10 reasons why NOT having a GoCard is good.

[Fares_Fair]

I'm a regular monthly PAPER ticket holder and it's just great.
Here are 10 good reasons NOT to have a GoCard.

1. For the cost of 4 weeklys I get an extra 2 or 3 days (in a 30 or 31 day month).
    3 Monthly, 6 or 12 monthly tickets are cheaper again.

2. No extra charges if I make more than 10 trips per week. (it's all included in my paper ticket).

3.  No waiting for the card signal to be touched and a glance down to see if the dreaded red X is there.

4.  No wait for the gate to open, then close again ahead of me just so I can then touch on.

5. I just breeze through the open and ungated entry/exits.
    In an attempt to bottleneck us and slow us down we have only 2 gates to emerge through.. still quicker.

6. No long queueing to buy a ticket at Palmwoods, and at only once a month is great.
    I reckon I save heaps more precious time than a 'GoCard' er.

7. Not having to regularly check my balance at a reader or online.
   I can relax when I get off the train, or on the train, or get home.

8. Not having to worry about remembering to touch off or on - every darn day and night !

9. Not having to contact Translink and argue over incorrect charges when equipment fails.

10. Not having to wait 14 days (or however longer it takes) to get my money back.


The GoCard just doesn't work at all for me.
I feel sorry for those who have one - and had to pay for the privilege
just so that they can pay more for travel over 10 trips and waste more time.

It's only redeeming factor is if you travel less than 10 trips in a week you MAY be better off with one.

Just don't mention the Buses (you get free trips whenever the readers don't work) which is often !

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[ozbob]

Thanks for your list Fares_Fair.

We continue to labour (labor?)  to improve the go card for us all.

I will stick with it as I am on a user trial ( ), my own.   And I guess I will be until many of the issues you raise are addressed.

[Fridge]

I find the GoCard useful for me as I travel in different directions, 1-8 three days and 8-17 two days a week.  So I guess my situation is one of the few success stories for the GoCard.

[ozbob]

The go card also suits my irregular travel too.   Can't wait for capping, then uptake will increase rapidly I reckon.

I like the online side of it as well.

[ButFli]

Seriously man, how long is this Go Card rubbishing going to last? Are you getting paid by the Courier Mail or something? If they made the Go Card $5 a week for unlimited travel you'd still find a reason to buy a paper ticket.

[Fares_Fair]

As long as it's many legitimate problems continue ButFli.
and no, I'm certainly not being paid by The Courier-Mail.

You may be happy to ignore the issues I raised, but I shall continue to highlight them,
as does the team at 'Rail Back on Track'.
I merely do it from without GoCard.
Some of them assess it from within.
Either way is Fair.

I could ask if you are you being paid by TransLink ? (but I withdraw the question).

The point is I?d like to use it one day.
Why can?t TransLink deal with the issues I have raised, particularly points 1, 2, 9 and 10
and give me a good reason to get one.

until then I?m waiting ....

Regards,
Fairs_Fair.

[ButFli]

Sorry man, but your issues with the Go Card are non-issues.

Having to wait for a gate to open to get out of a station? Do you realise that Go Carders can use the same open gates that you do?

Not having to touch off? You have to show your paper ticket as you go through the gate! How is that any different?

Only having to queue up once a month to buy your paper ticket? You don't have to queue up at all with a Go Card!

I could go on but we all know that this is not about issues with the Go Card technology.

[Fares_Fair]

sorry man ??
sorry son ...

again I reiterate, you think the major points 1, 2, 9 and 10 aren't issues !
Where have you been ?
are you sure you don't work for TransLink ?

and no, there are no GoCard opening gates where I pass through at Central.
GoCarders CANNOT use the gates I go through.
My ticket is pinned to my back pack strap when I stroll through.

It's different because I don't have to touch on or off, wait for a gate to open,
and check for the Red X.
It may not be much, but it's better and quicker.

I would guarantee that you waste more time than I on this, because at Palmwoods there are no queues and
I don't have to ever get online and check for errors to my paper ticket.

and yes, it is about the technology that causes problems, requiring refunds.
Points which you blithely ignore.

how about you go on and actually address the points I emphasised, or is it because you can't.
RAIL Back on Track is filled with such issues.

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[K_Nikora]

I'm going to have to take a stand on the side of ButFli on this one...
Allow me to attempt to objectively address the issues you find the most important Fares_Fair.

1. For the cost of 4 weeklys I get an extra 2 or 3 days (in a 30 or 31 day month).
    3 Monthly, 6 or 12 monthly tickets are cheaper again.
This is fair enough. Some users find that their travel patterns exceed the limits that the go card discounts allow for, however it would have been nice if you'd provided actual details on this as it's a highly general and very broad statement. Where's the facts?

2. No extra charges if I make more than 10 trips per week. (it's all included in my paper ticket).
This is true, and the weekly is great for that. However your weekly restricts you to whatever zones you are travelling in during the week, what if say on the weekend you wish to take a trip out of the ordinary travelling patterns? Then you'll find yourself paying full price for another journey, where the go card will give you 50% off plus the 20% discount.

9. Not having to contact Translink and argue over incorrect charges when equipment fails.
An annoying part of having a card for sure, but can you provide a rate of failures? Any statistics on how long it takes to contact the call centre? The one (and only) time I have had problems with an equipment failure, it took me five minutes to contact the call centre, who informed me the problem was already logged and just needed my card number to provide me with my owed refund. Not such a giant issue in those terms surely?

