Article: Go card fare rip-off

[ozbob]

From mX via Courier Mail click here!

Go card fare rip-off

Go card fare rip-off
Article from: MX

Martin Philip of mX

April 22, 2008 04:30pm

BUS drivers are manually overriding clocks used by go card scanners and overcharging commuters.

Transport Minister John Mickel today said clocks on some council buses were running an hour ahead.

The inaccurate time readings meant some buses used incorrect data to calculate fares, leaving commuters out of pocket.

Mickel said the problem lay with driver training, rather than any problems with the go card technology.

"It just seems to be a driver training issue,?? he said.

??What happens is the drivers are pushing the button once they leave the depot and in so doing (are) resetting the clock.??

Commuters who have to change services are being forced to cough up extra fares and penalties if they don?t complete their trips within the two hours allowed.

Robert Dow from commuter group Rail Back on Track says commuters are being unfairly punished because of the glitch, saying it was a major issue.

??Go card users who transfer to or from a bus with the incorrect system time are being debited with incorrect fares, and sometimes penalties,?? he said.

Meanwhile, services on some bus routes were disrupted this morning following the gas cylinder explosion yesterday which forced the Upper Mount Gravatt depot to be closed until later this week.

mX is free at outlets in the CBD, Fortitude Valley and South Brisbane.

[ozbob]

Well done mX and Courier Mail.

At last the public is alerted to the time problems with the Go card.

For two weeks there was  no public acknowledgement by Translink even though it was clear there was a major issue. Yesterday a notice was finally added to the main Translink website.  This failure to alert users was most unsatisfactory from which ever way you looked at. 

Now, for a resolution, decent fares and then a high card uptake!

[ozbob]

Further, it is not a driver caused issue.  It is a fundamental problem with the time settings on the software.

The drivers are doing a great job coping with the many issues with the go card system on the buses.  Blaming them is grossly unfair, clearly the advice given to the Minister is very suspect. 

I would hope an apology to the bus drivers is in tomorrows paper!

[Mozz]

Maybe time for someone to seek out the adviser/s who provided advice to the minister to blame the drivers for this issue - I am quite sure that Ministers don't like being provided information that may not be accurate ...

[Fares_Fair]

Hello,

This morning on 612 ABC radio, on the Spencer Howson Breakfast Show, this very issue was raised with the Hon. John Mickel, Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations.

It was put down to a Bus driver training issue, when they press a button on the machines after leaving the stations and that resets the system clocks - causing the problems.

Otto, this may be a good question for you to field with your intimate knowledge of the Bus network.
If this isn't the case, then the Minister's advisors must be on very shaky ground indeed.

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[ozbob]

This morning (23 April) Spencer Howson 612 ABC Brisbane radio made a short statement just prior to the 6am news that clarified the issue as being a software problem and not the drivers fault.

Spencer read the comments again just before 7am news. He stated this information came from the Minister's office. 

Spencer's blog  is here --> http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2008/04/all-your-transp.html

Well, glad the issue has been clarified.  Well done Spencer and ABC!

Still think there should be a public statement of apology to the bus drivers by the Minister.

Cheers
Ozbob

[ozbob]

Media Release 23 April 2008

Queensland:  Call for dedicated Minister for Transport and apology to Brisbane?s Bus Drivers

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 again called for a dedicated Minister for Transport in Queensland and an apology to Brisbane?s  Bus Drivers for the feeble excuses rolled out in a futile attempt to explain the time meltdown on the go card.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?Transport in Queensland is in a mess.?

?This has been recently acknowledged by the State Government with the creation of a special unit target growing congestion and commuter anger within the Premier?s Department.?

?Problems are acute in south-east Queensland.  The go card roll out is not going well either (1). Yesterday?s attempts, since corrected, to blame drivers for a time problem with the go card on buses and ferries suggests no one in the Minister?s Office or Translink actually understands how problematical the go card roll out is (2).?

?A public apology to Brisbane?s bus drivers is certainly in order in our opinion.?

