Opal - E-ticketing - fares discussion etc.

[ozbob]

Interesting blog comments,  they are awake to the con, well some  ..

--> http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-smartcard-debuts-on-sydney-buses-20130926-2ufpj.html

e.g.

No Ms Berejiklian, its not fair at all to charge separate fares if you have to change between modes.

If someone has a 20km commute, but has the benefit of being able to do it all the way direct on the train, then they only have to pay one fare.

If someone else doesn't have the luxury of a rail line to their suburb due to long term government neglect, such that they have to commute 5km on a bus, change to a train and travel 15km on that to complete their journey then they face not only a more difficult journey, but a more expensive journey to boot.

If both people are travelling 20km all up, then both people should pay the same, no questions asked.

Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and SE Queensland all have a distance based system where you're free to use any combination of bus/train/ferry/tram you need to get from A to B.

This acknowledges the fact that different modes are available in different areas, and sometimes the only way to finish a journey is to use two.

Time Sydney got with the times and stopped favouring certain travel patterns over others.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-smartcard-debuts-on-sydney-buses-20130926-2ufpj.html

[somebody]

What is it with Sydney and their phobia to have proper integrated ticketing? 

IPART.  They actually have a report coming out tomorrow which should be amusing.  MyMulti was implemented in 2009 IIRC without them being consulted.

It is similar to the bureaucracy's "over my dead body" attitude to expanding Cityrail, particularly the CBD capacity.

Yes they do have the My Multi ticketing product, but ideally that should be the ONLY ticketing product, none of this My Bus, My Train etc business!

And that's only been around since the last parliamentary term!  Before then you could only buy a multimodal ticket called a travelpass for all government services (STA + Cityrail + Govt ferries), not including private buses.  You could also buy a private bus weekly for a given operator, but that was it.  And there were also travelpasses which excluded rail for a lower price.

IPART think this is world's best practice.  It keeps them employed, mind you.

They have the chance to get the integration right with the Opal, here's hoping as the installation and testing progresses they integrate the ticketing so you don't have to pay twice.

To some degree I can understand a reluctance to implement a radial zonal system.  What if you are travelling from Parramatta to Hornsby?  You'd likely be doing a 1 zone trip.  Those that are pushing this one (APT) are on a loser.

Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and SE Queensland all have a distance based system where you're free to use any combination of bus/train/ferry/tram you need to get from A to B.

Point of order!  SEQ, Perth and Melbourne have a radial zonal system.  Adelaide has a flat fare system, with the exception of the 2-section ticket.

-
Final comment, bambul reports that bus and tram are to be a single mode for these purposes.  So at least the tram will only be a regular debacle, not an extra-juicy one.

[ozbob]

Punters not happy overall.  I think they (Govt etc.) think it is just all too complicated for them to integrate.  Probably told it will cost another $2B to do that ...  so they treat it as separate systems ... 

Hardly worth the effort ...

[ozbob]

This is amusing ..

Gladys Bereftofanyideas strikes again. When will we get rid of this idiot stuffing up our transport.
I have a Travel10. I am a casual commuter. I, having a Travel10, have paid IN ADVANCE, for 10 trips. If at ANY time in the future (1 day, 1 week, one month, one year) I am refused carriage on a bus I WILL take it to the next level and ensure that I am properly compensated.
Barry Do-Nothing - do something - get rid of Gladys Bereftofanyideas asap
The idea of the Opal card is for one seamless transport infrastructure charging scheme ... ie if I have to to travel form A to B then I get charged for A to B regardless of the transport mode chosen.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-smartcard-debuts-on-sydney-buses-20130926-2ufpj.html

[ozbob]

Penalising people by changing them a premium if they change modes of transport on the way to a destination is stupid.

I use opal on the train as it is more convenient than buying a ticket, but it sounds like they have really stuffed up the buses!

It might be ripe for gaming, if you have an expensive train trip, simply ride the bus for one stop during your lunch hour. Then your trips are free from wednesday evening till the end of the week.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-smartcard-debuts-on-sydney-buses-20130926-2ufpj.html

Doesn't take long for the penny to drop ...

[#Metro]

I went to Sydney recently. It is SO BACKWARDS. Like going back in time re: ticketing. What a mess.

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Frustration on the cards for Opal system commuters

... When the Herald conducted its inquiry into transport in 2009 and 2010, the authors dedicated a chapter of the inquiry's final report to ''fixing the fares''.

