2014 fares

[longboi]

Uhhh, why can't they pick up a go card from the station office? Or if it's an unmanned station, from a newsagent? It can be returned at the end of the visit to recoup the deposit or they can keep it for next time they visit?

The deposit is $10, but if they use the gocard then on one 3 zone round trip for one person you're saving $4.58 compared to paper.

One problem for tourists is that they do not give back cash repayments. It has to go into a registered bank account. Unlikely to occur for overseas tourists.

Huh. Didn't know that. I must admit only time I've done it is putting money from one go card straight onto another.

FF is incorrect. It is possible to obtain a cash refund.

You can obtain a cash refund of your go card balance and deposit at:

• Manned train station ticket offices (including Airtrain stations);
• Riverside ferry terminal ticket office; and
• Other selected retailers

You can search for a retailer here. Select the 'get a refund' option.

You just need to ensure that:

• The balance at the time of refund must be no more than $50 (plus deposit);
• The last top-up prior to the refund was made by cash at a retailer or fare machine; and
• You surrender the card at the time of refund

Source: go card guide to balance transfers and refunds

So essentially, you can get a cash refund for a maximum of $60 ($50 travel credit and the current $10 refundable deposit on adult go cards). There are ten locations in the CBD where you can do this.

[Fares_Fair]

Thank you for the clarification, Nikko.

My cash refund was refused at a manned railway station, but perhaps that was because I had topped up previously (and always) via EFTPOS.
My option was to transfer it direct to my bank account or onto another go card.

[Golliwog]

Thank you for the clarification, Nikko.

My cash refund was refused at a manned railway station, but perhaps that was because I had topped up previously (and always) via EFTPOS.
My option was to transfer it direct to my bank account or onto another go card.

Hopefully it is able to make the distinction between credit and eftpos. With transferring it to your bank, was that just them swiping your bank card and crediting it the refund or something more complicated?

[Fares_Fair]

Thank you for the clarification, Nikko.

My cash refund was refused at a manned railway station, but perhaps that was because I had topped up previously (and always) via EFTPOS.
My option was to transfer it direct to my bank account or onto another go card.

Hopefully it is able to make the distinction between credit and eftpos. With transferring it to your bank, was that just them swiping your bank card and crediting it the refund or something more complicated?

Yes, they simply swiped my EFTPOS card and it was a refund into my account. Simple really.

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Unwanted new year gift for Ipswich commuters

[Stillwater]

I just read the fine print at the bottom of the notice announcing the new 2014 fares.  It said that the go-card fares displayed had been rounded up to the nearest cent.  However, paper ticket fares had been 'rounded up to the nearest 10 cents'.

So, if the application of the fare increase meant that the paper ticket fare was $x.52, the fare has become $x.60.

What!  There is no 5c compartment in the change tray on board a bus or at a Queensland railway station?

[James]

This has been SOP for some time now, Stillwater. I personally agree with it, 5 cent pieces are just another level of fiddling, if they travel enough for it to make a significant difference to travel costs, they should simply get a go card.

The 10 cent rounding is better IMO - even if it does occasionally screw over the consumer. Having 5 cent increments also means having to outfit the machines to accept 5 cent coins, dispense change in 5 cent coins and so on. 5 cent pieces are a pain to handle anyway.

[ozbob]

Yes, they have been rounding up for years.  It does inflate the fare increases over time though ...

[#Metro]

The 10 cent rounding is better IMO - even if it does occasionally screw over the consumer. Having 5 cent increments also means having to outfit the machines to accept 5 cent coins, dispense change in 5 cent coins and so on. 5 cent pieces are a pain to handle anyway.

5c is stupid. Abolish all the silver coins, they're worthless now with the inflation of prices. Minimum currency unit should be $1

[ozbob]

Qconnect fares increase by 2.68% from 1 Jan 2014 ...

--> http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/qconnect/Urban-bus-services.aspx

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times 1st January 2014 page 8

Public transport woes

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/2014-world-fare-comparison-part-3.html
BrizCommuter 2014 world fare comparison - part 3
Public transport fares vs average income per capita.

[STB]

Is there any movement to get rid of the paper tickets completely and be Go Card only full time?  Might encourage them to develop more products and as long as they do a proper review of the BCC/BT network and stand their ground, might be able to lower the fares while they are at it.  I'm also assuming that getting rid of paper tickets may allow a saving?

I guess though that further changes to the fare structure/other products (eg: that Myki has on their system) won't happen until the contract with Cubic runs out?

