28 Dec 2008: SEQ: Airtrain fare con and the new fare strategy, rip-off ...

[ozbob]

Media Release 28 December 2009

SEQ:  Airtrain fare con and the new fare strategy, rip-off continues, surprise!

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 post is $28.70, after the 4th January 2010 it will be $30.40 (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, after the 4th January fares will be Adult  go card off-peak $8.73 Adult  go card $9.70 Adult  single $14.10 .  The Airtrain fare from Eagle Junction to Airport is $14.50.  The present correct fare go card fare is therefore presently $14.50 plus $8.06 for a total of $22.56 compared to the Airtrain single journey go card fare of $28.70.  After the 4th of January it gets worse! If a person touches on at Nambour travels to Eagle Junction, touches off and then touches back on they will only pay $23.23 off peak, or $24.20 peak.  Contrast this to the single rip off fare of $30.40. 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 this fare rip off continues.  Go card users will not be debited with the correct off peak fares for the non-Airtrain legs of their journeys as applicable as well."

"Presently people using the Airtrain would be best advised to use a go card to Central (or Eagle Junction from the north). Touch off if using go card, and then buy another ticket from Central (or Eagle Junction) to the Airport or touch back on as a continuation of travel if using go card. The savings can be substantial as demonstrated."

"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?  Airtrain can charge what they like for travel on the line from Eagle Junction to the Airports, but why is there is a rip-off fare for travel on public parts of the network paid for by the taxpayer? The fact that it can be correctly and easily avoided by doing a two stage journey highlights the absolute absurdity of this situation."

"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=3091.0

2.   http://www.translink.com.au/  Journey planner accessed 28th 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]

Presently at Brisbane Airport.  Touched on at Oxley, touched off at Roma St, debited with the correct 3 zone fare.  Then touched back on (continuation of travel) and touched off at the Airport, correct fare debited. It is not difficult to avoid the ripoff by breaking the journey into two trips, but farcical that we need to do it to avoid the excess fares.

[ozbob]

Brisbane Airport



Photographs R Dow 5th January 2009

[verbatim9]

Presently at Brisbane Airport.  Touched on at Oxley, touched off at Roma St, debited with the correct 3 zone fare.  Then touched back on (continuation of travel) and touched off at the Airport, correct fare debited. It is not difficult to avoid the ripoff by breaking the journey into two trips, but farcical that we need to do it to avoid the excess fares.

I did the same was debited the right amount from Algester to Parkinson, but when I transferred @ South bank to the train I was then debited another 16.90 for the journey from South Bank to the Airport as well as the Bus journey. Isn't the Air train fare meant to be 14.50 from Southbank?

[ozbob]

The TransLink journey planner is showing $17.90 for rail Southbank to Brisbane Airport as a single journey go or paper.  If you touch on at Southbank, and touch off at Roma St or other City station fare is $2.30 (peak)+ $14.50 = $16.80.

RIPOFF!

To avoid the excess ripoff fare you must not do a single connecting journey, break it into two trips, then you will pay the correct fare for the travel on the public network.

[ozbob]

Done a couple of interesting things with the go card on the way home from the airport today.

1. Firstly I did it as a single journey from Brisbane Airport, as expected I was debited with the ripoff fare.

Adult single journey from Brisbane Airport to Oxley is $20.40, concession $18.10.

So for the non air train leg  at peak adult is paying $5.90 for a fare which should cost $3.20
Concession is paying $3.60 for a fare which should cost $1.60.

Ripoff is well and truly in place, confirmed! Going to the airport last Tuesday I broke the journey into two trips and paid the correct fare for the non airtrain leg.

2.  With some planning I made sure when I touched off at the airport last Tuesday my go card balance was less than the expected fare on the return leg, but greater than $5, so the auto topup was not activated when I touched off at the airport on Tuesday.  I have a $40 auto topup activated on my card.  The reason for this is I wanted to see what would happen when I went negative with the touch at Oxley on the return leg.  My card balance is showing -$10.98 at the moment  

I expect that the next touch will see the auto top up add the top up amount, minus the negative balance at the moment.

This behaviour raises some interesting scenarios.  For example some one travelling to Gympie North with a go card with a balance of say $6 on the touch at the airport will have a negative balance of $30.60 ($36.60 - $6).  Now if their auto topup is set for say $20, a single top up will not cover the negative balance.  Guess it will do a double top up, if the system can handle it (but I doubt if they considered this situation).   Interesting ...