The main problem that chapter addressed was that Sydney's fare system discouraged people from changing between different types of transport.

Every time you change from a bus to a train, a train to a ferry, or from a train to a tram, you have to pay another fare, unless you pay up for a Multi ticket.

''The largest and most perverse disincentive in Sydney's fares is the penalty for connections: your trip from A to B costs more if it requires two vehicles than if it requires just one,'' the Herald's final report said.

Under Ms Berejiklian's fares, anyone changing from a bus to another bus will not have to pay two fares. The two bus trips will be counted as the one journey, the cost determined by the distance from the start of the first bus ride to the end of the second.

But anyone changing from a bus to train will still have to pay two separate fares, maintaining Sydney's penalty for changing between forms of transport.

''I'm glad they've at least removed the interchange penalty for buses, but it is a real short-sighted decision to maintain it for other modes,'' said Alex Gooding, a consultant and one of the authors of the Herald inquiry. At a time when the government is pursuing policies designed to make passengers change more, Mr Gooding said the system would hurt people in outer Sydney who catch buses to railway stations.

The $9 billion north-west rail link, for example, is being built on the basis that buses running to the city on the M2 at present will be re-routed to feed new railway stations.

On Ms Berejiklian's fare system announced this week, these commuters will have to pay twice, at least until they reach eight trips in a week when they will start to travel for free.

''People are going to be re-scheduled to transfer to rail,'' said Garry Glazebrook, associate professor at the University of Technology, Sydney. ''It just goes against all sensible public transport fare policy really ...''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/frustration-on-the-cards-for-opal-system-commuters-20130927-2ujlw.html#ixzz2g7JxnsQ1

" ... It just goes against all sensible public transport fare policy really ... "

Sure does ....   

[ozbob]

Action for Public Transport (NSW)

MEDIA RELEASE
30th SEPTEMBER 2013

OPAL CARD FAILS THE INTEGRATION TEST

A transport consumer group has labelled as "bollocks" a statement by the Minister that transfers from one mode to another, bus to train for instance, will not count as a continued journey because it would be "unfair".

Secretary of Action for Public Transport (APT), Allan Miles, said the whole point of an integrated fare system is that a person can make a journey consisting of more than one "trip" without incurring a penalty for having to change modes.

"Without that feature," Mr Miles said, "Opal is not a very smart card, just an electronic purse."

Mr Miles said that all fares on public transport, as on taxis, comprise a flag-fall and a distance component. "You pay more if you have to change to another vehicle along the way," he said. "Train fares have always allowed a change without penalty," he said, "because you don't leave the station to change trains."

"Most people would choose a cheaper ride on a single-mode journey if one was available," said Mr Miles, "but the transport network is not designed that way." "The transport authority encourages people to change from buses to trains, or from ferries to buses," he said.

APT welcomes the minister's announcement that bus-to-bus transfers will not incur a flag-fall penalty with Opal. "The second trip will be treated as an extension of the first," Mr Miles said. "But this is nothing new. It has been happening at certain bus interchange points for decades," he said, "and all with paper tickets."

"The inclusion of penalty-free bus transfers in the Opal card shows that the minister at least understands the principle," he said, "and that it is technically possible."

Mr Miles said that the smart card tickets in other cities, including Brisbane and Melbourne, charge the fare by total journey distance, not by what you ride in.

"The fundamental difference," Mr Miles said, "is that only in Sydney can you still buy a "train ticket" or a "ferry ticket". Everywhere else passengers just buy a "travel ticket", and the fare is the same whether you travel by tram, train, bus or ferry.

"The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has failed to seize the initiative in this matter." Mr Miles said. "Despite years of warnings, research and opportunities," he said, "IPART has followed the line of Treasury and transport authorities in determining ticket types, with just a courteous nod in Opal's direction."

"We chose this approach to facilitate the introduction of Opal – the Government's electronic ticket for public transport services in the greater Sydney area.  It is likely that the structure and level of some fares will need to be adjusted to optimise the efficiency of electronic ticketing, and we do not wish to prevent this from happening."

IPART Draft Bus Fare determination for 2014, September 2013: Section 1.4

"Technology must be subservient to the passengers' needs," Mr Miles said, "not the master of them."

Mr Miles said that the years of work by all recent transport ministers in creating a modern integrated transport network out of patchwork nineteenth century fiefdoms is starting to come unstuck, and the current Minister must ensure that the passenger remains at the centre of everything that she does.

