POLL: Bus/Ferry Fixed Fares

[somebody]

Like it says.  Perhaps there is a reason why this hasn't been done already, but perhaps not.

[dwb]

Although that means any rail trip could be like $23... prolly a little steep. And not soo easy for consumers to understand nor program.

[SurfRail]

Ferry journeys won't ever exceed 2 zones, so yes for them.

I think it is much more fair to charge slightly more than the average length of all trips for bus journeys.  That would be fair recognition that most people do the right thing and also that most people (even feral fare evaders) don't travel long distances.  Somebody else will probably know what that duration is, but I expect something like 2-3 zones - perhaps a 5 zone fare should apply.

[somebody]

Although that means any rail trip could be like $23... prolly a little steep. And not soo easy for consumers to understand nor program.

No, I said for bus and ferry only.

It is what many other systems around the world do.  Not sure if Cubic systems use this system or not.

[dwb]

I don't believe Cubic's system really knows what route you are on, simply the zones of where you get on and off.

[BrizCommuter]

I don't believe Cubic's system really knows what route you are on, simply the zones of where you get on and off.

I'm pretty sure that if you swipe off between bus stops, you get charged to the destination zone for that bus route. Can anyone clarify this?

[Zoiks]

The go card readers disable themselves between bus stops.
Something I have not looked at is if the go cards reenable themselves at all the bus stops on a express bus or just the express stops

[dwb]

I don't believe Cubic's system really knows what route you are on, simply the zones of where you get on and off.

I'm pretty sure that if you swipe off between bus stops, you get charged to the destination zone for that bus route. Can anyone clarify this?

As Zoiks says, you generally cannot swipe off/on between stops as the card readers change to the "Please wait" inactive status. HOWEVER, the stops are defined by geographic areas that are bigger than the stop itself. I often am standing at the back door and swipe off while the bus is in motion but approaching the stop... which you can validly do when the reader says "Ready". Further, in between KGS and Roma St the readers are almost always in action, I believe due to some GPS boost they've installed in the tunnel. Many people realise tagging off while coming in to the stop helps everyone get off quicker and do this!

[Golliwog]

Someone somewhere on this forum explained to me that the bus routes will only connect to bus stops they are supposed to be servicing. So the expresses should not connect to stops they pass by. However, the driver can do a manual override and set his location as one of the stops on his route.

[somebody]

Someone somewhere on this forum explained to me that the bus routes will only connect to bus stops they are supposed to be servicing. So the expresses should not connect to stops they pass by. However, the driver can do a manual override and set his location as one of the stops on his route.

That implies that the system does actually know what route it is on.  Which means that it IS achievable.

[Zoiks]

Which is what we were trying to work out

*Group Hi5*

[Otto]

Someone somewhere on this forum explained to me that the bus routes will only connect to bus stops they are supposed to be servicing. So the expresses should not connect to stops they pass by. However, the driver can do a manual override and set his location as one of the stops on his route.

Say you are doing a 200 express along Old Cleveland Road... The trip details are already programmed in the driver console (DCU).. The DCU display will show the route, time, hi-lo zones for paper tickets and the current or last stop ( Stop name and zone number )..
The GPS coordinates of each stop are stored on the DCU, so as the bus arrives at a stop, the GPS location matches what is stored on the DCU and then opens up the GoCard readers (CIDs).. Only the stops that the 200 services will have the GPS coordinates programmed.. None of the in between stops will exist on a 200 service.
When a stop is moved temporarily, then we have to open the CIDs manually as the GPS coordinates are usually still set for the old stop location..

As for QSBS and KGSBS, the GPS coordinates are set at the tunnel entrances as GPS cannot be received underground. CIDs will open just prior to entering the underground section of busway and then the GPS signal is lost. The DCU has been programmed to keep the CIDs in current state when the GPS is lost, therefore the CIDs remain open untill the bus emerges out of the tunnel and the GPS locks back on..

[dwb]

Say you are doing a 200 express along Old Cleveland Road... The trip details are already programmed in the driver console (DCU).. The DCU display will show the route, time, hi-lo zones for paper tickets and the current or last stop ( Stop name and zone number )..
The GPS coordinates of each stop are stored on the DCU, so as the bus arrives at a stop, the GPS location matches what is stored on the DCU and then opens up the GoCard readers (CIDs).. Only the stops that the 200 services will have the GPS coordinates programmed.. None of the in between stops will exist on a 200 service.

Ahh of course, I should have realised this as the 385 which is a BUZ doesn't show all the in between stops. By why then doesn't my statement show the route number and why can't TL seem to understand when I tell them to investigate something by route on my card history?!

As for QSBS and KGSBS, the GPS coordinates are set at the tunnel entrances as GPS cannot be received underground. CIDs will open just prior to entering the underground section of busway and then the GPS signal is lost. The DCU has been programmed to keep the CIDs in current state when the GPS is lost, therefore the CIDs remain open untill the bus emerges out of the tunnel and the GPS locks back on..

I'm sure my statement gives a platform number? Is that because each route using KGS or QSBS is set to use a certain platform at a certain station? ie the GPS gives it 8 options based on location and it picks the one that matches with the route information?

[somebody]

I also checked last night and express buses do not activate readers at non-express stops, but they do activate at stops which aren't being served.

Ahh of course, I should have realised this as the 385 which is a BUZ doesn't show all the in between stops. By why then doesn't my statement show the route number and why can't TL seem to understand when I tell them to investigate something by route on my card history?!

Maybe the data isn't stored.

[Otto]

I'm sure my statement gives a platform number? Is that because each route using KGS or QSBS is set to use a certain platform at a certain station? ie the GPS gives it 8 options based on location and it picks the one that matches with the route information?

Each route has its designated stop in the KG or QS bus stations.. Say your designated bus stop in KG is 'D'.. If your bus had to stop at 'C' in lieu of 'D', your statement would still show 'D'.

[dwb]

I'm sure my statement gives a platform number? Is that because each route using KGS or QSBS is set to use a certain platform at a certain station? ie the GPS gives it 8 options based on location and it picks the one that matches with the route information?

Each route has its designated stop in the KG or QS bus stations.. Say your designated bus stop in KG is 'D'.. If your bus had to stop at 'C' in lieu of 'D', your statement would still show 'D'.

Thanks Otto!