Go Card Feedback - tell us of your Go Card experiences!!

[somebody]

Public transport is not about monday to friday commuters!
...
I'm honestly yet to see justification for such an increase in ticket costs.... service hasn't increased by 48% that is for sure!!

We're going off topic, but:
I think the politicians will disagree with your first point!

As for your second point, the justification is simple: to reduce the subsidy from 75% to 70%.

[stephenk]

Providing you are in the transfer window fine.  Many folks are not able to travel in the transfer window (students, seniors, unemployed and volunteers) and a daily cap and periodical option is essential.  I am pretty sure that an opposition that wants Government would have that as policy.  So it might be a few years coming but it will come.

Price comparisons with a paper product which was disproportionally price increased is not valid on a direct comparative basis.  The thing with the daily paper ticket is you could have repeated the same sequence for no extra cost?  Go card would be double cost.

Precisely!

This is a journey scenario that I sometimes had last year. 1) Home to Work, 2) Work to UQ (lecturing), 3) UQ to City (to shop), 4) City to Home. All of these have an hour gap between journeys. All of this and up to 7 working days/week commutes would have been included in the reasonably priced weekly paper ticket. Now I have to pay per journey, and this would cost a bomb. No wonder I'm using public transport approx. 20% less this year.

I'm sure many students have been hit badly by the Go-Card if they have to travel to/from university and to/from work each day.

[somebody]

To be honest, I view that as the removal of an advantage which was only ever really available because it was easier to do it that way rather than close the loophole.  Then they advertised it as a feature, like in a Dilbert which pointy haired boss said "Don't bother fixing the bugs, we'll change the documentation and call them features!".  Perhaps that's a little strong, but you get what I mean.

[dwb]

@somebody

No, the weekly and ten trip tickets were not defects advertised as features.
This implies a naivety in relation to how many other places sell periodical tickets at significant discount.

In relation to your statement

As for your second point, the justification is simple: to reduce the subsidy from 75% to 70%.

I also don't think this is either simple, nor justifiable. It was at best a sharp political ploy to buy the government the support of rural queensland against those Brisbanites getting a free ride (no pun intended).

[somebody]

This implies a naivety in relation to how many other places sell periodical tickets at significant discount.

So, because everyone else does it, so should we?  And anyone who disagrees with that is naive?

Isn't the main reason for selling periodical tickets at a discount to reduce the costs of selling said tickets?  If you never thought of that, then you are the one who is naive IMHO.

I also don't think this is either simple, nor justifiable. It was at best a sharp political ploy to buy the government the support of rural queensland against those Brisbanites getting a free ride (no pun intended).

Well, why didn't you just say that?  They never said that they would increase service by even 20% after raising prices by 20-40%

[Derwan]

On the train yesterday (Saturday), three ticket inspectors boarded at Roma St.  Two of them had Go Card readers.

I overheard them talking to a group of ladies who hadn't purchased their tickets because the machine told them the ticket wasn't available.  They fell trap to the useless programming of the AVVM's, where they tell you that the ticket isn't available if you choose daily on the weekend - instead of suggesting to use an off-peak daily or automatically using an off-peak daily.  They felt silly when the inspectors explained it to them.  No fines or warnings though - they clearly weren't fare evading.  The inspectors suggested they pay when they arrived at South Bank, which I believe they would've done.

The inspectors seem to assume that you'll have a go card.  They hold the reader towards you and only take it back if you hold up a ticket.  I just held my wallet to the reader and all was good. 

[Nightwriter]

Derwan, I had a friend on Twitter just on Friday night who was frantically asking what ticket she is meant to buy from the AVVM - she doesn't ride trains very often, and when she does, she is usually in peak. 

I know that paper tickets are being axed at the end of the year, but clearly one-off and rare users of AVVMs are bamboozled - surely a guide of some sort wouldn't go astray? (Not sure if there is one already - got a GoCard so don't need to look)

[stephenk]

Finished a bus journey in Alderley/Zone 2 yesterday. Go-Card system seemed to think I finished the journey in Stafford/Zone 3. Back to the refund phone line again 

[WTN]

I finally saw some transit officers on a bus - after I got off.  I travelled the 150 from QSBS (~5:25pm) to Garden City where they got on.  It was a little squashy in the front half of the bus.  I can only wonder if any tickets/go cards got checked.

