TransLink Smart card the Go Card - what's going on?

[ozbob]

There is a lot of advertising around now by Translink for the Go card.  Bill boards, advertising posters, in press eg. Courier Mail and mX.  I don't watch TV much so not sure if it has been on that, but I think I heard an ad on commercial radio.

I think with the level of advertising there is a real intention to try and get a high uptake. But it doesn't seem to be working that well, that is the advertising, because the community is now much better educated as to the actual cost of the frequent user fare structure.

The story in the mX yesterday was very interesting ( see --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=587.0 ) , in that it is actually flagging some improvements to the fares on the Go Card.  This is essential, if the fare was equitable I am certain most people would be very supportive and we would see real improvements in public transport efficiency.

[mrciclismo]

There was also an article in the City News today and the commuters in that article bagged the Go Card because of its increased costs over paper ticketing.

[ozbob]

A letter to the editor to the Courier Mail today (Mar 6) from a citizen highlighting the positive incentives of Perth's SmartRider card, particularly the 25% discount on the cash fares for auto topup. 

Autotop is not yet activated on the Go Card but will be in the future.  When it does it would be nice to think Go card users would have a similar discount!   

[Derwan]

A letter to the editor to the Courier Mail today (Mar 6) from a citizen highlighting the positive incentives of Perth's SmartRider card, particularly the 25% discount on the cash fares for auto topup. 

Just heard from the friend of a friend that my suspicions were correct.  The card was rolled out with the one (unfair) FU scheme to limit the initial uptake.  More FU schemes will be implemented (although I didn't get a timeline).

Autotop is not yet activated on the Go Card but will be in the future.  When it does it would be nice to think Go card users would have a similar discount!   

Word is they're having trouble with this feature.

But when it's working, apparently when we set it up, we confirm that the funds will definitely be available on our credit card.  Once the Go Card balance reaches zero, the auto top-up amount is added immediately - and the amount is then charged to the credit card.

Also - apparently passwords can't be e-mailed because of security issues.  But I thought that was what the "secret question" was for - to confirm that you wanted the password sent via e-mail.  But anyway - that's what I heard.

[ozbob]

The card was rolled out with the one (unfair) FU scheme to limit the initial uptake.

There is some basis to this in what has been observed I think.  Project running very late, a lot of political pressure to do something so get it out there no matter what!  Problem is that a lot of anti-Go Card sentiment has built up because of the fare.  Real shame that as the card is a great move for PT done right!

Hence the issues still unresolved with the buses/ferries with locations, rushed operator training, incomplete roll out of ticketing equipment (eg. lack of AVVM at Oxley and elsewhere), auto top up not functional,  some equipment not fit for purpose (eg readers in weather on cats) and so on. And the constant community anger at the cost relative to paper ticketing. At the moment you can play 'spot the go card user' ...

Against this though is the considerable amount of money that is being spent on advertising.  If they really wished to limit uptake I think that the advertising would be very minimal or non existent.

There is an instant fix, just reduce all base fares on the Go card by 25%, keep everything else as is, and then introduce the other FU schemes when sorted and so forth.

People would then not mind being part of a beta trial in effect as some balance in their costs.  They really need to get something in place before the ten trippers are finally pulled in Brisbane IMHO.

[Fares_Fair]

Quick Acronymic Question : Can someone please tell me what IMHO stands for ?   

[Derwan]

Quick Acronymic Question : Can someone please tell me what IMHO stands for ?   

In My Humble Opinion.

[ozbob]

Media Release 7 March 2008

Australia:  Free rail travel before 7am all lines in Melbourne, well done Victoria!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org)  a web based community support group for rail and advocate for public transport commuters has congratulated  the Victorian Government for extending the free travel before 7am on suburban rail Mondays to Fridays in Melbourne, to all lines.

Robert Dow spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?The further expansion of the early riser trial to include all of Melbourne's trains for free travel before 7am is great news for Melbourne commuters (1). This will further help ease congestion.

?Other states are being left standing still with the community focussed public transport initiatives by the Victorian Government.

?The Queensland Government should now consider introducing free travel for Go Card users that touch on by 6.30am Monday to Friday.  This would help ease some peak congestion.

?We are already experiencing significant congestion on some services before 7am (2). Some more early peak services are also needed.

?It is important that service frequency of all public transport modes actually matches the changing demographics, and work and life style changes.

?To help ease peak congestion free early bird travel is smart!?

