Countdown to savings for commuters

[ozbob]

http://www.scottemerson.com.au/media-releases/free-ride-home-on-friday-with-go-card.html

Free ride home on Friday with go card

Sunday, 24 June 2012 08:18

Up to 100,000 public transport users will get fare relief from tomorrow, with the introduction of the Newman Government's nine-and-free weekly discounts.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Scott Emerson said a regular weekday commuters using a go card from tomorrow would see real savings with free travel after nine journeys in a Monday-to-Sunday week.

"That means regular weekday commuters who use their go card to travel to and from work five days a week will get their journey home on Friday and travel across the weekend for free," Mr Emerson said.

"The LNP is serious about tackling cost of living pressure for Queenslanders and we are delivering yet another election commitment.

"We are restoring confidence in our public transport network by improving the affordability, reliability and frequency of public transport.

"During the January to March quarter, affordability of public transport dropped to an all-time low – 45 per cent on trains and 51 and 53 per cent on buses and ferries."

A regular weekday commuter to the CBD from Oxley or Mitchelton will save up to $220 a year while customers travelling from Varsity Lakes or Palmwoods will save up to $642 each year.

Seniors and pensioners using go cards can still take two journeys in the same day and then travel free for the rest of the day, no matter where they wish to go on the TransLink network.

Passenger information on go cards, including the location of go card retailers, is available at www.translink.com.au or on 13 12 30.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Travel for free, but there's a catch

Travel for free, but there's a catch
June 24, 2012 - 9:53AM

Southeast Queensland's public transport users will be rewarded with free travel this week.

Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson says commuters who use their electronic Go Card ticket for nine journeys will be allowed to travel by ferry, bus or train for free afterwards.

But the deal only applies from Monday to Sunday for one week.

"That means regular weekday commuters who use their go card to travel to and from work five days a week will get their journey home on Friday and travel across the weekend for free," Mr Emerson said.

AAP

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/travel-for-free-but-theres-a-catch-20120624-20vyp.html

   

Oh dear, remote journalism.  You would think they would learn and just reprint our media releases ...

[somebody]

What a weird angle to find limitations!  Perhaps they should be talking about reduced fare box recovery if they want to find a negative in this.

[WTN]

Not only does it sound negative, it's also misleading. The part they say "But the deal only applies from Monday to Sunday for one week" reads like the free travel is a once-off for the week the article is published. Free travel happens EVERY week, since January.

[ozbob]

The article at Brisbanetimes was amended  ...

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Travel for free, but there's a catch
June 24, 2012 - 9:53AM

Southeast Queensland's public transport users will be rewarded with free travel.

Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson says commuters who use their electronic Go Card ticket for nine journeys will be allowed to travel by ferry, bus or train for free afterwards.

But the deal only applies from Monday to Sunday.

"That means regular weekday commuters who use their go card to travel to and from work five days a week will get their journey home on Friday and travel across the weekend for free," Mr Emerson said.

The scheme offering free travel after nine journeys each week replaces an existing Labor incentive, which provided free travel after 10 journeys.

AAP

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/travel-for-free-but-theres-a-catch-20120624-20vyp.html

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Go card 9 journey cap from today, journeys trips caps? .. discussion @612brisbane after 7am news ...

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Go card 9 journey cap from today, journeys trips caps? .. discussion @612brisbane after 7am news ...

Interview with Phil Smith 612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast (Spencer Howson on holidays).  Helped to clarify journeys versus trips.

Thanks for the interest!

[ozbob]

612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast with Phil Smith

Pubilc transport fare revamp

Pubilc transport fare revamp

25 June 2012 , 8:58 AM by Scott Spark

Queensland's public transport fares are revamped from today.

Up until now, every trip beyond 10 journeys each week was free.

Now, you only need to take 9 journeys in a week, and every trip after that is free.

Robert Dow is president of the public transport lobby group, Rail Back on Track, and he spoke to Phil Smith about the changes.

Click -->  here!