?Public transport vehicles, buses and trains are regularly carrying heavy passenger loadings often over their design limit.  This is a serious safety concern (3, 4). Commuters are regularly left behind at bus and ferry stops and railway stations.?

?The evidence would suggest the present port folios for the Minister, namely Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations are too broad with too many competing issues.

?A dedicated Minister for Transport is urgently required in our opinion.?

?Meaningful consultation with commuters is also needed to move forward.  The present ?cones of silence? surrounding feedback and suggestions from public transport commuters is part of the problem.?

Reference:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=698.0

2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=743.0

3.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=686.0

4. http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=693.0

Robert Dow

Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[mufreight]

Once again Mr Mickel has shown both the level of his incompetence and the levels of duplicity that he will stoop to to avoid the responsibilities of his office.

Premier Bligh should show some leadership and at the very least remove the transport portfolio from this incompetent and duplicit member of the Goverment, a better response would be simply to sack him and his entire staff of advisors and issue an apology to the bus operators and the longsuffering commuters

Of course we victims of an increasingly duplicit administration will not see Mr Muckill removed for his incompetence nor will we see the advisors sacked for the incompetence, cover up and then shift the blame to someone else preferably someone in no position to defend themselves such as the bus drivers, is the present mode of operation.

The quest arises if this is the level of duplicity and incompertence that is common to the members of this Government then what will the headlines be next week?

Ask your local member about the level of credibility of the Government and if he/she in concerned for their future as a member, his/her responses may provide some enlightenment.

Have fun.

[ozbob]

Not sure if this constitutes an apology (TL notice below) but at least a further clarification.

The sad thing is that TL and Cubic have been aware of the problem since at the minimum of 10th April when I sent them a full description of the problem.  But I am certain that BT and private operators would have alerted them probably on April 7 or at the latest April the 8th.

I can forgive the technical issues, most if not all computer systems have issues initially. 

I am however very disappointed that the go card users were kept in the dark for so long. 

bus ticket timing issue - effective 23 April 2008

TransLink is aware of an issue with some buses' internal clocks being out by one hour under certain conditions. This issue may affect transfers for both paper tickets and go cards.

Cubic Transportation Systems have identified a solution to this issue and is progressing it as a matter of urgency.

Minister for Transport, John Mickel wants to assure commuters that the issue is not caused by drivers. The problem occurs when the driver console loses power and is out of range of the depot computer. Cubic's solution involves replacing a file on each bus that will rectify the issue.

Passengers who feel they may have been affected by this issue should call TransLink on 13 12 30. If they have been overcharged because of this timing issue they will be given a refund, in line with TransLink's normal refunds policy.

From --> http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/media_busclocks_apr08

[Mozz]

As a commuter I can't say I am happy with this fiasco, it was a noddy issue to begin with and something that should have taken hours to fix or maybe even a couple of days, but days turned into weeks of denial, followed by false accusations followed by retraction of false accusations. This was then backed up with a reference to standard translink policy which is patently not working properly if commuters are experiencing 10 days plus delays in obtaining refunds, "IF" commuters can correctly identify they were penalised by the well documented DSTgate issue.

I expect that thousands of people would/are/still being affected adversely with penalties and incorrect charging and only a fraction of those will be in a position to audit their travel records on their gocard, identify anomalies, build a case, present it to translink appropriately, receive a determination from translink, audit their gocard records to identify if they received what they believe to be the proper refund of charges/penalties if not, then identify anomalies, build a case, present it to translink appropriately, receive a determination from translink ...... and it goes on, by now you get my drift. All this to get to a position of neutrality whereby the commuter is only charged the correct fare (refunds only extend to the exact amount of money identified as inappropriately charged).

Perhaps as a sign of goodwill and an actual encouragement (rather than a disincentive) for people to use public transport - Translink should amend their policy to reflect that any incorrect charging or penalties incurred on a journey with a gocard should result in the completely free fare for that affected journey. This would go someway to building bridges with respect to enhancing the rollout and use of the gocard.