Reference:

1. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23334436-661,00.html

2. http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=585.0

Contact:

Robert Dow

admin@backontrack.org
Administration RAIL Back On Track

[Derwan]

Go Cards are the perfect method to introduce time-based incentives and discounts.

Programming would be simple - unlike determining fare caps which would require looking at previous trips.  Touch on/off times are already used to determine whether journeys are new, continuations or whether the holder failed to touch-off from his/her previous journey.

Also, unlike paper tickets, the end time of the journey can also be determined - meaning discounts can be based on the entire journey and not just the start.  Off-peak discounts could be reintroduced, but be based on single trips and not depend on the traveller knowing what time their return trip will occur.

For example, you could have a discount for travel completed before 7:00am.  Trips starting and completing between 9am and 3pm could qualify for an off-peak discount - and then again for trips after 7pm.  Discounts could vary and you could even have staged discounts (e.g. journeys completed before 6:00 get a 50% discount, then 6:00 to 7:00 get a 25% discount).

The Go Card has a lot of potential for discount schemes.  Let's hope it's used that way and that they get smarter programmers to fully utilise its potential.

[ozbob]

In this afternoon's mX (Mar 7) there is a letter from the Minister John Mickel, Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations that is possibly in response to this weeks events in the mX concerning the go card.

The letter says in part "the initial go card pricing structure is targeted at the 'average', everyday commuter."  He goes on to write that "TransLink's next step is to develop additional products to meet the specific needs of other types of passengers".

This is a welcome letter as it clearly outlines that improved fare outcomes are on the horizon.

The letter concludes with the following "A very small number of people still continue to criticise the go card's pricing structure. My response to them is if it's not yet right for you, you don't have to use it."

My comment is that we do live in a democracy and from noting the press, the online media, and conversations with commuters it is not a very small number of people at all that are not happy with the go card's present fare structure.  It is the vast majority!

Putting that aside, the letter is a very welcome clarification and thanks to Minister Mickel for his  comments.

Admin

[ozbob]

Article in the Quest City News 6 Mar 08 page 12  on the Go Card

From http://www.questnews.com.au/city.html

PDF click here!

[ozbob]

The Go card has a lot of potential to use differential fare pricing as a congestion management tool.

For example touch on by 6.30am free journey, touch on 6.30am to  7am 50% and so forth.  Off peak can be done too.

Following the success of the Melbourne early bird trial, there have been some statements  that indicate the Government will examine options when all the results from Melbourne are in.

Sooner the better!

[ozbob]

Free travel over Easter on the Go!

See --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=617.0

[Fares_Fair]

This free Easter travel is a great idea ..

instead of :-

watching your money Go(Card) online
watching your money Go(Card) via phone

it'll ( temporarily ) save you watching your money Go on the (Card) 

[ozbob]

Another letter to the editor from a frustrated Go card user in the CM today (March 18).

It seems that the roll-out has been seriously compromised by the diabolical fare basis for many commuters.
Add that to the ongoing technical problems on the buses ...   oh dear!

[ozbob]

Oxley railway station has finally got it's AVVM.  Old TVM now gone.

But, the new AVVM has limited functionality.  Yesterday morning a lot of ticket chaos, long queues at both ticket windows.

Those who may have to reverse ticket when the station office is closed have a valid reason!   



Photograph R Dow 19 Mar 08

[ozbob]

There is a letter in the Albert & Logan News 19 March 2008 page 11 concerning the Go card and fare costs.

See --> http://paper.questnews.com.au/QST_ALW/alw011.pdf

[ozbob]

Update on Oxley AVVM, now full service this morning (March 20).

[ozbob]

Letter to the editor in the Sunday mail today (March 23) from a concerned citizen and the cost impacts for concession travellers following the lose of the 10 trippers.  The writer pointed out the 29% fare cost increase under the present Go card ticketing regime. 

It does seem that the wider community is now quite aware of the cost impacts across the board of the FU scheme.

[ozbob]

A photograph of the AVVM and touch device at North Gympie. 

The outer limit!  Zone 23!! 



Photograph R Dow 23 March 2008

[ozbob]

For interest:  Melbourne - Article: Smartcard faces two-year delay --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=655.0

[ozbob]

Another letter to the editor in the Courier Mail today (March 27) complaining about the price impact of go card FU fare on student travel.

It does seem the more people uptake the card the more concern with the fare structure. 

Hopefully some new initiatives on the way?   

