Article: Calls for go card amnesty

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Calls for go card amnesty

Calls for go card amnesty
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Patrick Lion

October 21, 2009 11:00pm

THE hi-tech public transport go card is still experiencing 100 errors a day amid calls for an amnesty on "touch-off" penalties so new cardholders can get used to the technology.

TransLink figures show 3043 refunds were given in June this year, up from 1471 errors in the same month the previous year.

But the number of errors spiked only because more users switched from paper tickets to the go card, with the refunds representing 6 per cent of total trips instead of 12 per cent last year.

The problems occur when the plastic smart cards fail to register properly when a commuter touches on or off at either ends of their trip.

Paper ticket users do not suffer the errors ? and the so-called fixed fare penalties ? because they buy their ticket for the journey and don't have to touch off.

The Government has long been considering increasing the penalties from $3 for buses and ferries and $5 for trains to $5 and $10 respectively. The initial penalty was $15 before public outcry forced TransLink to reconsider.

But with a controversial new fare structure more than doubling fares over the next five years, Transport Minister Rachel Nolan yesterday shelved any notion of an increase to penalties.

"There are no plans to change the current arrangements for default fares," Ms Nolan said.

But commuter group Rail Back on Track has called for a one-month amnesty from penalties for new go card users, who the Government is trying to lure to the technology.

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the amnesty should be "no questions asked" and would be particularly beneficial for new commuters who got themselves into a tangle multiple times.

"We think that would make people more comfortable with the technology they may not be used to as it can take a while to get used to," Mr Dow said.

The Government is introducing new measures to make the technology easier, with the elderly to get a new senior's card allowing them to use it as a go card as well.

More go card retail outlets are planned while machine numbers are also expected to rise.

The debate comes as the Bligh Government has raised the prospect of increasing fines handed out to fare-evading commuters from the current $200 to $400.

[ozbob]

An amnesty would be easy to implement.  If a new user in the first month following registration scores a few fixed penalties they could simply contact TL by phone or perhaps use a web based form and claim back the difference between their fare and the fixed fare.  This would be important for people with limited budgets.  Rorting of the system is easily identified by a quick review of the history.  More importantly it would send a positive message to new users as well.  

[ozbob]

Received advice the percentage of go card trips who fail to touch off is 0.06%, not 6%, which is down from 0.12%.

There is a typo in the CM article.

[Derwan]

Received advice the percentage of go card trips who fail to touch off is 0.06%, not 6%, which is down from 0.12%.

It may be important to note that the .06% applies to the number of refunds, not the failed touches.

It would be interesting to see the rate of failed touches, which I believe would be a lot higher.

[#Metro]

I just don't bother following up. Who is going to wait that long listening to the extremely lengthy
"TL is really committed to your privacy.... do you want us to post the privacy prinicples to you"*
and then waiting, and then going through the hassle.

Why bother.

*NB: Not actual words, but you get the idea.

[dwb]

I would suggest it highly unlikely that they won't increase the penalty fares a very short period after mid next year to end of next year. Otherwise the system would almost be encouraging people not to tag off.

[O_128]

isnt it cheaper in some places not to touch off and get the penalty fine?

[ozbob]

It certainly is for high zone travel (cheaper to not touch off).  If a user consistently does that they are picked up by TL and card cancelled.

[somebody]

isnt it cheaper in some places not to touch off and get the penalty fine?

Definitely on the Gold Coast line, if you've started in the city.  So why aren't there staff and gates there?  Probably Caboolture and Petrie are in the same boat.

It certainly is for high zone travel (cheaper to not touch off).  If a user consistently does that they are picked up by TL and card cancelled.

But then you can go and buy a new card, not register it, and keep doing the same thing.  I suppose you lose the remaining deposit on the card.