My Go Card trial

[ozbob]

The second large gate on the man array at Roma St was having an 'off' day again this morning.  Seems to have lot of trouble with gate operation - stays open, sometimes flaps. 

Many peak hour commuters are just streaming through these days in the waves, under these conditions the gates are staying open on sequential touches by the punters. I wonder if this upsets the mechanisms as the quick touches may be causing problems with the gates constantly interrupting their normal cycle of operation?

[STB]

Got done with a failed GPS/Driver not realising or bothering Penalty Fare this morning.  I informed both TransLink and the operator, Veolia that they had a dodge DCU and GPS on that bus this morning.  They said they will get back to me.

11-Feb-10 11:05:47 AM     Touch off     Wellington Point Jetty [11879]      -1.50     *
11-Feb-10 10:43:21 AM    Touch on    Wellington Point Jetty [11879]    

And yesterday, another GPS failure on an inbound route 170 from Cultural Centre to Queen St Bus Station,  from the history it seems I somehow teleported myself from South Brisbane Railway Station to Garden City in 4 minutes!

10-Feb-10 04:41:45 PM     Cancel touch on     Garden City Interchange - Platform H [BT006508-3]         
10-Feb-10 04:38:52 PM    Touch on    Garden City Interchange - Platform H [BT006508-3]        
10-Feb-10 04:34:36 PM    Touch off    South Brisbane    -2.29

It bothers me quite a bit these GPS failures and the lack of initiative from the drivers to recognise from the DCU that there is indeed a GPS failure.  On the DCU it'll say GPS failed (or something along those lines) and it'll have highlighted (indicated the readers are on) with the stop the GPS thinks you are at.  Not sure if this is driver training or driver culture of thinking that the technology should just work and they are not being paid to fix those errors.  Probably a bit of both in some circumstances.

[ozbob]

Both large gates at the main go card gate array at Roma St had stopped on open on the way home this evening.

Not much point in gating stations if they are not reliable ...

STB, it does seem sometimes that no one seems overly concerned about the issues ...  one would hope that by this time there would be a real degree of reliability and certainty in use.  Not so ..

[ozbob]

The two large gates at the main exit functioning 'normally' this morning on my GOing through ...  plenty of punters with go cards around these days.

[justanotheruser]

It bothers me quite a bit these GPS failures and the lack of initiative from the drivers to recognise from the DCU that there is indeed a GPS failure.  On the DCU it'll say GPS failed (or something along those lines) and it'll have highlighted (indicated the readers are on) with the stop the GPS thinks you are at.  Not sure if this is driver training or driver culture of thinking that the technology should just work and they are not being paid to fix those errors.  Probably a bit of both in some circumstances.

Both large gates at the main go card gate array at Roma St had stopped on open on the way home this evening.

Not much point in gating stations if they are not reliable ...

STB, it does seem sometimes that no one seems overly concerned about the issues ...  one would hope that by this time there would be a real degree of reliability and certainty in use.  Not so ..

Drivers on westside buses just say contact translink. Or in other words they can fix it so why should I bother.

[ozbob]

The second large gate at Roma St coming on was not having a good afternoon today, and one of the small gates had a staff member blocking it off.  Not a good look for go!  

I touched on at the large gate (which was open) and first got the message 'Max Trips' (or something like that, it was a quick message)  then  got a balance and light.  Heck it is only Monday ... touched off OK at Oxley.

[STB]

The Go Card has become evidence for on purpose late running!  A driver on a bus I caught this morning purposely left 9 mins late from his layover to the bus stop (busy reading the paper I think), meaning that he was 5 mins late at the destination, meaning I missed my connection to university.  Haha, I love Go Card!

[verbatim9]

The second large gate at Roma St coming on was not having a good afternoon today, and one of the small gates had a staff member blocking it off.  Not a good look for go!  

I touched on at the large gate (which was open) and first got the message 'Max Trips' (or something like that, it was a quick message)  then  got a balance and light.  Heck it is only Monday ... touched off OK at Oxley.

mmm! Max trips must = testing for new capping fare structure

[ozbob]

Hidden messages ...    

