My Go Card trial

[Fares_Fair]

Seriously, that's a great idea Mozz.
The queues for it would be a problem though. 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

TransLink paying for a phone call?  Come on ...  that is customer service ...

[Nightwriter]

And it would use precious dollars that could instead be used to improve Translink pay packets...er...I mean services 

[STB]

I have an idea for another competition (as well as most transfers). See who has the most incorrect penalty fares in the shortest time.
I'll start. Three penalty fares over five trips done in two days. Who can beat that.
Sat 16th 10:14am. Bundamba to Ipswich via bus.
Sat 16th 12:50pm Ipswich (bell st) to Bundamba. This is the interesting bit. Even though I got on at ipswich the transaction history shows that I got on at stubbin st Bundamba!!! This is about 3 kms past my stop. how does this happen. The bus takes 25 min to drive from one spot tothe other. How ould the GPS get it so wrong?
was charged penalty fare when I got off this bus as the stop I got off at is 3 kms before the stop it says I got on at.
Mon 18th 7:24am penalty fare for not touching off.  When I looked at history it said I touched on at the exact same time as I touched off on saturday.

Sounds to me the GPS wasn't working and got stuck from where the bus driver initially set it up.  This has happened to me on a few occassions, and the best way of picking it up is if it stays on 'Please Touch Your Go Card' on the readers.  It does appear on the DCU if the GPS isn't working for whatever reason, but obviously in this case instead of the driver noticing and manually overriding the GPS, he just thought it would automatically come up and therefore didn't override the GPS.

[longboi]

Maybe each train platform and each bus station should have phones with a direct connection back to the translink call centre so that commuters are more easily able to contact them and register their issues or report faults.

They do (or did) have one at Chermside Interchange. It would be awesome to have them at all stations/terminals/interchanges just like emergency phones.

[ozbob]

GOing along fine ... under $5, next touch the 'pennies from heaven' will no doubt flow down on my humble go card, and the credit card will be forwarded debited for another $40.  Such is life ... and the auto topup!

[ozbob]

Auto topup added the funds on touch this morning.  Good that this seems to be working fine. 

When will I be able to buy a hot dog on  the Go? 

[Jon Bryant]

Mine topped up fine as well.  All good at that end

[ozbob]

Managed to touch on around 3.28pm at Roma St, always good to do that!  :-)

Noted TOs en masse at Indooroopilly on the way through on EMU63.  Much prefer to see them out on the network.

[STB]

Auto Top Up activated on my card after only about 12 hrs from setting it up online.  The remaining funds from my previous card has been put onto my new card on top of $10 (the amount I paid when I first brought the card) this afternoon .

Also should mention, nice to see the Griffith Uni post office at Nathan selling and topping up Go Cards.

[justanotheruser]

Auto topup added the funds on touch this morning.  Good that this seems to be working fine. 

When will I be able to buy a hot dog on  the Go? 

hey bob can we get the system working properlyfirst before we try buying hot dogs with extra cheese!!

[ozbob]

We will be very hungry then, won't we?  LOL

It is slowly sorting, but don't hold our breath!

No worries on the go for me this week ...

[Derwan]

Auto topup added the funds on touch this morning.  Good that this seems to be working fine. 

Another auto top-up for me this morning.  Happens so frequently with the increased prices! 

When will I be able to buy a hot dog on  the Go? 

Due in 2012 - will be delivered in 2015.   

[ozbob]

 

Inclined to agree, although we might have the 'hot dog' election in 2012 ...



Increased functionality of the go card was one of the early hard sells, seems to have dropped off the radar of late ..

[justanotheruser]

I have an idea for another competition (as well as most transfers). See who has the most incorrect penalty fares in the shortest time.
I'll start. Three penalty fares over five trips done in two days. Who can beat that.
Sat 16th 10:14am. Bundamba to Ipswich via bus.
Sat 16th 12:50pm Ipswich (bell st) to Bundamba. This is the interesting bit. Even though I got on at ipswich the transaction history shows that I got on at stubbin st Bundamba!!! This is about 3 kms past my stop. how does this happen. The bus takes 25 min to drive from one spot tothe other. How ould the GPS get it so wrong?
was charged penalty fare when I got off this bus as the stop I got off at is 3 kms before the stop it says I got on at.
Mon 18th 7:24am penalty fare for not touching off.  When I looked at history it said I touched on at the exact same time as I touched off on saturday.

Sounds to me the GPS wasn't working and got stuck from where the bus driver initially set it up.  This has happened to me on a few occassions, and the best way of picking it up is if it stays on 'Please Touch Your Go Card' on the readers.  It does appear on the DCU if the GPS isn't working for whatever reason, but obviously in this case instead of the driver noticing and manually overriding the GPS, he just thought it would automatically come up and therefore didn't override the GPS.

the screen actually showed i had been charged penalty fare notplease touch on so perhaps it only displays that sometimes

[justanotheruser]

We will be very hungry then, won't we?  LOL

It is slowly sorting, but don't hold our breath!

No worries on the go for me this week ...

we may be hungry but at least we won't get charged for a three course meal instead of a hot dog!!!!

[ozbob]

I just carried out a  .... 'go back'!  No, it wasn't my card ...  

Cheap travel today with the 50% kicking in, I wonder how long this will last?  

Sometimes reminds me of the place where you buy loaves of bread at greatly inflated prices, buy ten loaves and then you can get  a few freebies ...  like a doughnut  ... 

[ozbob]

Another week under way on the go!

Hope to fit in some bus trips later this week, noticed a few red crosses coming and going this morning at Roma St but gates seemed to be working fine.