The constant negative press is a marketing disaster  IMHO.

The Go card is working well on rail, and the convenience and the online management are great.
Just a real pity about the FU fare structure.

Cheers
Ozbob

[Derwan]

Just went to look at my account online and received this message:

This page is temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. Please try again later.

I wonder what they're doing!   

[ozbob]

Just checked, still on maintenance.

Might be a software/system upgrade, never know auto-topup might be going to be activated (now that would be handy!).

If it was routine you would think the maintenance window would be early morning say 1 to 3am or so.

[Otto]

It's back online now, although the security certificate needs updating..

[Derwan]

.... and it's down again.

I don't think it's scheduled maintenance.  I think that's just the standard message when the system crashes or is taken down due to a problem.

[ozbob]

My wife had a little problem with the Go card. She topped up up on-line with $20 a couple of weeks ago but has touched since then.  There is a requirement to touch within 28 days of a top up or the money is expired and returned.  More of a nuisance than anything.   

As she intends to use weekly tickets for the next 3 or 4 weeks because of commitments she asked what to do?

The solution was just touch the card on at the railway station, the top up is then loaded, wait 10seconds and then touch again.  This cancels the the previous touch,  zero charge.  Card is then topped up and ready to use as needed.

Transactions:

01-Apr-08 05:20:06 AM Cancel Touch On Oxley     
01-Apr-08 05:19:19 AM Touch On Oxley     
01-Apr-08 05:19:19 AM Top Up Oxley 20.00   
14-Mar-08 04:15:00 PM Touch Off Oxley -3.20

[ozbob]

Another letter to the editor today's Courier Mail (April 2) by a citizen who has copped a number of penalties due to the Go card readers on buses being 'out of service'.  This is a result of a number of buses being at stops so some buses are then not within the narrow GPS coordinates as programmed on the system for that stop.

On crowded buses it is very difficult to get the driver's attention and fight to the front of the bus through the throng.  Bus may well have driven off by then.

The refund process is also cumbersome and treats Go card users with some contempt IMHO.

Surely someone (Cubic?)  can widen the data coordinates for the bus stops on the data tables for the system? 

How long do our bus passengers and drivers (who are caught in the middle of all this) have to put up with this mediocrity?  Appalling IMHO!

[ozbob]

FYI  Melbourne

Article Ticketing boss axed for Myki woes

[ozbob]

Still many issues with readers on the buses.

A lot of refunds being processed through Translink.  This is not looking good for a high uptake on the buses at the moment.

Many of my colleagues at work, who travel on bus have commented that very few people actually using a Go card on their buses.  A few have persisted but often have problems.

I have watched rail users closely at the gates and that.  All seem to touching on/off without any issues.

I would estimate though only 1 to 2% of rail commuters seem to using the card on the lines I travel on.

We urgently need a decent fare to drive up take!

[Huggies]

I sighted a bloke who had trouble with his Go Card on an outbound 322 this afternoon. It wouldn't let him tag off. I had no issues with tagging off myself.

Also caught the last 358 outbound today and I had issues with the readers at the rear door of the bus coming up with the red lights of death. It also happened to a bloke who tried tag off at the stop before me.

Anyway I proceeded to the front of the bus to tag off with no issues & informed the driver that his rear door readers are ****ed.

[ozbob]

'State of the art smart card device', eastern end of Oxley platform.
This device is in the open, no cover.

Showing severe deterioration of plastic material on touch area, and the screen itself is very hard to read. It still works though hard to tell if touches successful at times because of the difficulty in reading screen. The beeps are not that loud and if any background noise very hard to hear too.



Photograph R Dow 4 Apr 2008

I understand the touch devices on the foredecks of the CityCats are going much the same way too.

[ozbob]

Media Release 5 April 2008

SEQ:  Is the Go card going under?

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has highlighted problems with the go card roll out and has suggested steps to bring it back on track.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?I have now been using the go card since February 10th (1)?

?Putting the inequitable fare structure relative to the present integrated paper ticketing to one side,  the go card is very convenient and is working well on rail.?

?When I have used the Go card on buses I have had problems. RAIL Back On Track has also received constant feedback concerning problems from users using the Go card on buses, and to a lesser extent river ferries.?

?The problems are mainly with the card readers on buses and river craft not working properly, and users getting a constant stream of touch penalties.  It is clear that Translink is being inundated with refund requests.?

