5 Dec 2009: SEQ: Airtrain fare con and the new fare strategy?

[ozbob]

Media Release 5 December 2009

SEQ:  Airtrain fare con and the new fare strategy?

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 long highlighted the blatant fare rip off for unsuspecting  commuters who travel as a single journey from railway stations on the TransLink network and then the Airtrain from CBD to the airport, as compared to normal fare prices (1). This hits unsuspecting TransLink customers with extra fares which can be avoided by breaking the journey into two stages.  How bizarre for a modern public transport system in that a single journey costs more than two separate journeys? The fact that government appears to be happy that hapless commuters continue being slugged extra  as evidenced by a lack of action to address this rip off  is also cause for concern.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"For example, if you check the online fare calculator on the Airtrain web site, the cost of a single adult go card journey from Nambour to the Brisbane Airport is $28.70 (2).

"Smart commuters do it differently. By breaking the journey into two legs, the correct fares for the first leg for example from Nambour to Eagle Junction is charged, and then subsequently by either purchasing a ticket or touching with go card as a continuation of travel from Eagle Junction to Airport leg the correct fare is charged.  The adult fare from Nambour to Eagle Junction on go card is $8.06.  The Airtrain fare from Eagle Junction to Airport is $14.50.  The correct fare go card fare is therefore $14.50 plus $8.06 for a total of $22.56 compared to the Airtrain single journey go card fare of $28.70.  This rip off is confirmed on the Translink journey planner (2)."

"RAIL Back On Track has pointed out this situation with  the fare rip off previously many times (3).  Why is it that Government and TransLink are happy to allow unsuspecting commuters to be stung?"

"With the new high cost fare strategy rolling out from the 4th January 2010 will this fare rip off continue?  Will go card users be debited with the correct off peak fares for the non-Airtrain legs of their journeys as applicable?  Will this fare rip off be finally addressed. Or will the con be even greater?  Fair questions on fares are they not?"

"Presently 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 or touch back on as a continuation of travel if using go card. The savings can be substantial."

"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.  It puts railway staff in a no-win situation when challenged by commuters as to the inequity of the fare structure."

"Why is it that Airtrain gets an additional revenue component from travel on the public Translink Citytrain network if a rail user uses a go card in a continuous journey or buys a paper continuous ticket?  This additional fare impost DOES NOT apply to connecting bus or ferry travel.  Why are only rail commuters slugged?"

"We need to encourage people to use public transport.  This fare structure for connecting rail travel to Brisbane airport is anti-public transport, another case of rhetoric not matching reality.  We again call on the government to fix this fare anomaly as a matter of urgency."

"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 (4)."

Reference:

1.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2491.0

2.   http://www.translink.com.au/  Journey planner accessed 5th December 2009

3.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1304.0

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

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

I am planning to travel to the BNE Domestic on 5th January from Oxley rail station, one day after the new fare structure impacts.

Checking the TransLink Journey planner for the 5th January shows the following fares for travel Oxley to Central

Adult  go card off-peak      $2.88
Adult  go card    $3.20
Adult  single    $4.70

Central to BNE Domestic

Adult  go card      $14.50
Adult  single    $14.50

If I take a single journey

Adult  go card      $20.40
Adult  single    $20.40

So if you do as a single trip no apparent recognition for the off peak leg if travelling off peak Oxley to Central and the ripoff continues.

If you go from Oxley to Central, go out the gates touch off and then continue on it will only cost $17.70 peak or $17.38 off peak.

R I P O F F !  It is an obscenity that unsuspecting punters are done over like this.

This government and its agents are really starting to smell ...  not only are the punters being hit with huge fare increases the airtrain ripoff continues ..

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

25th December 2009

Greetings,

A not so merry Christmas for public transport punters is it not?  Massive fare increases looming and the Airtrain connecting rail service fare ripoff  (see previous media release below) is still embedded in the new fare structure coming into play on the 4th January.

I am planning to travel to the BNE Domestic on 5th January from Oxley rail station, one day after the new fare structure impacts.

Checking the TransLink Journey planner (http://www.translink.com.au/ ) for the 5th January shows the following fares for travel Oxley to Central

Adult  go card off-peak      $2.88
Adult  go card    $3.20
Adult  single    $4.70

Central to BNE Domestic

Adult  go card      $14.50
Adult  single    $14.50

If I take a single journey

Adult  go card      $20.40
Adult  single    $20.40

So if you do the journey  as a single trip no apparent recognition for the off peak leg if travelling off peak Oxley to Central and the ripoff continues.