Back to the chase ... passed through the main gates Roma St this morning at 8.10am.  Significant queuing, makes a bit of mockery of the no queuing ads for go card.  No way anyone could safely go against the flow.  As we move to virtually a 100% go card uptake there is an urgent need for a re-design of the gate layouts, more gates and a flow pattern that provides safe entry/exit for all commuters at peaks, not only Roma St but Central and Fortitude Valley.

It is appalling that nothing has been done for counter peak flows, particularly Roma St as it is a TRANSIT CENTRE.  What where they thinking?

[STB]

Brought a Pre-Loaded Go Card today at my local newsagent on behalf of a friend of mine.  Gave it a test run to where I was meeting up with her and worked perfectly.

[stephenk]

mmm! Max trips must = testing for new capping fare structure

This is Brisbane, it'll probably be a maximum no. allowed trips, at which point you have to use a car (through a toll road tunnel) to get anywhere. Just being a pessimist! 

[STB]

Should just mention that I've noticed that the university I'm going to this year has sent out an email to all students promoting Go Card and how and where to get a Go Card on campus, which I think is a great idea.  Is this normal for all universities?  Does anyone know if TAFE does something similar to this?

[Emmie]

I hope that happens at UQ, STB.  Yesterday I was behind an Asian couple of UQ Chancellor Place.  They were trying to ask the bus driver how they got GO Cards.  Unfortunately the driver had a speech impediment, and was having trouble replying, eventually just said 'Some newsagents'.  Not especially helpful, though it wasn't his fault.

But there's no information at the Chancellor Place stop - and no indication that ticket machines are going in there, either.

[longboi]

Should just mention that I've noticed that the university I'm going to this year has sent out an email to all students promoting Go Card and how and where to get a Go Card on campus, which I think is a great idea.  Is this normal for all universities?  Does anyone know if TAFE does something similar to this?

TransLink were going around to different Uni's during O-Week last semester -They're probably doing the same this year.

[p858snake]

Should just mention that I've noticed that the university I'm going to this year has sent out an email to all students promoting Go Card and how and where to get a Go Card on campus, which I think is a great idea.  Is this normal for all universities?  Does anyone know if TAFE does something similar to this?

BNIT has information in the Internation Students guides, but unlike you, us students apprently don't deserve a proper email service so we get nothing apart from when Translink turns up on special events like O-Week or Saftey Day.

[ozbob]

22-Feb-10 07:00:26 AM     Touch off     Roma St Bus Station Platform 2 [BT010792]         
22-Feb-10 06:51:20 AM    Touch on transfer    Royal Brisbane & Womens Hospital PL 1 [BT000897-1]        
22-Feb-10 06:39:22 AM    Touch off    Royal Brisbane & Womens Hospital PL 2 [BT000896-1]        
22-Feb-10 06:32:42 AM    Touch on transfer    Roma St Bus Station Platform 1 [BT010793]        
22-Feb-10 06:05:03 AM    Touch off    Roma Street

The run out on the inaugural 66 bus to RBWH was free of course ... 

[STB]

Ta for the info nikko and p858snake.

Just to add, I've just noticed that TransLink are planning on giving away 4,000 Go Cards with $10 credit at one of the campuses tomorrow.

[STB]

Ta for the info nikko and p858snake.

Just to add, I've just noticed that TransLink are planning on giving away 4,000 Go Cards with $10 credit at one of the campuses tomorrow.

Just an update, upon questioning the TL people at uni today, they were actually giving away 10,000 Concession Go Cards with $10 credit on it.

[mufreight]

Great for the students but what anout the pensioners?

[ozbob]

Presently at Central, all go gates going.  There is entry sign  over the large gate front array but still used for exiting.  Short queuing as waves build but not yet an issue (still early 7.15am or there abouts).  Most punters seem to be well practised touching though in waves ...  first narrow gate has some intermittent closing issues ...

There is an area to the right of the ticket selling box that could be used for directional gates away from the main flows.  Gates there could be set to go on against the peak, and go off in PM peak?

Go! 

[ozbob]

Touched on at Oxley rail station this morning and the reader came up with "card invalid"   hmmmm   I touched again and it read "already touched".

Checked the card on the AVVM and it had touched on despite the card invalid message.  Pity the new users ... all touches thereafter fine ...

