Article: Protective hoods needed for go-card machines exposed to weather

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Protective hoods needed for go-card machines exposed to weather

Protective hoods needed for go-card machines exposed to weather

    * by Ursula Heger
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * March 04, 2010 7:08PM

PROTECTIVE hoods may have to be installed above exposed go card readers at train stations in southeast Queensland after some were found to be malfunctioning because of exposure to the elements.

Just two years after readers were first installed across the southeast, TransLink has admitted some may need protective hoods because of condensation and glare.

A TransLink spokesman said yesterday moisture had seeped into at least 13 readers across the network after heavy downpours and high humidity.

Commuters have also reported issues with glare, with the screens unable to be read in bright light.

Some commuters have been unable to see if there are problems when they touch on or off at railway stations and have had trouble viewing their account balances.

The problems came after TransLink was forced to increase the number of go card retailers when it was revealed the majority of train stations were not able to sell the cards.

Despite describing the equipment as "world-class standard", a spokesman said they were investigating options to shield exposed readers.

He said some readers had to be serviced to fix moisture problems.

"TransLink is investigating protective hoods to improve go card reader visibility from glare and rain," he said.

"There are about 500 go card readers across the TransLink train network. Moisture has been reported in 13 readers."

He said TransLink was unsure what it would cost to repair and protect the readers but the problem was not widespread.

Go card equipment at train stations was operational "99.98 per cent" of the time, the spokesman said.

Robert Dow, the spokesman for commuter advocacy group Rail Back on Track, said it had raised issues about moisture and glare on the readers soon after they were installed.

"We first raised it in 2008 and there have been ongoing problems with moisture getting into the readers, making it hard to read," he said.

"While there are also the beeps and the coloured flashes for commuters to see, they are very quick, and you can't alway hear the beeps.

"We are glad that something is finally happening, but it should have been fixed before people were forced to use the go card in view of the savage fare increases for paper tickets.

[ozbob]

I think the number that get moisture effected is a bit higher than 13, but good that something is finally going to be done about.  The reader east platform 3 Oxley has been a wipe out these past few days ... 

[Nightwriter]

I guess we are meant to gasp in shock over this article by the Courier Mail......but since its already pretty much common knowledge, I'm finding it hard to have the 'appropriate' reaction!  

Especially considering that some of the article may not be 'fact' but instead 'fiction' - 13 readers?  Pfft!!!  Working 99.98% of the time??  How do they know that, when they don't seem to know if a reader has been broken for days until a commuter reports it! 

Good to see it in the papers though - maybe Translink might actually do something this time!

[stephenk]

99.98% seems like a fudged figure. I've tried to calculate the same figure (including bus readers) from my Go-Card experiences and it came to 97.5%.

Why has it taken Translink so long to realise they actually need to do something about this problem?

[longboi]

13 is definately not the correct figure. In my experience, almost one reader at every station has visibility problems.

[#Metro]

It is just another statistic. Not worth reading- 99%  bus reliability. 99.xxx % go card reliability (and I got 3 free trips recently). Failures should be compared to fare evasion levels as a yardstick- which are also low- to determine whether the failures are abnormally high or not.