If you go from Oxley to Central, go out the gates touch off and then continue on it will only cost $17.70 peak or $17.38 off peak.

R I P O F F !  It is an obscenity that unsuspecting punters are done over like this.

This government and its agents are really starting to upset people ...  not only are the punters being hit with huge fare increases the Airtrain ripoff continues ..

Could you please inform the public that they can avoid further excessive fares by breaking their journey into two stages please?   Smart state or con state?

Best wishes

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
RAIL Back On Track


======================

Media Release 5 December 2009

SEQ:  Airtrain fare con and the new fare strategy?

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 long highlighted the blatant fare rip off for unsuspecting  commuters who travel as a single journey from railway stations on the TransLink network and then the Airtrain from CBD to the airport, as compared to normal fare prices (1). This hits unsuspecting TransLink customers with extra fares which can be avoided by breaking the journey into two stages.  How bizarre for a modern public transport system in that a single journey costs more than two separate journeys? The fact that government appears to be happy that hapless commuters continue being slugged extra  as evidenced by a lack of action to address this rip off  is also cause for concern.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"For example, if you check the online fare calculator on the Airtrain web site, the cost of a single adult go card journey from Nambour to the Brisbane Airport is $28.70 (2).

"Smart commuters do it differently. By breaking the journey into two legs, the correct fares for the first leg for example from Nambour to Eagle Junction is charged, and then subsequently by either purchasing a ticket or touching with go card as a continuation of travel from Eagle Junction to Airport leg the correct fare is charged.  The adult fare from Nambour to Eagle Junction on go card is $8.06.  The Airtrain fare from Eagle Junction to Airport is $14.50.  The correct fare go card fare is therefore $14.50 plus $8.06 for a total of $22.56 compared to the Airtrain single journey go card fare of $28.70.  This rip off is confirmed on the Translink journey planner (2)."

"RAIL Back On Track has pointed out this situation with  the fare rip off previously many times (3).  Why is it that Government and TransLink are happy to allow unsuspecting commuters to be stung?"

"With the new high cost fare strategy rolling out from the 4th January 2010 will this fare rip off continue?  Will go card users be debited with the correct off peak fares for the non-Airtrain legs of their journeys as applicable?  Will this fare rip off be finally addressed. Or will the con be even greater?  Fair questions on fares are they not?"

"Presently 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 or touch back on as a continuation of travel if using go card. The savings can be substantial."

"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.  It puts railway staff in a no-win situation when challenged by commuters as to the inequity of the fare structure."

"Why is it that Airtrain gets an additional revenue component from travel on the public Translink Citytrain network if a rail user uses a go card in a continuous journey or buys a paper continuous ticket?  This additional fare impost DOES NOT apply to connecting bus or ferry travel.  Why are only rail commuters slugged?"

"We need to encourage people to use public transport.  This fare structure for connecting rail travel to Brisbane airport is anti-public transport, another case of rhetoric not matching reality.  We again call on the government to fix this fare anomaly as a matter of urgency."

"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 (4)."

Reference:

1.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2491.0

2.   http://www.translink.com.au/  Journey planner accessed 5th December 2009

3.   http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1304.0

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

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Another example:

Travel date 5 Jan 2010

Varsity Lakes to Brisbane Domestic - one trip

Adult  go card    $30.40
Adult  single    $30.40

Varsity Lakes to Central

Adult  go card off-peak $8.73
Adult  go card    $9.70
Adult  single    $14.10

Central to Brisbane Domestic

Adult  go card     $14.50
Adult  single    $14.50

So two trips go off peak $8.73 + $14.50 = $23.23
                         peak $9.70 + $14.50 = $24.20

Lot less than $30.40!

All fares from the TransLink Journey Planner --> http://www.translink.com.au/

[#Metro]

I dubb it the AirCon

To be fair, I love the Airtrain, and that you can get $400 if it is late and ruins your plans.
Sorry if I haven't followed, but why does this happen?

I mean, are they really charging for sections of a journey that takes place on the QR Network on a QR service, and not their own?
How did this come about? Did the gov really negotiate this- seems like a dud deal.

It seems like they are charging for carriage already performed by QR (i.e. if someone comes from Ipswich or whatever). You shouldn't charge for a service that you don't own or operate, and especially one for which someone has already paid Translink for.

Flat fee I say. You should only be charged for travel on the Bowen Hills-Airport line.
One price for adults, another for concession holders (otherwise they might not catch the service at all) and another for kids.
It shouldn't matter which station the passenger originated from.

