AIR TRAIN and go card and Articles including $25 penalty for Go Card errors

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

$25 penalty for Go Card errors

$25 penalty for Go Card errors
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Patrick Lion

May 29, 2008 12:00am

COMMUTERS will be slugged with a new $25 penalty if they fail to use the troublesome public transport smartcard correctly on trains to Brisbane Airport.
A leaked TransLink memo reveals the "fixed fare" for Go Card users who fail to "touch off" properly on Airtrain services from this weekend regardless of journey costs.

Translink originally charged $15 penalties for normal CityTrain services but backed down, reducing the fee to $5. A plan to again raise it has been delayed.

Transport Minister John Mickel rejected responsibility for the penalty size on his own department's product, saying Airtrain - a private operator - made the decision.

"Our responsibility is to ensure that if there is an error with the Go Card system the commuter receives a refund," Mr Mickel said in a statement.

His comments come after The Courier-Mail revealed commuters were being robbed of refunds due to a secret five-week limit not included in terms and conditions.

Opposition transport spokesman Tim Nicholls said the growing disincentives would make commuters wonder why they should ditch paper tickets.

He said the constant touchpad errors and overcharging needed fixing before large penalties were dished out.

"He blamed the flu for the train cancellations, he blamed the bus drivers for Go Card problems and now he blames Airtrain for this," he said.

The TransLink memo also reveals frequent user discounts will be phased out eventually for trips on the Airtrain line

[ozbob]

Media Release 29 May 2008

SEQ:  RAIL Back On Track calls for urgent clarification of go card conditions of use

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has said the go card guide to cancellations and refunds has been missing from the Translink go card web site for weeks (1). Go card users are being treated with contempt.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?I advised the Translink go card call centre of the dead web link for the go card guide to cancellations and refunds on 22 May 2008.  I was assured that the data team would be notified. Still the conditions of use are not available and there is not even a notice advising users.  Users are left to click on endless loops on the web site.?

?In the Courier Mail today is the revelation that the touch penalty on the air train services for the go card will be $25 (2).  Perhaps the reason that the conditions of use is ?missing in action? is that users are being lined up for further rip-offs.?

?The previous secret policy of limiting the period which users can claim refunds to 5 weeks is an outrage (3). Is this being hastily added to a re-write of the conditions of use??

?As it stands today, go card users are in complete ignorance with respect to the conditions of use of their go cards.  This is an unacceptable situation and is acting as a further disincentive for uptake and use of the go card  (1).?

?It is a great pity that the potential benefits of the go card for public transport on the Translink network are being squandered by incompetent Government and Translink policy.?

?RAIL Back On Track members find it extremely concerning and disappointing that go card users are being treated in such an off-hand manner, with the now failure to inform users of the terms and conditions of use as more contempt and flawed policy.?

?Further evidence of this contempt was the time debacle on the bus/ferry go card system.  Translink and Government allowed go card users to cop excess fares and charges without any attempt to alert the users to the problem for two weeks (4). This was an appalling situation, and now users ripped-off during that time look like they are not able to claim their excess penalties and fares due to the 5 week limitation. Is this fair and just??

?The go card is potentially one of the best things to happen to public transport in south-east Queensland.  Why is it that Translink and Government seem intent on creating such a negative image for the go card? Taxpayers are rightly now very concerned as to when the system will be reliable and equitable.?

References:

1.  http://www.translink.com.au/qt/transLin.nsf/Index/go_conditions

2.  http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23774351-952,00.html

3.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=916.0

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


Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel

Thursday, May 29, 2008

go card goes live on Airtrain from June 1

The go card system will expand on Sunday to allow air travellers to use their go card to travel to and from Brisbane airport on the privately owned Airtrain.

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said the addition of Airtrain to the go card network was a positive step to improve access to the busy Brisbane Airport.

"This is all about choice,? Mr Mickel said. ?For airport users who prefer to use the train the extension of the go card system to Airtrain will mean they can travel across both public and private rail networks with a minimum of fuss.

"Airtrain decides on the cost of the fare and penalties for not touching on and off.

?Our responsibility will be to ensure that should there be any errors with the go card or the card readers, commuters will get the refund they deserve, just as they do across the TransLink network.