[ozbob]

Hasn't been expressed explicitly as far as I am aware, but clearly paper needs to go.  I think the days of paper singles are numbered ...

I understand a wide net will be cast to look at fare and ticketing options for the next tender ...

[Old Northern Road]

Limited investment and funding didn't stop major network upgrades happening in Townsville and Cairns in the last few years.

There is no impetus for improvement coming from the top ranks - politicians, their non-PS apparatchiks and the top tier in the PS.  That's all there is to it.

Yes, because there was limited investment by the State in both those upgrades. Also, what is "major" for Cairns and Townsville is different to what is "major" in SEQ. Additionally, things like passenger information and infrastructure are luxuries in the regions.

Anyway, as most have seemed to have glossed over, I am not saying that fares are appropriate or inappropriate. I'm only commenting that fare comparisons between SEQ and regional aren't as clear cut.

Cairns and Townsville's bus networks look pretty luxurious to someone who lives in Moreton Bay.

Three words...

Economies of scale.

Not sure how that explains why a town of 150,000 people has several bus routes running at hourly frequencies until nearly midnight while Moreton Bay with its 400,000 people has none.

[Old Northern Road]

Well, Cairns has live bus network tracking.

QConnect had google integration at least a year ago. 

Those are luxuries.

You missed the point entirely. It's much easier to implement such things when the entire statewide network is not even a quarter of the size of SEQ (in terms of contract spend, patronage and revenue). Those things might be nice but you are hard pressed to find a place to sit when waiting for the bus in many regional centres. Some don't have bus stops at all.

Clearly we have some people who find comprehension difficult and just want to argue for the sake of it.

My point is very simple. Find a comparison which is relevant (i.e. a similar-sized network that provides a similar level of service). Comparisons with qconnect fares are easily written off, the reasons for which are detailed in my previous posts.

Most bus stops outside of BCC are just poles in the ground.

[ozbob]

Ditto here at Goodna, outside the shopping centre ..

meanwhile ..

4BC Newstalk 1116

Public transport fee increase

Posted by: Staff Writers | Staff Writers 2 January, 2014 - 11:33 AM
Public transport

4BC Mornings: Do you use a bus, train or ferry to travel between home and work? From Monday 6 January 2014, Translink plan to raise the cost of Brisbane's public transport.

Robert Dow, Spokesperson for Rail Back On Track, joins Chris Adams to discuss the changes.

Click --> here

[ozbob]

Channel 9 News

Critics warning over public transport fare rise

--> http://ninem.sn/gevKzQd

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 3rd January 2014 page 9

Transport rises just not 'fare'

[ozbob]

Media release 3 Jan 2014



SEQ: Bus cost explosion - zone one paper ticket fare breaks $5 barrier

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers highlights fares breaking the $5 barrier for one zone.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The effect of Brisbane City Council opposing the TransLink bus review has contributed to the explosive cost of public transport across all of SEQ. The result is that fares have exploded in cost to be some of the highest in the world. With an extortionate increase of 7.5% from Monday, family budgets are going to be hit and worst affected will be the vulnerable and needy in the community who rely on public transport to be affordable, such as the unemployed."

"The fare costs to travel just one zone on a paper ticket are now $5.20 one way and $10.40 return. GoCard is not much better with a return trip for one zone being just over $7. This is an embarrassment to Queensland. No wonder car park operators are out in force outside train and busway stations spruiking discount car parking deals."

"We believe that more people will exit the public transport system, leading to a loss in fare revenue and increasing subsidy - a death spiral. Go card off peak fares are around 55% the cost of a paper single ticket!

"We call for all paper ticketing to be abolished within 6 months and the removal of public transport planning responsibilities from Brisbane City Council, reversing the Queensland Government's 1925 decision to hand BCC public transport control."

"The sooner the bus network control is removed from BCC hands, the quicker the network can be re-organised to be efficient, properly mode integrated and fares lowered."

References:

1 . TransLink fares and ticketing 2014 http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/fares/fares-and-ticketing-2014

2.  SEQ Public Transport Affordability ' Death Spiral'  http://backontrack.org/images/tl/farespiral.jpg



Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[SurfRail]

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/unfare-translink-going-one-stop-on-the-gold-coast-light-rail-will-cost-you-353/story-fnj94idh-1226793925644

[techblitz]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/translink-fare-hike-to-make-brisbane-australias-most-expensive-20140103-30910.html

[ozbob]

Thanks  ..

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Translink fare hike to make Brisbane Australia's most expensive

Translink fare hike to make Brisbane Australia's most expensive

Date January 3, 2014 - 3:07PM

Overpriced and underdelivered.

