No Go Card top up on BCC buses?

[suduku]

My usual bus allows me to top up my Go-Card, but this afternoon I tried to do the same on a Brisbane City Council bus.  The bus driver told me that they can't do it and don't have that facility and that I would have to go to a newsagent etc.  It was only after I stepped off the bus that he said he could offer me a paper ticket (which I didn't buy as I was trying to use my lunch journey to clock up my trips).

I complained about it to a girl at work who was out late one night and drunk and she had the same issue, except her bus driver NEVER mentioned that she could purchase a fare (paper ticket). 

Does anyone know why the buses don't top up when my local bus can?

[Stillwater]

Maybe Surfrail can give some free legal advice.

Can a class action be brought against Translink for discriminatory practices in maintaining paper tickets? 

[STB]

It's a longstanding union issue between TransLink (the State Gov), BCC and the bus drivers union as I understand it.  From what I've been told, BCC is backing the union to not allow BCC/BT drivers to allow top ups out of fear of drivers carrying large amounts of money around with them.  However, the private operators can allow top ups.

Basically unless BCC/BT management back down on backing the union, or BCC/BT is removed as an operator (probably a good idea if you are aware of what happened to the SEQ Bus Network Review for example), and TransLink gives a contract to a private operator, it's unlikely you'll see BCC/BT buses allowing top ups.

Again, this is as I've been told from around the industry.

It has existed since the Go Card system started up in 2008.

[STB]

Maybe Surfrail can give some free legal advice.

Can a class action be brought against Translink for discriminatory practices in maintaining paper tickets?

As I understand it, TransLink can't do much due to BCC/BT management and the union for the BCC drivers backing no top ups on BT buses due to fears of drivers carrying large amounts of cash.  Basically, TransLink is the victim.

[SurfRail]

It goes back to well before go card.  Brisbane Transport drivers never sold weekly tickets on board either, while every other operator did.

It's just the RTBU being princesses again, even if it inconveniences the travelling public.  End of story.

The Transport Worker's Union has no apparent problem with go card top-ups, and to my knowledge there are no operational issues reported by any private operators about this.

Just one more reason to get rid of Brisbane Transport and replace it with operators focused on the customer.

[James]

SurfRail is spot on. It's a petty union thing.

I have to say I like it though, I don't have a lot of sympathy for those who aren't organised to top up go cards. Maybe it is because most of my travel occurs on BT buses, but I've found that it can really slow things down. That being said, go card take-up in the regional areas/the Coasts seems to be less than in Brisbane.

While I like no on-board top-ups, I do think it is a big issue having NO AVVMs at Indooroopilly/Inala Bus Stations. Adelaide Street too (yes, I acknowledge there are other places where you can top up go cards, but I really don't want to have to roam QSBS to top up a go card).

[Stillwater]

Thanks the reasons, but, at the end of the day, whether victim or not, Translink is selling the same product at two different prices.  If I went into a store and there were two products in two different parts of the store, each with a different price, I am pretty confident I could sue the store operator for the difference in price.

That is the principle that deserves exploring.

[SurfRail]

Nup, nothing there.

Your concerns are best addressed to these guys.

http://www.rtbu.com.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2

[Stillwater]

I shall explore this separate of this forum -- worth a fee for legal advice.

See 'multiple pricing' section (page 20) here:

http://www.consumerlaw.gov.au/content/the_acl/downloads/sales_practices_guide_dec_2011.pdf

This seems pretty obvious to me:

http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/pricing.htm

Translink is displaying more than one price for a service (the carriage of someone from A to B).

Rather than contacting RTBU, this issue is worth pursuing through Fair Trading Queensland, I submit.

[techblitz]

Wasting your time imo....i will give you points for keen-ness though

You will find your answer via any woolworths store manager.
Look at the way they market a lot of their specials...
2 prices shown...one is the normal price without a rewards card...the other is with a rewards card. New customers do get confused with this sometimes but not enough to warrant concern  as woolworths do display the 2 prices to the best of their ability.
Take a look at translinks tables...they clearly state 2 prices..with a gocard and without a gocard.
The best you can hope to achieve is a mandatory request that BT move all of the TL pricing tables to a more prominent position where customers purchase paper tickets. This would apply to EVERY bus.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Everyone knows how I feel about onboard top ups. I applaud the BCC on not allowing top ups onboard services. I personally I think its a pain in the ass. Just like busways. Those stops should already be prepaid only. No ticket purchases on buses what so ever allowed. I want to get from point a to point b as quickly as possible. I don't want to fart around watching bus after bus go past or watching the seconds tick away while someone tops up their gocard/buys a ticket. There needs to be more top up locations (Coles, Woolies, IGA, servos etc). Look at selling and promoting prepaid cards similar to itunes, prepaid phones etc. Vending machines could be another option. Focus on those areas and not continually farting around with ticket/onboard top ups slowing down services.

[#Metro]

Melbourne has abolished all onboard bus ticketing, save the purchase of a Myki.

[ozbob]

Can top up on Melbourne buses ...

Outside of BT, other operators cope fine with top ups.  This is a good thing as access to non-bus top facilities obviously is no where as good as Brisbane itself.

Onboard topups are as quick, if not quicker than paper ticket sales.

Agree if better placement of AVVMs around Brisbane the system can probably still manage with paper removal and no topup on BT.  The only caveat will be the need for onboard sales of go cards on non-prepaid BT bus routes, and of course all other operators.