[stephenk]

I have two retired relatives staying with me this week. I will be purchasing Go-Cards for them this morning. I'm interested to see how they get on with the Go-Card.

[STB]

I updated my Auto Top Up from $40.00 to $20.00 and card updated fine the next day.  Although when I went to touch off at my destination the screen simply remained blank, although the touch off did happen.

[Nina M Blackwell]

Go Card keeps getting better and better!  My 15 year old son's GoCard got stuffed so I had to purchase a new one over the weekend.  During my lunch hour today, I called to organise the balance transfer and because he's 15 years old, he needs to call himself and tell them that his parents are nominated to discuss the account. So I have to call again during the precious evening hours when he's available (and take him away from his homework).  I've never heard of such a silly thing.

[#Metro]

Is it a dead go Card? Mine died recently. Second dead card now...

[STB]

More fare evading on the buses with Go Card.  With the same deal of a passenger touching on at the front then cancelling his journey (free travel) at the rear doors.

Also last week, after coming through Fortitude Valley station where an army of TOs were checking tickets and making sure people were touching on/off at the barrier, another lot of TOs boarded the train at Fortitude Valley and began checking already checked tickets.  And they didn't have Go Card readers, it was simply a flash and all good.  What a waste!

[Golliwog]

I could understand when go cards first came out that most TO didn't have go card checkers, just because they didn't have many of them. But given the % of people now traveling on go cards, that really is a waste.

[Otto]

I went on the train last week to the airport ,then flew down to Sydney for the week to check out the PT and returned on Friday and on the train again to Cleveland..

Did the mandatory break of journey in the City area and was charged different fares for each direction !! 

My GoCard History (Adult)

21-May-10 05:09:43 PM Touch off Cleveland -1.90  * 
21-May-10 03:53:33 PM Touch on transfer Bowen Hills     
21-May-10 03:45:22 PM Touch off Bowen Hills -15.00  * 
21-May-10 03:14:02 PM Touch on Dom Airport     
16-May-10 12:35:48 PM Touch off Dom Airport -15.00  * 
16-May-10 11:58:00 AM Touch on transfer South Brisbane     
16-May-10 11:56:03 AM Touch off South Brisbane -4.14  * 
16-May-10 10:37:14 AM Touch on Cleveland

The total fare from Cleveland to Airport was $19.14 offpeak
The total fare from Airport to Cleveland was $16.90
The TransLink Adult GoCard single journey fare is $22.80


My Mums History (Concession)

21-May-10 05:09:34 PM Touch off Cleveland -0.95  * 
21-May-10 03:53:26 PM Touch on transfer Bowen Hills     
21-May-10 03:45:29 PM Touch off Bowen Hills -15.00  * 
21-May-10 03:14:11 PM Touch on Dom Airport     
16-May-10 12:35:38 PM Touch off Dom Airport -15.00  * 
16-May-10 11:58:00 AM Touch on transfer South Brisbane     
16-May-10 11:56:05 AM Touch off South Brisbane -2.07  * 
16-May-10 10:37:23 AM Touch on Cleveland

The total fare from Cleveland to Airport was $17.07 offpeak
The total fare from Airport to Cleveland was $15.95
The TransLink Concession GoCard single journey fare is $19.50


So, why the different fares depending on direction of travel ?
.

[ozbob]

    thinking cap on ...

[Golliwog]

All I can think of is maybe dispite not being listed as such, the Airport stations have been assigned a zone, but don't get charged as such, just the flat $15. So when you are coming back, you get charged the $15 but the card thinks you have also traveled through some zones (lets say they put the airport in zone 3) so that when you travel to Cleveland its only charging you for zones 4 to 6 (I know thats not the right fare, but I'm just guessing zones here) as a continuation.

[ozbob]

Yes, I was just thinking on the same lines. Inbound, the first trip is seen as a straight zone to zone fare.  Outbound second trip is seen as a continuation from zone 2 so you get the benefit on that journey?

When I get time might check it in the journey planner ..