?Also of great concern is that some go card equipment is already showing signs of deterioration. It appears that some of the equipment on river craft and outdoor locations is not fit for purpose (2)?

?There is serious community concern with the go card from the point of view of the present fare structure which is more expensive for many compared to paper tickets, and the fact that often it simply does not work.?

?The end result is that many commuters are abandoning using the go card and going back to paper tickets.?

?The tax payer has paid over $100 million dollars for this system.  Working properly the smart card ticketing system would be a great boon to the efficiency of our public transport and would lead to cost savings.?

?Answers are needed.  How many cards are actually in active use relative to total number issued?  How many refunds have been processed?  More importantly, how many penalties have not been refunded?"

?It is clear that many go card users are not aware that they are copping penalties.?

?RAIL Back On Track calls for a delay in the touch penalty increase scheduled for July.  The present penalty is $3 for bus, $5 for rail (half for concession). It will increase to $5 for bus and $10 for rail in July.  Until the system is working properly the increase in the penalties should be deferred, at the least until January 2009.?

?The base fares for the go card should be immediately reduced by 25%.  This would then bring the costs of travel with the go card for the true majority of commuters in line with present paper ticketing costs. This would then give time for further realistic fare options such as daily, weekly and monthly caps, and off peak and early bird travel incentives to be developed for the go card.?

?An audit of all go card equipment should be conducted and that equipment which is not fit for purpose identified and replaced at contractor cost with equipment that is.?

?An expensive marketing campaign for a product that is still very problematical is more wasted tax payer funds.  By reducing the base fares an expensive marketing campaign will not be needed. Commuters will be more than happy to use and suffer the problems because they are getting a fare fair deal!?

?Fix it and then sell it!?

Reference:

1.  My Go Card trial http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=486.0
2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.msg2913#msg2913

Contact:

Robert  Dow

Administration
admin@backontrack.org RAIL Back On Track

[Zoiks]

How come our system is so cheap compared to say the $1 billion myki system? I know melbourne has a larger network then us but surely not that much larger

[ozbob]

The Go card contracts were put in place years ago.  See http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=135.msg339#msg339

It has taken a long time to roll out.

The Melbourne project does seem overly expensive, even taking into account the increased numbers of buses and trams and their trains.

Our network although geographically widespread has not got  the transport density of the Melbourne network.

[ozbob]

Had an opportunity to raise some concerns with the Go card roll out on radio 612 ABC Brisbane this morning. (see thread here)

My wife has suggested that the touch devices in exposed positions on the stations, and on the ferries be protected with suitable canopies.

The devices on the railway stations could be protected in a three sided structure, similar to a phone box.  This would stop the harsh sunlight effecting the screens and would make the screens readable in bright sunlight (another problem at the moment).  It would also allow for the colour light signals to be seen more clearly and the beeps actually heard.

On the river craft some sort of canopy that still allows ready access but protects the readers from the weather and harsh river environment.  The devices on the river ferries are the same as the devices on the buses, on the buses they are not in exposed locations.

Cheers
Ozbob

[Skeetbris]

I had a problem with my Gocard on a bus outbound when boarding the bus last Thursday. Touch on... red lights. touch off then try again, red lights again, the bus driver got s****y about it and said don't bother with it, you've touched it on, just take a seat! When I got off I touched off and no problem. Went to transfer onto another bus and it was no problem, that was until I went to my account and found that even though I had transferred within 3 minutes of the previous bus I had been charged two fares instead of a fare and a transfer.

I rang Translink went through the labourious system to get to an operator and explained to her what happened. She gave me a reference number and said I'd get a refund in the next few days and/or they would ring me back.

That's the second problem I've had on buses since my card arrived at the end of February. The first time I went to use the card ever, I had a free ride because the readers on the bus just refused to work point blank. No problems on the rail system at all though it is impossible to see them in the sun at Norman Park, Wynnum North or Lindum where readers in the sun have begun to fade badly and when the readers are covered in sun light the screen is almost impossible to read.

[ozbob]

There seems to have been a problem with the time on the go card system the past few days.  It may have been related to DST changes.

Some bus passengers have reported being charged excess fares/penalties.

It would be wise to check your transactions if you have used the card since Sunday.

[Huggies]

I've just email a letter to MX about the timing issues on the Buses. It would be nice if TransStink mentioned it on their website instead of keeping people in the dark.

[ozbob]

Well done Huggies, I contacted the mX earlier today too about this.