Opposition Statement: Go Card fails to impress Citytrain commuters

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Go Card fails to impress Citytrain commuters

Tuesday, 10 June 2008

Commuters have failed to be impressed by the Go Card ticketing system, with figures revealing just seven percent of all Citytrain passenger journeys made in April used the electronic ticket.

In answer to a Question on Notice* it was revealed on average just 10,000 of a possible158,000 Citytrain journeys a day were made using the Go Card.

Shadow Minister for Transport Tim Nicholls said the figures were proof of the State Government?s failure to successfully roll-out the $138 million electronic ticketing system.

"Despite taking more than five years to deliver the Go Card, the State Government has failed to provide commuters any incentive to use it," he said.

"By all accounts the system is more expensive and less reliable than the popular paper tickets ? a fact proven by today?s figures."

The Go Card system has been plagued by problems since its release, with many unsuspecting commuters being overcharged and penalised because of faulty software.

Commuters travelling more than 11 zones (Brisbane to Gold and Sunshine Coast) have also shunned the electronic ticket, accounting for just one percent of all Go Card journeys.

Under the inflexible discount scheme long-distance commuters face a fare increase of up to 23 percent compared to the popular weekly discount tickets.

"If the State Government is serious about encouraging commuters to use the Go Card they need to address these problems now," Mr Nicholls said.

"Commuters have waited long enough for the ticketing system first promised ? it?s time the Government delivered."

http://www.qldcoalition.org.au/news/article.aspx?ID=2477