Article: Are these the best tickets to ride?

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From Quest City News click here!

Are these the best tickets to ride?

Are these the best tickets to ride?

BRISBANE, February 28: DOES the so-called public transport smartcard live up to its name?
City commuters had their first chance to test the technology this week, at least eight years after it was first mooted.

Already reports are coming in that the Go-Card?s GPS system is failing to pick up locations of bus-readers.

And Tim Nichols, the shadow state Transport Minister, says many travellers will have to cop a fare hike because of an inflexible discount option.

Students, and long-distance and infrequent travellers would be worse off. In addition, there were still bugs to be ironed out, and the State Government was forcing it on people by making it harder to buy a paper ticket.

Web-based public transport group Rail Back on Track welcomed Monday?s launch but stated: ?Some commuters may have unexpected increases in their travel costs if they are not properly informed.
?Our major concern has always been with the frequent user fare structure costs relative to the present integrated paper ticketing.?

Transport Minister John Mickel said more than 1000 cards had been ordered through the Go-Card website ? a ?clear sign people are eager to embrace the convenience offered by the internet to buy their card?.
It is also available at about 100 retailers and selected Citytrain stations.

?I would encourage passengers to have a chat to one of the go card representatives and find out if go card is right for them,? Mr Mickel said.

In February 2000 City News reported smartcard technology was on the way. ?You won?t have to keep buying tickets,? declared the then Transport Minister Steve Bredhauer.

Two years later and Premier Peter Beattie flagged a two-year wait while contracts were finalised.

Monday, Mr Mickel, said, had marked the start of a ?comprehensive user education campaign?.
Let?s hope it doesn?t take us as long to get educated as it took the State Government to issue the things.