?I expect the ease of go card will make taking the Airtrain more attractive to airport users and take pressure off the road network servicing the airport precinct.

"Users of the go card will now be able to avoid the hassle of having to buy a paper ticket when travelling to or from the domestic and international terminals at Brisbane Airport.

"Just like on the rest of the network, they will be able to simply touch on at the beginning of their journey and touch off at the end.

"Fares for Airtrain on go card will be the same as with a paper ticket and, for an introductory period, the frequent user scheme discount will apply to Airtrain travel as well.

"That means if a passenger has travelled at least six times from Monday to Sunday and then uses their go card to travel to the Airport, their fare will be half price.

Minister Mickel said the conditions of travel would be the same as the rest of the network.

However he warned commuters to exercise extra care to ensure they touched off at the end of a journey as Airtrain had set a fixed fare penalty of $25.

"That?s a stiff penalty and I would urge everyone using their go card on the Airtrain makes sure they touch on at the beginning of their trip and touch off at the end.

"I have directed Translink to monitor all information provided on the go card's extension to Airtrain to ensure commuters are aware of the $25 penalty," Mr Mickel said.

May 29, 2008

[ozbob]

If you forget to touch off going to the Airport, then not a big deal.  There is no way the system will know in any case. So normal penalty.

If you touch on at the Airport and forget to touch off at the other end, well you are then looking at a $25 hit.

Equitable? 

The fare using the go card should be cheaper than paper to reflect the savings (no ticket sales) and provide incentive for use, particularly as the user will be running the gauntlet of big penalties ...

It really is time the Government brought back the airport railway line, this charade is contributing massively to congestion and is actually costing more to the community then just the rip off fares IMHO.

Cheers
Ozbob

[Derwan]

I wonder if the transfer rules apply.  I assume there are ticket checkers at the Airport so jumping off and on again to complete your journey within 5 hours is probably not an option.  But what if you go to the Airport to meet a friend - and return within an hour?  Will it be treated as a transfer?

I love the spin, "for an introductory period, the frequent user scheme discount will apply to Airtrain travel as well."  It just means the programmers are yet to work out how to stop the FU discount just for the Airtrain. 

[ozbob]

I just heard Minister Mickel on Radio 612 ABC Brisbane talking on the go card and this latest initiative.
The Minister was matter of fact and explained the utility of using the card on the Air train.  He was also very specific in that he indicated that Cubic have been instructed to look at issues closely.

The good news is that the refunds have caught up and now are back to 10 days according to the Minister.  I still think that 10 days is too long.  I rang up and made a couple of comments on air to the effect that basically the card is reliable on rail, the online management system is very good, users should use registered cards (this facilitates checking and refund processes if needed), but the card has proven to be a bit unreliable on the buses in my experience.

[ozbob]

I just checked http://www.translink.com.au/qt/TransLin.nsf/index/go_downloads

The link for the Airtrain go card user guide is the same as the link for the go card user guide at this time, ie. same document.



Later ed:  Airtrain user guide now available click here!

This from http://www.translink.com.au/qt/TransLin.nsf/index/go_airtrain

Airtrain

Airtrain is a private operator that uses the QR network to provide train services to Brisbane's International and Domestic Airport. You can now use go card to travel to these Airport stations.

train travel only

The standard Airtrain CBD fares^ are charged for passengers travelling between South Bank, South Brisbane, Roma Street, Central, Brunswick Street, Bowen Hills, Albion, Wooloowin or Eagle Junction stations and the Airport stations.

Where passengers are travelling to or from any other station in the TransLink network, they will be charged the applicable Airtrain suburban fare.

Full details for current Airtrain fares are available on the Airtrain website* or by calling Airtrain on 3216 3308. Note that return and daily fares are not applicable for go card travel.

View more information about the Airtrain frequent user scheme and fixed amount.

using bus or ferry as part of your Airtrain journey

An Airtrain journey means a journey using Airtrain and QR services only. Passengers continuing or beginning travel by bus or ferry should note that this is treated as separate journeys and not as a transfer.

TransLink bus and ferry fares are calculated based on the number of zones travelled and passenger type.