That's the summation of commuter advocacy groups of Brisbane's public transport system, which they say is among the most expensive in the world.

Fares on Queensland's transport operator Translink will rise by 7.5 per cent on Monday, taking a single-trip, peak paper ticket in one zone to $5.20, up from $4.80.

Go card holders will be charged $3.53 for the same trip, up from $3.28.

Just five years ago, in 2010, the paper fare was $3.40, while the Go card trip was $2.30.

The 2014 fares make Brisbane the most expensive of any Australian capital city's transport network and trail only the UK and Scandinavia in price, commuter advocate Robert Dow, of Rail Back on Track, said.

With public transport patronage in the state's capital languishing at just 11 per cent, Mr Dow has called for a radical restructure of both fares and service frequency to transition Brisbanites from car-dependecy to train, bus and ferry frequenters.

"We are the most expensive jurisdiction in Australia and up there in the world rankings," he said.

"Patronage is horrific, the problem Brisbane has is we don't have the frequency and the services, yet we are charging world premium fares."

Brisbane transport blogger Briz Commuter has published an analysis of urban public transport fares worldwide that shows Brisbane ranks as the fifth most expensive city for a five kilometre trip to the CBD.

It trails the Norwegian capital, Oslo, London and Liverpool in the UK and Stockholm in Sweden. Mr Dow said this year's increase signalled the end of a five year fare increase plan that followed the introduction of the Go Card in 2010.

A spokesman for transport minister Scott Emerson said the previous Labor government had originally planned for 15 per cent fare rises in both 2013 and 2014, which the Newman Government cut to 7.5 per cent each year.

"As promised we are halving Labor's fare hikes in 2013 and 2014 and providing free travel after nine weekly journeys," he said.

"Under our policies a Monday to Friday passenger between the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast and Brisbane will be saving more than $1600 a year when compared to Labor's on-going 15 per cent fare hikes."

Mr Dow described that as "cynical politics" and said in order to boost patronage numbers, the Newman Government now needed to undertake a comprehensive review of the network to increase patronage.

"Inner Brisbane is not too bad, but further out, the frequency is poor," he said.

"If you miss connections, you're in for a long wait.

"But the real issue at the moment is the high fare cost that is dissuading people from using public transport."

Mr Emerson's spokesman said 200 extra train services would begin on southeast Queensland's rail network on January 20 but further fare increases were subject to review.

"We'll continue to improve public transport affordability ... and find further savings before making a decision on future fare changes," he said.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/translink-fare-hike-to-make-brisbane-australias-most-expensive-20140103-30910.html#ixzz2pJwZeWYd

[ozbob]

From the Gold Coast Bulletin click here!

Unfare TransLink: Going one stop on the Gold Coast Light Rail will cost you $3.53

Unfare TransLink: Going one stop on the Gold Coast Light Rail will cost you $3.53

    Matthew Killoran
    Gold Coast Bulletin
    January 03, 2014 12:01AM

THE cost of riding the light rail on the Gold Coast has gone up - before even a single commuter has set foot on a tram.

It will cost $3.53 to ride the tram one station, following the fifth consecutive hike in public transport fares in five years, which takes effect on Monday.

In 2011, when announcing GoldLinQ as the winning ­tender to build and operate the light rail, then-Premier Anna Bligh declared it would cost $3.11 to ride the track from end to end, or $2.65 for one zone.

But it will now cost $4.13 to ride the 13km track, which has 16 stations, and a minimum of $3.53 to catch it one zone, even if it is for one stop.

The shortest distance between light rail stations is a 350m stretch along Surfers Paradise Blvd between Main Beach Station near Ocean Ave and Surfers Paradise North Station near Palm Ave.

That means it will cost one cent a metre to travel along that particular section for a passenger going one station.

In 2012, it was reported southeast Queensland had the third most expensive public transport in the world, behind London and Oslo.

The cost of riding the light rail is the same as the bus because it uses the same Go Card system.

Fare costs are set by TransLink, not by GoldLinQ.

The 7.5 per cent rise in the cost of public transport from Monday means the price of a ticket for a train trip to Brisbane has ­doubled since 2010.

Public transport advocates slammed the increase, which is the second since the LNP took power in 2012.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson defended the latest hike, saying the increase was half Labor's three 15 per cent rises in fares.

A journey from Varsity Lakes to Central Station cost $7.80 in 2010. It will now cost $14.84 from Monday.

The State Government has not ruled out further public transport fare hikes next year.