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

Free public transport puts money back in pockets

Free public transport puts money back in pockets

    by: Catherine Palmer, City News
    From: Quest Newspapers
    June 25, 2012 10:39AM

BRISBANE commuters will be able to access free travel after nine journeys from today, and there's a few loopholes to help put money back in your pocket.

Bus, train, ferries and CityCats will offer free travel after nine paid journeys, according to Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow.

But a journey is different to a trip, Mr Dow said.

"I know it is confusing, as in some circumstances one trip can equal one journey, in other circumstance a single journey can consist of up to four trips," he said.

"For example, you might catch the bus to the train station on Monday morning, you touch on when you get on the bus and touch off when you get off at the train station, then touch on when you walk onto the train station and touch off when you get off at Central - that's counted as one journey.

"You return home the same way - so you've done two journeys on Monday.

"If you do that for the rest of the week, your fares home on Friday are free. And all your public transport over the weekend will be free also."

Mr Dow said there's a few tricks of the trade wherby commuters can access free transport sooner in the week.

"For example, you could get on the train at Central and get off at Roma St during your lunch break on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - that would count as three journeys.

"So your commute home on Wednesday is the last one you'd pay for - you could travel for free on Thursday and Friday, plus all weekend."

THE RULES

Commuters are allowed a maximum of three transfers on a journey, therefore you can have a maximum of 4 trips in one journey.

Also your journey must continue from the same zone or adjoining zone.

There is a 1 hour time limit between transfers.

That means you must touch on to your trip within 60 minutes of touching off at the end of your previous trip.

You must touch on to your final trip within 3.5 hours of when you started your first trip. You have five hours to complete the journey.

You can transfer up to 3 times across all zones."

Visit http://jp.translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/details/1338251778 for more information.

[Fares_Fair]

 

[ozbob]

Twitter

mXBrisbane ‏@mXBrisbane

@TransLinkSEQ's 9-journey cap starts today, but cheeky peeps planning to hop on and off 1 bus 9 times will get caught out. @mXBrisbane today

[somebody]

cheeky peeps planning to hop on and off 1 bus 9 times will get caught out.

How?  Because it will count as a connection?

[ozbob]

Not sure what the tweet means.  Hopefully will have a copy of the article later today ..

[HappyTrainGuy]

cheeky peeps planning to hop on and off 1 bus 9 times will get caught out.

How?  Because it will count as a connection?

Because most people aren't Usain Bolt to get to the next bus stop in time 

[ozbob]

http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/fares/go-card-journey-and-trip

What is the difference between a journey and a trip?

What is the difference between a journey and a trip?

A trip is the act of travelling from point A to point B with no transfers (a single trip).

A journey on the other hand can be one or a number of trips (transfers) combined to make it from point A to B. When making a number of trips to get to your destination it is still one journey if you touch on within 60 minutes of touching off on your previous trip.

Definition for journey: "A journey is the distance travelled from the origin to the final destination. A journey might involve several trips using different transport modes. The sum of these trips will make up one journey."

Definition for a trip: "A trip is defined as the distance travelled from point of embarkation on a vehicle (or vessel) to its terminus, or to a location, prior to the terminus, where the passenger disembarks from the vehicle. A trip may be the full journey or part of the journey.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 25th June 2012 page 2

Free with a go card



That explains the cryptic tweet.  In actual fact you need to hop on and off 25 times to get to nine journeys if doing it consecutively  ...  but not sure if many would bother.

[Fares_Fair]

I have heard of people who jump on a bus and go multiple trips to use the transfer rules to force a new journey (after 3 transfers) on their Go cards, and get the 10 trips/journeys in a day.
Has that loophole now been closed?

[ozbob]

I have heard of people who jump on a bus and go multiple trips to use the transfer rules to force a new journey (after 3 transfers) on their Go cards, and get the 10 trips/journeys in a day.
Has that loophole now been closed?

Don't think so, you can still do the 25 trip thing AFAIA (was 28) but really what is the point?

