27 Apr 2008: Go card ? when will it be reliable? When will the fare be fair?

[ozbob]

Media Release 27 April 2008

SEQ:  Go card ? when will it be reliable? When will the fare be fair?

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 previously highlighted a number of issues with the go card system that is resulting in many users being overcharged on buses and ferries (1).

Apart from the recent time issue which go card users were only publicly notified only after almost two weeks of known problems (2), the ongoing issues with system and touch problems on buses and ferries and the slow and cumbersome process for refunds of excess fares and penalties is driving many users away from the go card.  The high price of the frequent user go card fare structure relative to paper integrated ticketing acts as a further disincentive for uptake and use of the go card.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?We have received steady feedback from go card users who are suffering excess fares and penalties due to equipment and system problems on buses and to a lesser extent river transport using the go card (1).?

?Translink must be overrun with requests for refunds of excess fares and penalties incorrectly charged to go card users accounts.?

?Go card users are tired of the constant excess charges and going through the laborious refund procedure which takes time on the telephone and normally at least 10 days for a refund to be credited.  This is not acceptable.?

?Translink should review the process for refunds of incorrect charges and have it expedited as many go card users are being significantly inconvenienced whilst waiting for the incorrect charges to be reimbursed.?

?RAIL Back On Track calls for clear guarantees that the go card will be fixed.  The fare structure is stupid.  The roll out of the go card has been a disaster, particularly for bus and ferry commuters.  Vague statements that more products will be available some time in the future are not good enough.?

?The go card is working well on rail although the high fare cost is turning many rail commuters away from using the card. The major ongoing problems are with the mobile card devices and system on buses and ferries, and the expensive fare structure. The pending removal of ten trip tickets mid 2008 (3) will result in chaos on Brisbane Transport public transport unless the go card is sorted out urgently.?

?Problems with deterioration of go card equipment in exposed positions on railways stations and ferries, security concerns with the go card, chronic touch failures on buses and ferries, and now the failure of the system to keep correct time indicate it is time that something was done to sort it out properly once and for all.?

References:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?board=27.0

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

3.  http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/go_tickets


Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration 
admin@backontrack.org