of a single ticket to the airport from Central is $13.50.  This is a total cost of $16.90.  Why the extra fare cost for a continuous ticket?

Using the go card the cost of a fare from Oxley to Central is $2.72.  So the Airtrain fare is actually costing $15.38 on go card in this instance.  The cost of go card journey to the airport from Central is $13.50 according to the TransLink journey planner.

From a zone 6 location the fare for a single is $4.80 to Central.  $13.50 for the Airtrain ticket gives a total cost $18.30.  Use your go card or buy a continuous ticket it costs $19.90; the higher the zone the greater the differential.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?One of our members recently noted that there was an extra cost of $1.20 on their go card travel compared to the cost of the respective single fares from Oxley  to Brisbane Airport.?

?Checking the TransLink journey planner has indeed confirmed that there is discrepancy between the sum of the individual fares, and the combined fare for single paper tickets and go card.?

?Is there a proper explanation for this discrepancy??

?The go card has many issues; it is not surprising that go card fares don?t add up!?

?People using the Airtrain would be best advised to purchase a single ticket to Central, or use a go card to travel to Central. Touch off if using go card, and then buy another ticket from Central to the Airport.?

?This ticket pricing circus is again a good example of what is wrong with public transport in south-east Queensland! It is a further disincentive for people not to use public transport.?

?The sooner the Airtrain line is brought back into public ownership and integrated properly as part of the normal TransLink network in terms of fares and timetables, the sooner the road congestion issues to the airport will be over (2).?

References:

1.   http://www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/ 

2.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=720.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration 
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Apparently this cosy deal has been in place for some time.  It is outrageous that both the Translink and now the TTA, and the Queensland Government would allow this blatant profiteering. It also unfairly puts rail staff in a no win position if a commuter challenges the pricing regime at a station.

We will continue to highlight this scam.

[dwb]

If you refer to http://www.airtrain.com.au/maps.php you will note that the cost of Airtrain from various city centric stations is $13.50 while others are slightly more expensive, for instance Toowong and South Bank are $15.80. This has always been the case. I believe the programing is meant to calculate the transfer cost if you get a bus then add the go card cost, it doesn't surprise me that this may differ from the single journey fares.

[ozbob]

Maybe so, but this pricing is causing problems particularly for staff left to defend it.  I will travel to Central  and then buy a ticket from there from now on when travelling to airport, and I expect increasingly many more rail passengers will too.  Coming in long haul the savings are considerable to do that.

The fact is why should one pay more than others just  for the privilege of travelling on normal public transport services to get to Central?  From Central as it is stands the fare is $13.50.  This is a major disincentive to many as it is.

Cheers
Bob