I am going to Melbourne in August I might do the same thing, but break at Eagle Junction,  the outbound leg will be cheaper than the inbound leg?

Oh dear ...    another way to save a few shackles ..

[ClintonL94]

My first go card experience post(Concession),

09-Jun-10 05:10:18 PM   Touch off   Clarks Rd App Corndale St [12537]       
09-Jun-10 04:35:18 PM   Touch on transfer    Buranda Bus Station P2 [50043]       
09-Jun-10 04:17:42 PM   Touch off   Buranda       
09-Jun-10 02:44:11 PM   Touch on transfer    Central       
09-Jun-10 02:40:01 PM   Touch off   Central    -1.39*
09-Jun-10 01:47:58 PM   Top up   Beenleigh    10.00   
09-Jun-10 01:46:29 PM   Touch on transfer    Beenleigh       
09-Jun-10 01:45:18 PM   Touch off   Beenleigh Station [52024]    -1.04*
09-Jun-10 01:40:42 PM   Touch on   Robert Stanley Dr Opp App Merrow St [12622]       
09-Jun-10 01:40:42 PM   Touch off   Robert Stanley Dr Opp App Merrow St [12622]    -1.50*
03-Jun-10 04:31:04 PM   Touch on   Carl Heck Bvd App Mewing Ct [52031]       
03-Jun-10 07:20:13 AM   Touch off   Carl Heck Bvd App Mewing Ct [52031]    -1.15*
03-Jun-10 07:15:56 AM   Touch on   Robert Stanley Dr App Merrow St [12623]   

I showed a bus driver this and he says that a concession daily ticket for these zones I travelled in is $7.90 and that I only paid $2.45 to get to the city and back. He thinks there is something wrong with these transactions and I do too but what can I say, cheap travel?

[ClintonL94]

I think that I didn't have to pay to get back because I already paid to get to the city but finished the entire journey within the 3 hours and 30 minutes(only just!). If I was 24 seconds later I would of had to pay to get back?

Start - 09-Jun-10 01:40:42 PM   Touch on   Robert Stanley Dr Opp App Merrow St [12622].
End - 09-Jun-10 05:10:18 PM   Touch off   Clarks Rd App Corndale St [12537]

Total Journey time: 3 hours 29 minutes and 36 seconds!

[somebody]

And you also sneakily didn't touch off at Buranda from what I can see, then went back to touch off before going home.

[ClintonL94]

And you also sneakily didn't touch off at Buranda from what I can see, then went back to touch off before going home.

09-Jun-10 04:17:42 PM   Touch off   Buranda        
09-Jun-10 02:44:11 PM   Touch on transfer    Central  

I went for a bit of a travel before heading to buranda, touched on at central, went to bowen hills stayed there for about 15 minutes then went to eagle junction then went to park road then changed trains to get to buranda. haha a lot of travel for $2.45!

[somebody]

Ok, then you had a different sneakiness.  If you had touched off at Bowen Hills, Park Rd or Eagle Junction you would have exceeded the maximum number of transfers and had to pay double what you did.

This didn't apply at one point, but I think it applies again now.

[ClintonL94]

So when I was on at Eagle junction heading towards Park Road, if a ticket guard inspected me and I touched my go card on their reader. I would get in trouble? because I am heading towards central even though I touched on there(I should of touched off and on at eagle junction..?)

[somebody]

So when I was on at Eagle junction heading towards Park Road, if a ticket guard inspected me and I touched my go card on their reader. I would get in trouble? because I am heading towards central even though I touched on there(I should of touched off and on at eagle junction..?)

I suppose only if you left the station precinct, which you didn't actually specify.  You must have been very bored to do all that travelling if you didn't though.

[STB]

I had to top up my card yesterday at Wellington Point prior to heading to South Brisbane station for a meeting.  Unfortunately I only had coins and as I was awaiting pay day to happen so I couldn't use my EFTPOS.  Even if the station was attended at the time I wouldn't of been able to top up as the AVVMs don't take coins (as I quickly realised) and Wellington Point station isn't a top up station.

I ended up having to travel to Cleveland to top up at the attended ticket office then re board the train to head to South Brisbane, incurring an extra zone on my fare.