[ozbob]

Probably related to the original contract, no matter it needs to be sorted.

The fact that one can easily and correctly avoid the rip off by doing a two stage journey is proof of how sad and bad it is.

As shown in the Varsity Lakes example, it is quite considerable amounts of money when tallied up.

I doubt that Airtrain are really paying full market rates as well for the trains, crew, signalling and control support.  Face it is all QR stuff essentially, other than the cost of the track was privately funded.  The solution to all the craziness is just buy it back and make it part of the normal TransLink Citytrain network, fares and frequency.  No, billion dollar road tunnels are a higher priority rather than an already existing potential solution to the problems and a cost of around $100 million.

[ozbob]

The article below was published Feb 2009.  They are all aware of the rip off, but they don't do much to sort it, hey?

LOL

From the Courier Mail click here!

Fare rip-off for rail travellers to Brisbane Airport

Fare rip-off for rail travellers to Brisbane Airport
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

February 23, 2009 11:00pm

TRAVELLERS are being ripped off up to $7.50 when they travel to the airport because Airtrain and TransLink cannot agree on a fare structure.
The Courier-Mail can reveal commuters are being forced to pay more for travelling directly from suburban stations to the airport, but both TransLink and Airtrain say they are powerless to fix the problem.

A difference in the way fares are calculated means it would be cheaper to travel from some rail stations to Central station and then buy a second ticket to the airport, than to buy a ticket directly to the domestic or international terminal.

The problem is caused by a difference in fare structure.

TransLink calculates fares depending on which zone a commuter travels from, but Airtrain uses a "point-to-point structure".

For example, a commuter travelling from Gympie North will pay $33.70 to travel direct to the airport, or $26.22 for two tickets if they stop at Central station.

Airtrain general manager Chris Basche said Airtrain was aware of the problem.

"It is just the way it is and it is something that we are trying to work out," Mr Basche said.

But, he said, both providers were focused on rolling out the Go Card ticketing equipment, rather than fixing the discrepancy.

"At the moment both Airtrain and TransLink are working on the Go Card implementation," Mr Basche said. "They are rolling out the new ticket operator console machines which is taking a considerable amount of time.

"We are waiting for those resources to be put in place."

But TransLink yesterday denied the problem was due to Go Card rollout, and said they could not force Airtrain to change its pricing structure.

"Airtrain is a privately owned company that independently sets their own fares above the TransLink fare," he said.

"TransLink is a third party which collects only the standard TransLink fare for those using Airtrain."

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the two-step process of getting a cheaper fare made a mockery of seamless travel on the network.

"It is not good enough that they are promoting a seamless ticketing system, and if you travel on it you are paying more," Mr Dow said.

[ozbob]

With the off peak now the go card post January 3 the ripoff is even worse ...  folks travelling off peak are being done on the non airtrain legs ...  as well as peak of course.

This really is a sad indictment on Government and TransLink, they are happy to see punters ripped off obviously.

[#Metro]

Next time some thought should be given about the design of arrangements and what is fair.
I'm not against PPPs, just wished that the Gov put a bit more thought into it!

It seems that the entire "journey-to-the-airport" is being charged for, even though common sense would tell
one that only the portion traveled on the private railway section could be legitimately charged for and collected by Airtrain.

Perhaps there was something that TL could do between the time the articles were published and the Jan 4th fare price rises?
Persons requesting a trip to the Airport at a station could be given two tickets- to cover the trip to Bowen Hills, the other
to cover the trip from BH to the Airport. The cost to do this would be a 0.1c staple to pin the two tickets together.

Its just too bad.

[ozbob]

--> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3203.0

[verbatim9]

Next time some thought should be given about the design of arrangements and what is fair.
I'm not against PPPs, just wished that the Gov put a bit more thought into it!

It seems that the entire "journey-to-the-airport" is being charged for, even though common sense would tell
one that only the portion traveled on the private railway section could be legitimately charged for and collected by Airtrain.

Perhaps there was something that TL could do between the time the articles were published and the Jan 4th fare price rises?
Persons requesting a trip to the Airport at a station could be given two tickets- to cover the trip to Bowen Hills, the other
to cover the trip from BH to the Airport. The cost to do this would be a 0.1c staple to pin the two tickets together.

Its just too bad.

In Sydney its also a flat fare from Central to the Airport but they dont have accounting errors when travelling to the suburbs adding a few extra dollars here and there like they do in Brisbane.