[Mozz]

99.XXXX FAIL again tonight - got off at Oxley on Platform 2 after travelling from the CDB Tuesday evening 02.03.10 around 2100hrs - the very overworked single gocard reader displayed "seek assistance" and as I have pointed out before this is a very very silly statement to make with the few short words that can actually be displayed on the very small screen because there is no one around to provide assistance. I uttered some expletives and then walked around to the reader near the lift which fortunately was working but in the mean time many people just streamed down the stairs without touching off or trying to touch off because the reader is broken thus many $5 penalties to their accounts. After I had successfully touched off I was able to persuade some of the remaining commuters to use the only working gocard reader to touch off.

I have mentioned this before and I will raise the issue again. How in this day and age can a device connected to a network not be identified as faulty and fixed within a very very short space of time. It is scandalous. The big stick media releases prior to the gocard intro made quite a point of translink transit officers knowing immediately when a reader was not working in an attempt to placate the commuting public.

It appears no one knows that a gocard reader is broken except for the commuters.

It appears that it is up to them to determine what they should do without any help or assistance.

IIRC the last broken reader on Platform 2 near the eastern stairs took quite a few days to become operational, it should only take an hour or so.

Many commuters tonight at Oxley station received $5 penalties.

I intend to lodge an RTI application to determine the facts around this latest failure which I will publish online in this forum.

Not good enough, just not good enough. Wake up Translink wake up !!!!!!

[#Metro]

Translink needs to get Fix-o-grams!

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:BASE::pc=PC_2081

[p858snake]

Or they cold run daily statistical analysis reports on the readers uses and have it automatically flag suspected broken readers.

for example if a reader goes from 200 reads per day down to say one or two over a day or so, it's sufficient to say that its broken/something wrong.

[STB]

Only have gotten around to posting this now...

The Monday just gone, I was returning from university and noticed the reader (at the rear door) making a strange low long beep noise whenever someone touched off with a concession card (many of them due to university students of course).  When I touched off the message I got was...

DEDUCTED: $64.64
$64.64 REMAINING.

Got me slightly alarmed by it, so gave it a quick check on the AVVM at Helensvale and it did give the correct fare.

As a side note, the other reader next to it was Out of Order.

[ozbob]

AhHa!  The $64.64 bug surfaces again.  Last report I had of this bug was on ferries,  so it is wider spread than first thought ...

Bit of a worry.  The ferry crew told the punters 'not to worry, it will adjust it self next touch' ....  crikey, what a mess ...

[ozbob]

Came through the go gates at Roma St at 7.47am this morning, short queuing,  but a couple had no chance of going against the flow.  Something will need to be done sooner than later about directional flows ...

[Mozz]

came through the gates at Roma stree this morning at 8.15am - dear oh dear. 15 - 20 people queued at each of the go card gates waiting in line to touch off while a single QR employee was physically blocking 2 x gates in the middle (why block 2 x gates and why in the middle and why allow queue's of 15 - 20 people on the few remaining gates are just some of the questions I had) to allow the occasional commuter to go against the flow - surely there is a better way of dealing with counter flows .........

[STB]

More GPS Fare Penalties and ignorant bus drivers today, with the following occuring...

12-Mar-10 10:25:15 AM     Touch off     Middle Street Stop A [11335]      -1.50     *
12-Mar-10 10:01:58 AM    Touch on    Middle Street Stop A [11335]    

Getting very annoyed by this now, with it occuring several times so far, and seems to be starting to be more common.

I did ask the driver to change the GPS stop as I did notice the GPS wasn't working, and he said that I was incorrect, and to touch it, seeing the $1.50 he thought that was the actual fare!!!  Basically told me to sod off.

The actual fare should've been $0.61.

[ozbob]

Roma St station main exit where the paper ticket holders pass a couple more go card gates there could be set up for anti-peak flows.  Plenty of room at Central to do that was well.

Media release -->  13 Mar 2010: SEQ: GOing against the flow - work needed now

[ozbob]

The 'dummy stop' problem does need to be sorted STB, for sure.  Thanks for documenting the occurrences.