Few reports of TOs picking up users with go carders with double touches and so forth, and explaining well to the punters what to do  .  
A lot of new users not quite clear on how it works still.  One punter was observed doing multiple touches to check the money ...   education needed!

GO!

[STB]

Spotted the new Busway AVVMs switched on at Mater Hill this morning, still out of service though.

[ozbob]

AVVM short bus tour -->  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3365.0

Go!

[ozbob]

Touched on at the reader far east Platform 3 Oxley this morning, this reader is out in the weather.  Moisture completely obliterating the screen, internal and external.  Fortunately light flashes and beeps worked.  Time for the weather hoods ... for all readers out in weather.

AVVMs in bus stations might be going today?

[justanotheruser]

got charged two penalty fares again because system  could not correctly determine where I got on at. I am now waiting for a total of $21 to be refunded to my card. In the meantime I have to put more credit on the card or I won't be able to get to work on tuesday.
shambles, shambles, shambles

[STB]

Tried out the new Busway AVVMs at Southbank this morning, to buy a paper ticket, instead of choosing a location you select the number of zones.  There is a large poster showing the locations and zones on the side of the AVVM.  Observed a pair of passengers using it, and they both seemed to have no problem using it.  I did however have a few troubles with the Continue button.

[ozbob]

Had a few bus rides yesterday (beep failure index 50%) and had a look a one of the AVVMs operational at Mater Hill.  The sad thing is the effort to roll them out is going to wasted come the end of this year as paper is phased out.  Their utility for go cards will handy though of course.

[STB]

Observed a passenger try to touch off at Cleveland Rail, the bus rolled just a little too far forward that it went back to 'Please Wait...'.  The passenger tried several times to touch off before jumping off the bus, where, unfortunately the driver only then activated the readers manually.

[ozbob]

G'day, At Central, fire alarm (false), go card gates inactivated, on a free trip! yee Haa about time rail pax copped a few freebies:-)

Firestaff checking platform 5.  When the alarms go off, all gates open, green off, red on, non functional for touches.

Station staff are instructing folks to not touch on and travel for free (don't forget DON'T touch at the end of your trip).

[ozbob]

I must not touch off at Oxley.

I must not touch off at Oxley.

I must not touch off at Oxley.

[stephenk]

G'day, At Central, fire alarm (false), go card gates inactivated, on a free trip! yee Haa about time rail pax copped a few freebies:-)

Firestaff checking platform 5.  When the alarms go off, all gates open, green off, red on, non functional for touches.

Station staff are instructing folks to not touch on and travel for free (don't forget DON'T touch at the end of your trip).

So what happens to people alighting at Central in this instance. If they can't touch off, they may get a penalty fare?

[ozbob]

Yes, they sure do.  Imagine the phone calls if there is a gate outage at the morning peak ...  need for an online form.

[Jon Bryant]

In today's web/mobile based world how about an online submission of corection to your transaction list that gets forwarded for approval.  Direct entry to system thus saving re-entry but with an approval system.  Or an iPhone app that uses GPS to confirm you location and submits directly. 

[ozbob]

Here are the Edward St gates during the fire alarm yesterday (4th Feb).

During alarm the gates all open, green going out, red going in and non functional (cannot touch).





Photographs R Dow 4th February 2010

[Nightwriter]

Just a moment ago at Roma Street, I witnessed four young men (clearly tourists, judging from their suitcases etc) trying to touch on at the gates using paper tickets.

A "Helping Hand" standing nearby did nothing to help them. 

[Derwan]

Yes, they sure do.  Imagine the phone calls if there is a gate outage at the morning peak ...  need for an online form.

Didn't you say it was "green off"?  Would it not be possible for people to touch off then?

I guess if there was a real fire, you wouldn't care whether you'd touched off or not!!

[ozbob]

Roma St main gates, the two large gates and single next to those gates open,  appeared to be functioning.  I went through one of the remaining closed gates.  I like to watch the gate open when I touch ....  

[ozbob]

AVVM at KGSBS  There is another AVVM to the right of the information machine











Photographs R Dow 5th February 2010

[ozbob]

Didn't you say it was "green off"?  Would it not be possible for people to touch off then?

I guess if there was a real fire, you wouldn't care whether you'd touched off or not!!

Yes Derwan when the alarm is activated the gates open and touching is disabled on and off.  It is a safety issue and it is done to facilitate evacuation.  The point I and others are making is that should there be an alarm at morning peak for example, there would be thousands and thousands of punters who haven't touched off. That is a lot of subsequent phone calls for folks to claim back their adjustments ...  the provision of an online claim form, and a snail mail version would be sensible.  I do expect to see further options for seeking adjustments to go cards implemented down the track.

[ozbob]

My auto topup kicked in on a touch on 204 bus yesterday. Still plenty of buses with missing 'beeps' on touching, but hopefully in time these will be all fixed!

[dwb]

I don't understand how missing beeps is a hardware issue that can be fixed by replacing the speaker as in fact the missing beeps are inconsistent. I've been on a bus and seen different machines beeping and then not and then beeping again later?

[ozbob]

The speakers are being replaced with units that are reliable and louder.  The first ones had problems as we know ..

[verbatim9]

I don't understand how missing beeps is a hardware issue that can be fixed by replacing the speaker as in fact the missing beeps are inconsistent. I've been on a bus and seen different machines beeping and then not and then beeping again later?

Initially I thought it was the bus drivers that disabled the beeping a year back for some reason, but no it was a technical glitch. LOL! Its taken a long time for a fix. This has been going on for ages.