Public transport advocacy group, Rail Back on Track, spokesman Steven Jamieson said paying more than $3 to travel one stop on the new light rail was unreasonable.

Mr Jamieson said high costs would keep many people from getting on board the new trams.

"We support the light rail ... but you won't attract new users to the system unless you deliver what they want and it's priced appropriately," he said.

Mr Emerson said a commuter who travelled two zones along the light rail each Monday to Friday would save $500 a year on what they would have paid under the 15 per cent fare increases introduced by the previous Labor government.

The saving comparison on a ­Varsity Lakes to Central ­Station commute would be $1600 a year, the Minister said.

"We'll continue to improve public transport affordability by fixing Labor's waste, and find further savings before making a decision on future fare changes," he said.

Mr Jamieson said the Newman Government had to stop blaming the previous government for fare increases.

He said the entire fare system for all public transport in southeast Queensland needed to be completely redrawn.

[ozbob]

^  it is very doubtful if Labor had been re-elected that the 15% fare increases for 2013 and 2014 would have flown ..

The LNP is treating us all with cynical political contempt ...  they will bounce out a new fare system just in time for the election no doubt.  The problem for them is that the public has woken up to the shambles they are ..

Bring it on ...

[ozbob]

Oh dear,  rather savage blog comments, you reading this LNP et al?

--> here !

Thanks  ..

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Translink fare hike to make Brisbane Australia's most expensive

Translink fare hike to make Brisbane Australia's most expensive

Date January 3, 2014 - 3:07PM

Overpriced and underdelivered.

That's the summation of commuter advocacy groups of Brisbane's public transport system, which they say is among the most expensive in the world.

Fares on Queensland's transport operator Translink will rise by 7.5 per cent on Monday, taking a single-trip, peak paper ticket in one zone to $5.20, up from $4.80.

Go card holders will be charged $3.53 for the same trip, up from $3.28.

Just five years ago, in 2010, the paper fare was $3.40, while the Go card trip was $2.30.

The 2014 fares make Brisbane the most expensive of any Australian capital city's transport network and trail only the UK and Scandinavia in price, commuter advocate Robert Dow, of Rail Back on Track, said.

With public transport patronage in the state's capital languishing at just 11 per cent, Mr Dow has called for a radical restructure of both fares and service frequency to transition Brisbanites from car-dependecy to train, bus and ferry frequenters.

"We are the most expensive jurisdiction in Australia and up there in the world rankings," he said.

"Patronage is horrific, the problem Brisbane has is we don't have the frequency and the services, yet we are charging world premium fares."

Brisbane transport blogger Briz Commuter has published an analysis of urban public transport fares worldwide that shows Brisbane ranks as the fifth most expensive city for a five kilometre trip to the CBD.

It trails the Norwegian capital, Oslo, London and Liverpool in the UK and Stockholm in Sweden. Mr Dow said this year's increase signalled the end of a five year fare increase plan that followed the introduction of the Go Card in 2010.

A spokesman for transport minister Scott Emerson said the previous Labor government had originally planned for 15 per cent fare rises in both 2013 and 2014, which the Newman Government cut to 7.5 per cent each year.

"As promised we are halving Labor's fare hikes in 2013 and 2014 and providing free travel after nine weekly journeys," he said.

"Under our policies a Monday to Friday passenger between the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast and Brisbane will be saving more than $1600 a year when compared to Labor's on-going 15 per cent fare hikes."

Mr Dow described that as "cynical politics" and said in order to boost patronage numbers, the Newman Government now needed to undertake a comprehensive review of the network to increase patronage.

"Inner Brisbane is not too bad, but further out, the frequency is poor," he said.

"If you miss connections, you're in for a long wait.

"But the real issue at the moment is the high fare cost that is dissuading people from using public transport."

Mr Emerson's spokesman said 200 extra train services would begin on southeast Queensland's rail network on January 20 but further fare increases were subject to review.

"We'll continue to improve public transport affordability ... and find further savings before making a decision on future fare changes," he said.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/translink-fare-hike-to-make-brisbane-australias-most-expensive-20140103-30910.html#ixzz2pJwZeWYd

[techblitz]

Labor would have kept them at 15% and we would have seen newman/emerson critisising those rises

[bagbuffy]

Remember when a Zone 1 paper ticket cost 80c?

[bagbuffy]

What about a book of 10 Tickets for $6.40?

[newbris]

Remember when a Zone 1 paper ticket cost 80c?

I remember a student zone 1 being 10c I think 

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Southeast Queensland public transport go card fares to rise from Monday

SOUTHEAST Queensland commuters will have to fork out an extra 7.5 per cent for their public transport trips on Monday, with the system to be among the most expensive in the world.