[dwb]

Service update
Home > Buses/Trains/Ferries > Service updates > Service update
Taringa station go card device changes - effective 15 March 2010

From Monday 15 March to Wednesday 17 March TransLink is relocating go card devices from platform 1/2 and platform 3/4 and placing them in the subway.

These changes will improve safety and convenience for customers and reduce queuing issues on the platform.

While works are carried out, customers using platform 3/4 can use the device located on platform 1/2. When the device on platform 1/2 is moved customers can use the device that will now be located in the subway.

There are also two additional devices available near the ticket office.

TransLink appreciates your patience during these works.

Affected timetables
Ipswich/Rosewood line - effective 16 December 2009

Is this change in response to an issue raised by RBOT?

[ozbob]

Taringa is a surprisingly busy station and narrow platforms.  There are risks.  These risks have been raised here in the forum,  and we have made general representations about a number of stations.  There is also the issue of getting readers out of the weather and make them a lot easier to read.   An issue that we have pursued vigorously.

There is also the problem of people queuing in the rain ...

[awotam]

came through the gates at Roma stree this morning at 8.15am - dear oh dear. 15 - 20 people queued at each of the go card gates waiting in line to touch off while a single QR employee was physically blocking 2 x gates in the middle (why block 2 x gates and why in the middle and why allow queue's of 15 - 20 people on the few remaining gates are just some of the questions I had) to allow the occasional commuter to go against the flow - surely there is a better way of dealing with counter flows .........

I used the "contact us" page on the Translink web site to raise this point with them. Lo & behold, I received a reply on the following business day;
"In response to your comments I can advise the following, Translink is aware of this issue and is currently reviewing the location and number of go card devices across the Translink network, this includes buses, trains and ferry terminals."
Doesn't specifially address Roma St, but a glimmer of hope that improvement is on the way.

[ozbob]

Dead gate on Edward St array Central, just had a red light spot. 

Been racking up the journeys this week, had a few extra runs on bus and rail. 50% discount will be early this week ..

[STB]

Another GPS issue on the bus with this appearing in my transaction history. Actual touch on was at Birkdale Railway station and I headed towards Wellington Point.

15-Mar-10 05:31:56 PM     Cancel touch on     Moreton Institute of TAFE [11304]         
15-Mar-10 05:27:10 PM    Touch on transfer    Moreton Institute of TAFE [11304]

[dwb]

Another GPS issue on the bus with this appearing in my transaction history. Actual touch on was at Birkdale Railway station and I headed towards Wellington Point.

15-Mar-10 05:31:56 PM     Cancel touch on     Moreton Institute of TAFE [11304]         
15-Mar-10 05:27:10 PM    Touch on transfer    Moreton Institute of TAFE [11304]

What were the transactions before and after? ie sure it's not a double touch??

[Mozz]

Roma street station this morning - one of the two large go card gate readers not working (but displaying all the greens) I only found out because the cleaner told me after I thought it was my card in my wallet, swiped it a number of times and no go, then I stopped took it out of the wallet again and swiped a few more times still no go. Cleaner advised me it was broken. Seems to be lots of problems with the gates at Roma street. Broken readers, broken gates, broken counter flow situation .......if only we had engaged a company with experience in rolling out smart card transport technologies we might have avoided all this drama....... yeah tongue in cheek firmly.

[Otto]

Another GPS issue on the bus with this appearing in my transaction history. Actual touch on was at Birkdale Railway station and I headed towards Wellington Point.

15-Mar-10 05:31:56 PM     Cancel touch on     Moreton Institute of TAFE [11304]         
15-Mar-10 05:27:10 PM    Touch on transfer    Moreton Institute of TAFE [11304]

Was the "Please Touch Card" message shown continuously on the CIDs ( readers ) ? If yes, then the GPS receiver was most likely buggered and the driver has kept the CIDs opened manually. If that is true, then anyone with a gocard who was on the bus for 20 minutes or less would have had a free ride , or , if you transfered from the train, then no continuation of journey would have been charged..

[STB]

That's exactly what has been happening and what I've been trying to say to others about it's occurance.  Glad to see that I'm not the only one.

No, it's not a double touch.  This has been occuring for quite some time now.