Also this from http://www.translink.com.au/qt/TransLin.nsf/index/go_fees

Airtrain

During the Airtrain promotional period, journeys to and from Airport stations are included in the frequent user scheme. Bus or ferry components of travelling to or from the Airport will be treated as a separate journey for the purposes of calculating the fare. However, the frequent user scheme treats the train and bus or ferry components collectively as one journey.

Following the promotional period, travel to and from Airport stations will not be included in the TransLink frequent user scheme. The promotional period will run until at least Sunday, 31 August 2008 and TransLink may end the promotion period at any time after that date.

[haakon]

Half price Airtrain rides for those weekend escapes interstate sounds like a grand idea to me 

[GOody]

Bus or ferry components of travelling to or from the Airport will be treated as a separate journey for the purposes of calculating the fare. However, the frequent user scheme treats the train and bus or ferry components collectively as one journey.

Either they are separate journeys and should both count towards your Frequent User Discount, or are the same journey and should be on the same fare.

I hear Circus music quite loudly...

[dwb]

this seems like a good move, although not the one I was hoping for, rather than getting Cubic to maintain the status quo with Airtrain, I was hoping Translink might try and renegotiate their contract.

It seems like it will be too confusing for the average users, but those who travel to the airport should find it quite useful. I wonder if they'll put the airport staff discount on to the Go card?!

I wouldn't worry about people not touching off on the way to the airport and hence only paying the normal small penalty fee as the airport station is very closely watched - passengers basically have to line up in single file and GIVE tickets to guy, I would suggest they have practically no fare evasion.

I think it would be really good if they government could get some concessions for people who are travelling both ways, ie to the airport and back within a two hour period.... ie to send people off, I've caught it out there before, and it cost me something like $16-17 EACH way.... when my normal 2 zone weekly was only $10.40 (student).

The gov could easily argue that Airtrain currently does not serve ANY of these passengers, as they have priced the tickets for a one way journey for an individual... They could therefore argue that those who travel to and from the station, simply pay a single journey from their point of beginning (ie zone 3) to zone 1 (ie treat all journeys as VIA zone 1) and just charge that amount.  It wouldn't be taking any profit away from Airtrain...

[ozbob]

Courier Mail 30 May 2008 page 15  not online

[ozbob]

Go card downloads page here!

Airtrain User Guide for go card here! PDF (external link)

[curator49]

Its a rip-off again. I always get a paper ticket to Central (from Altandi) (Fare $3.60) and then buy a paper ticket at Central to the Airport (Fare $13.00). Total $16.60

If you use the Go Card it will know you are doing a transfer at Central when you swipe off at the Airport (Fare $18.00). An extra $1.40

The private operators rip us off as well as the Government.

[ozbob]

Go Card to be released on Airtrain this weekend

Thursday, 29 May 2008

MORE than four months after the official roll-out of the Go Card, the electronic ticket will finally be made available on the Airtrain line this weekend.

The system was originally promised for Airtrain passengers in February, according to a report into congestion at the Airport Roundabout released last year.

Shadow Minister for Transport Tim Nicholls warned the late roll-out of the system would not be without problems for commuters.

"The Go Card has already proven problematic for many commuters who have been unknowingly overcharged, penalised and refused refunds," he said.

"Despite the State Government?s promise the system would make travel easier, it has instead made it more expensive and confusing

? a problem that may be compounded on the Airtrain line."

Mr Nicholls said commuters using the Go Card on the Airtrain should be aware:

When travelling from an Airtrain Station a $25 touch on fee ($12.50 for children) is initially charged before being modified to the correct fare after touching off at a QR station.

If they don?t touch off properly the $25 will be charged as a penalty fare.

Concession and senior fares are not available on the Airtrain line.

While the frequent user scheme will initially include journeys travelled on the Airtrain line, it will eventually be excluded.

Commuters are unable to use their Go Card to transfer between Airtrain and other services.

"If commuters aren?t careful when using their Go Card for Airtrain journeys they may be stung for a lot more than they realise," Mr Nicholls said.

"While I am pleased to see the Go Card will finally be made available for Airtrain passengers the system still needs fine-tuning."

While the system will soon be available on the Airtrain, Gold Coast commuters are still waiting for the roll-out of the system onto Surfside Buslines.

http://www.qldcoalition.org.au/news/article.aspx?ID=2424