Being a Sunday there was nowhere else in the local area to top up using coins.  Buses don't operate on Sundays out here either so that was out of the question as well.

[STB]

Travelling yesterday, 3 TOs on the train and none had readers.  It was simply a flash and go!

[stephenk]

Luminous yellow/orange stickers have been wrapped around Go-Card readers on the Ferny Grove Line and at Bowen Hills. They are now much easier to spot. Congratulations TransLink, except you should have done this over a year ago!

[tronixstuff]

Plastic showercaps have now been fitted over the outside gocard readers on the CityCats I have been on lately.  Hopefully the failure rate will decrease now.
You would have though Cubic could have supplied waterproof readers in the first place...

[Derwan]

You would have though Cubic could have supplied waterproof readers in the first place...

You would have thought a number of logical solutions (both hardware and software) would have been put into place!   

[ozbob]

Yes, there was even a media release announcing the great leap forward with protection for readers on the City Cats 

go card covers for CityCat fleet --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3943.0

  <--  Go card overboard!   

[STB]

Four long seconds to touch off at South Brisbane the other day.

[WTN]

Another free trip for me today. Lots of people on my bus and this was after 9am! I didn't expect to stand half of the way.

About a week ago I noticed a glitch - touch on transfers outside the peak period incur a 10% off the adjustment fare. I travelled zone 1-1 in peak, then 1-2 off peak (due to waiting). The first fare was $2.30 (1 zone peak fare), the second was $0.36 (normally $0.40 making a $2.70 2 zone peak fare).

[WTN]

I uncovered a few more go card quirks today. I caught the 555 from Edward St to South bank. Touched on and off, no charge. People getting on at Cultural Centre needed the driver to manually activate. Obviously something is not set up correctly.

Transferred within minutes to a 172 and the Vera St semi-permanent stop required intervention again. The 172 and 173 have been diverted out of Beatrice St to Vera St for months! But at least I was charged correct fare on both routes.

[STB]

GPS failure.  That would be the cause.  On the DCU it will have "no GPS", whether the driver notices it or not is completely different.  If you touch on then touch off within 20 mins of this occuring then it will be no charge, after 20 mins eg: you travel from the city to Springwood and the driver doesn't override the failed GPS (manually sets the readers to Springwood Bus Stn instead of Elizabeth St Stop 82) then you get charged a penalty fare.

Speaking of GPS Failures I recieved a response from the Minister's office about this very issue.

In a nutshell:

- An investigation is underway on recent GPS failures affecting Brisbane Transport
- TransLink confirms that the GPS can fail and/or drop out on occassions, so the system becomes 'lost' and assumes the bus hasn't moved.
- TransLink is chasing up operators to ensure that their drivers are trained correctly to identify and correct GPS issues; the GPS override button.

[colinw]

My Go Card experience has been seamless until the middle of last week it appears.  I only just bothered checking my history, and appear to have been charged different fares for the opposite directions. The journey was a trip to take my daughter to Dreamworld. Kuraby to Dreamworld - train to Coomera then bus to Coomera Station to Dreamworld, and return.

This is what my history shows :-

07-Jul-10 05:53:07 PM Touch off Kuraby -2.30 *
07-Jul-10 05:06:35 PM Touch on transfer Coomera        
07-Jul-10 05:05:34 PM Touch off Coomera Station stop A [24653] -2.30 *
07-Jul-10 05:00:26 PM Touch on Dreamworld [24098]        
07-Jul-10 01:42:13 PM Touch off Dreamworld [24098]        
07-Jul-10 01:31:38 PM Touch on transfer Coomera Station stop A [24653]        
07-Jul-10 01:26:18 PM Touch off Coomera -4.14 *
07-Jul-10 12:32:54 PM Touch on Kuraby



cheers,
Colin

[Golliwog]

Peak vs. off-peak?

[colinw]

Must be, but clear as mud from the history.   Fares seem reasonable for the distance covered in either case.

[Golliwog]

Yeah, I just checked with the journey planner. From Kuraby to Dreamworld this is the ticket prices they gave me:
Fare type Price 

Adult  go card off-peak  $4.14 
Adult  go card  $4.60