[Fares_Fair]

Feedback received from one who does ... I do not condone such behaviour as it abuses the process IMO.
I did my 1 lunch-time trip today and walked the 1 km back.
Saves me $10.40 per km and is a health incentive.

This week's initiative will save me over $616 per annum, or at least until the end of this year, when the next 7.5% fare hikes hit in January.

Have to object to the use of the term 'swindle' in the article.
That's way too harsh.

It should have been written like....

"For those with an imaginative flair who managed to devise an inventive way to circumvent mainstream travel patterns...and so on.....' 

[ozbob]

Yes, there is the odd individual who thinks doing that is a cool thing (spending a few hours to do multiple consecutive trips to hit the cap).  TransLink do monitor and if it was a significant issue I am sure they would clamp down.  Lunch time trips and so forth make sense and are very worthwhile, even if a relatively short zone commuter. Be interesting to see the data since the 10 journey cap introduction, and then compare it to 9 journey cap after the same period.

[somebody]

Needs to be 33 consecutive trips to make subsequent journeys free.

25/28 would be the number if it was 3 trips/journey but actually it is 4.

[ozbob]

Needs to be 33 consecutive trips to make subsequent journeys free.

25/28 would be the number if it was 3 trips/journey but actually it is 4.

Silly me,  of course 4 trips per journey, last one can be one trip hence ..

Yes, 8 x 4 + 1 = 33

Adult off peak zone 1 $2.44 x 33 = $80.52

[somebody]

Oops!  9x $2.44 = $21.96

[ozbob]

Oops!  9x $2.44 = $21.96

Yes, meant to add that.  I think if it becomes a problem there could be software fix to stop say more than 8 trips in an hour or similar.

[kazzac]

I'll get my trip home this Friday arvo for free because I have to travel on PT every day this week and also any travel I do this weekend will be free too!

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 29th June 2012 page 1

You're free to go

[ozbob]

Sixteen people reached nine journeys on Monday ...  lol

You have to  love 'em ...   

[Fares_Fair]

Sixteen people reached nine journeys on Monday ...  lol

You have to  love 'em ...   

I know 2 of them, so that just leaves 14 others in the entire Translink network! 
It sends the message that they are being watched ... and apparently not too big of a concern to warrant action.

[SurfRail]

There would have been around 3.5 million passenger journeys this week and every other week on average, so hardly breaking the bank.

[achiruel]

Re the people making nine journeys on Monday - if their GO card is unregistered, how would TransLink track them down?

[HappyTrainGuy]

Putting very angry letters addresseed to the Gocard number at the most frequent bus stops/train stations?

[Fares_Fair]

Depends, if it is purchased via an eftpos or credit card, it need only be matched to the go card number when purchased. I doubt they are truly anonymous.

[achiruel]

Depends, if it is purchased VIA an eftos or credit card, it need only be matched to the go card number when purchased. I doubt they are truly anonymous.

I'm 99% sure such a match would be illegal without a court order.  And I'm not sure there's any law against what they're doing to get one.

[Fares_Fair]

Depends, if it is purchased VIA an eftos or credit card, it need only be matched to the go card number when purchased. I doubt they are truly anonymous.

I'm 99% sure such a match would be illegal without a court order.  And I'm not sure there's any law against what they're doing to get one.

Surfrail, I suspect it isn't your specific area of expertise, but you may know the answer to this.

[SurfRail]

Depends, if it is purchased VIA an eftos or credit card, it need only be matched to the go card number when purchased. I doubt they are truly anonymous.

I'm 99% sure such a match would be illegal without a court order.  And I'm not sure there's any law against what they're doing to get one.

Surfrail, I suspect it isn't your specific area of expertise, but you may know the answer to this.

In practical terms, I expect people at TransLink consider people like that to belong to the sh%ts and giggles brigade and nothing more than a talking point.  People who have the time and inclination to do that are very rare, and I don't see that they are actually doing anything wrong by the law (arguably loitering but that would never get up).

I'm not sure there is any way they could be authorised to do that kind of tracking without the kind of reason they already rely on to release go card data (eg to assist the police in tracking missing persons).