10. Not having to wait 14 days (or however longer it takes) to get my money back.
So you're not actually certain on the time it takes to have money refunded, but it's still one of your major issues? Well I could just broadly say that if I needed a refund on a weekly because I was sick etc that I wouldn't want to wait however long that takes to process.

Unfortunately the go card isn't a perfect system yet, but it's sad so many people are running around rubbishing it, I'd have liked to have seen a much better informed debated Fares_Fair, your argument seems ill equipped and just petty!

[Fares_Fair]

You are free to do so but it doesn't alter the facts.

1.
For my long distance travel the Monthly and 3, 6 and 12 month tickets are significantly cheaper,
it is not a highly general statement. It's definitive.

You have to apply for them specifically because it isn't in TransLink's interest to promote them.
They are not found on the QR website.
Why do you think that is ?

They would prefer you purchased a GoCard, and clearly you have. That's your right.
Did you not know that there are other discounted options available ?
Ask at your local station and do the sums. I have !

It is my right NOT to support the GoCard until it has comparable capping and discounts
akin to the types of tickets I mentioned, and has better resources for it's complaints.

e.g. my (calender) monthly ticket costs me $322.40 for Zones 1-16.
It gives me the 2 or 3 extra days value (based on 30 or 31 day month) - can't be more specific than that.

I would purchase the 6 month ticket (Silver Card) for $1624.40 (note it is point to point only, not Zonal.)
(mine expired January 2009) if I could afford that much money up front.
The 12 month (Gold Card) is even better value. (after subtracting public holidays and annual leave,
it's also point to point).

I don't consider such monetary savings as petty.

2.
It does as you say, however because I travel 16 Zones regularly it isn't an issue for me.
For someone who has a smaller Zonal footprint it may have more impact.
Any extra trips I make are already covered by my paper ticket which covers 16 Zones.
It's a very valid point, and not easily dismissed.

3.-8.
These are just bonuses for me personally.
No hassle of queueing behind a gate, no wondering if I touched off or on properly,
No online checking or top-up required.

9.
You ask me for statistics and you cite your 1.
That's good that you have only had one time, many haven't, most particularly on Buses and Ferries.
I see no need to justify my argument here, it's history is all here on the site.

10.
I said that because there are reports of commuter refunds
here on Rail Back on Track site as taking up to 21 days.

I find it amusing that you think it sad people rubbish it and are so eager to defend it.
You think it is great, good luck to you.

I am much happier for all the 10 reasons I specified.
I will not use it until it has a financial incentive equivalent to the discounted types mentioned.
I won't pay more for travel when I don't need to.

You say it's sad that people rubbish it, why are you so keen to support and defend it ?
You are welcome to your view, but under the circumstances and my distance travel
the monthly paper ticket stands sound.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

Well done on getting your letter into the mX Fares_Fair!  Democracy at work.

Great there is good ongoing discussion,  we may not all agree but exploring these issues is in the end in the best interest of all.

The present fare structure is to me the major issue.  The mismatch between paper and go card is cause for much frustration.  It is interesting in Melbourne that they are rolling the myki out with capping, maybe the lessons from up north have been learnt.

If one is to believe press reports the slow introduction of incentives and discounts on the go card by TL has been part of a deliberate roll out strategy.  Clearly it is now time to move forwards and make it fare equitable for all.  This point has always been our major concern.

The other so called 'teething issues' are still there.  Last week a work colleague had a number of free rides on the buses.  Last night at Roma St, main gate on there were  two X

On the bright side the system is in widespread use and for many is working well.  Others still have issues with the fare structure and some of the technical/design issues.  We look forward now to improvements.  Some one asked me in my go card trial thread, how long is my trial?  Clearly by TL's own comments last week, they are still in a trial and until the issues that concern are sorted, my trial will be ongoing.

I use the go card exclusively, and I document my experiences.  On rail, it works fine.  Fix up the fare structure and the use will surge.

Just some thoughts.

Cheers
Bob

[Emmie]

One reason for having a GO card is that you avoid the hostile looks of other commuters!  The 402 and 412 buses that link Toowong Station with University of Queensland run so much faster with GO than with the paper tickets.  I have noticed increasing resentment amongst passengers when the bus driver has to deal with the occasional individual purchasing a ticket at the minor stops en route.  Unfair perhaps - if not near a railway station, they can't buy a paper ticket any other way - but there is definitely a feeling of irritation from the rest of the bus.

[Fares_Fair]

Absolutely true Emmie,

The GoCard is much quicker for entry onto Buses.
It is a time saver there and makes the drivers job that much easier also.
No doubt about it.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Fares_Fair]

Thank you Bob,

A 'robust' discussion is always healthy.
At the end of the day we all want the best there is out of the GoCard.

I haven't seen it yet,
but I accept many have - depending on their individual circumstances and mode of travel,
be it Train, Bus or Ferry or combinations of them.

We just have differing ways of doing it.

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[STB]

Just a correction for you Fare's Fair.

The 3 monthly, 6 monthly and 12 month tickets are for QR rail services and railbuses only.  It's not valid for any TransLink bus or ferry service.  So you can't really compare Go Card to the 3 month, 6 month and 12 month tickets.

As a side topic, I tried the online top up yesterday for the first time and it worked a treat, with the top up appearing on my Go Card account when I touched on the bus this morning.

I've had hardly any issues with the card myself, I use mostly the bus.  Of course obviously some are having more problems than others but I'd like to see how many of those who are having problems is user error rather than an actual problem with the card or the hardware, eg: card readers etc.

[Fares_Fair]

Thank you STB,

Yes, you are quite right.
I should have stated that they are exclusivly for the QR rail services and railbuses only.
My apologies for not clarifying that.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.