The State Government says it has already slashed the what was originally scheduled to be a 12 per cent increase by half - but public transport advocates insist it's still unacceptable.

A single peak Go Card trip between two zones will no longer cost $3.85, jumping to $4.14.

A new trial will also begin on January 6 of an extension of the 20 per cent off-peak discount period, which will commence at 8.30am instead of 9am.

During the 2012/13 financial year, patronage fell by about 4.5 per cent, with Queensland Rail's annual report blaming the decline on "easing in economic activities and subsequent reduction in workforce numbers as well as the public transport fare increase that occurred in January 2013".

In Oslo, Norway, a standard trip costs about $5.46, while travelling through two zones via London's tube and overground systems costs about $5.17.

Brisbane's new fares will fall not far behind and within the world's top 10 most expensive, beating out other Australian capital cities.

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the latest increase was "way over the top" and would only further damage patronage levels.

"That's what hurting people, it's this constant, sustained increase in fares with limited options to get out of it," he said.

Mr Dow said the network was "inefficient" and was being "propped up by exorbitant fares".

"Brisbane's still way out in front as one of the world's most unaffordable," he said.

"It doesn't matter which way you look at it - in real terms and absolute monetary value."

He also slammed the lack of concession options for unemployed Queenslanders on Centrelink payments, saying it encouraged fare-evasion.

"We've got one of the world's most expensive public transport systems and it's little wonder that we're starting to see stories about fare evaders needing to go to jail," he said.

"We're very anti-fare evasion, but on the other hand I can see where some of these unemployed people are coming from. It's very difficult for them to use public transport when they're using one of the world's most expensive public transport systems with very limited money."

[cartoonbirdhaus]

Remember when a Zone 1 paper ticket cost 80c?

Yes, until July 1990, when it became 90c. Then $1 in July '91.
[/out-of-the-blue_factoid]

[ozbob]

^ CM article

... During the 2012/13 financial year, patronage fell by about 4.5 per cent ...

Little wonder figures have not been made available ...  more cynical polyticks ...

[techblitz]

And where is labour on all this?.....in hiding...2 words..15 percent...they would probably be ridiculed by the LNP if they dared to respond...

Meanwile...
http://www.u.tv/News/Freeze-on-bus-fares-for-2014/e7264f80-81de-4924-ac1d-a6eecaa121bc

[#Metro]

I don't agree with fare freezes, they are nothing but short term gimmicks designed to suck you in. Anna Bligh did put on a fare freeze in 2009 I think. Why? Because it was an election year. The Victorian Government (Brumby) also did exactly the same thing, also because it was an election year.

In an ordinary business, charges cover all costs and then some for the investors/owners. The problem for PT is (a) inefficiency and waste (b) community service obligations routing (a necessary evil in many ways but still not untouchable especially if redesign supplies patronage coverage to CSO areas (i.e. West End 198 is now bordered by BUZ on almost all sides, (c) competition from cars which may not cover full costs (i.e. free roads even during congestion, absence of tolls and (d) less value/utility than private car (i.e. has to stop often, no boot, fixed span etc).

[#Metro]

Remember when a Zone 1 paper ticket cost 80c?

10 years ago (2004) you could get a South East Explorer Ticket valid on buses and trains for $10.40 or thereabouts. TODAY this will get you a return paper ticket trip for ONE ZONE.

EXTORTION!!

[minbrisbane]

I remember those, they were fantastic. 

From memory they were incredibly good value.

[Otto]

Just talking to a friend in Perth who was complaining about just missing the train and having to wait 15 minutes.
Told them we have to wait 30 minutes between trains and it costs $5.20 to travel 1 station.
The reply was,
"Holy crap that's outrageous!" and the rest is unprintable for this forum ! 

[STB]

Remember when a Zone 1 paper ticket cost 80c?

10 years ago (2004) you could get a South East Explorer Ticket valid on buses and trains for $10.40 or thereabouts. TODAY this will get you a return paper ticket trip for ONE ZONE.

EXTORTION!!

I remember getting that ticket twice.  I planned two trips, one I did the the entire urban network on every line in one day, and the second time I did the entire inter urban network in one day.

[ozbob]

Just talking to a friend in Perth who was complaining about just missing the train and having to wait 15 minutes.
Told them we have to wait 30 minutes between trains and it costs $5.20 to travel 1 station.
The reply was,
"Holy cr%p that's outrageous!" and the rest is unprintable for this forum !