Action for Public Transport (NSW)
PO Box K606
Haymarket NSW 1240
Australia
http://www.aptnsw.org.au

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Thousands will pay more with Opal card

... The commuter experience mirrors warnings by transport experts and academics that the fares policy chosen for the card - which continues to charge people separate fares for individual train, bus and ferry trips - will undermine its benefit in attracting more people to public transport.

''If government is mean spirited, doesn't integrate fare structures and forgoes critical customer service opportunities, the real value of this big spend on technology will be missed,'' said Michelle Zeibots, research principal at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney ...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/thousands-will-pay-more-with-opal-card-20131011-2vdxm.html

Fools ...

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Fares fair for some, but Opal is not the ticket for all

[ozbob]

Cubic --> Cubic Opal Card System's Reader Wins Third Award; Now Featured at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Opal fares stay the same as public transport prices rise

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald  --> Opal card use to be extended next week

About half of all Sydney train passengers will be able to use Opal cards by the end of next week.

Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday that the distribution of the public transport smartcard system is ahead of schedule.

From Friday, January 31, the Opal will be available at train stations between Strathfield and Redfern, Strathfield and Hornsby, Chatswood and Wyong, and on the Epping to Chatswood line ...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-card-use-to-be-extended-next-week-20140123-31atu.html#ixzz2rBswYbeO

[ozbob]

 Opal or Not?

Find out if Sydney's new transport smartcard will cost you more.

--> http://www.opalornot.com/

[ozbob]

Opal Card Fairy Meadow Train Station

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Take-up of Opal card low as site shows trips are more expensive

[ozbob]

^ wankers.  Going down the free after " x " and not fully mode integrated ...   a looming disaster ...  if not already ...

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[ozbob]

Here comes the fare grief ... LOLOL

Sydney Morning Herald --> Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian under fire over 'two-tiered' ticket plan for the east

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Illawarra Mercury --> Illawarra opal card user jumps the gun

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Opal card available on all Sydney trains by next Friday

[ozbob]

Opal fast-tracked to all Sydney Train stations and to the Illawarra and Goulburn

--> http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/opal-fast-tracked-all-sydney-train-stations-and-illawarra-and-goulburn

[ozbob]

An interesting perspective ..

OPAL CULT - SYDNEY'S $1BN TRANSIT SMARTCARD   --> http://www.davidrcaldwell.com/2014/03/opal-cult-sydneys-1bn-transit-smartcard.html

"Cheaper fares with Opal!" say the more enthusiastic promotions people, echoing the text of the flyers they hand out at Sydney's Circular Quay commuter wharves. It is an ironic choice of location. Circular Quay is Sydney's only tri-mode bus, ferry and rail transit interchange.  Here more than anywhere else, commuters are going about a modal interchange, in many cases to the third mode of their journey. A feeder bus, a ferry and a train is not a rare itinerary.

It is these interchanging passengers who are to endure the greatest fare increases under Opal. It is little wonder that the Opal team have had to ramp-up the propaganda; as commuters come to the realisation that the new smart-card penalises them for their modal interchange, they are less willing to abandon their old zone-based multimodal mag-stripe tickets ...

More --> http://www.davidrcaldwell.com/2014/03/opal-cult-sydneys-1bn-transit-smartcard.html

[ozbob]

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/gold-opal-senior-and-pensioner-card-coming-later-year

Gold Opal senior and pensioner card coming later this year

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today said the Opal card for senior and pensioner customers would be released in 2014, providing travel on all modes of public transport for no more than $2.50.

"This week I launched the new Child/Youth Opal card ahead of the school holidays, giving children all the benefits of the Adult Opal card, at half the price," Ms Berejiklian said.

"One of the most common questions I am asked is: Will be there an Opal card for seniors and pensioners and how much will it cost?

"I am pleased to confirm the Gold Opal Senior/Pensioner card will be available before the end of the year and fares for seniors and pensioners will remain capped at $2.50 for the day.

"I want seniors and pensioners to know that they will never pay more with a Gold Opal Senior/Pensioner card. They will have the same entitlements as the current $2.50 Pensioner Excursion Ticket."

To help prepare for the rollout of the Opal Senior/Pensioner card there will be some changes to the way customers buy their paper Pensioner Excursion Tickets on board State Transit buses across metropolitan Sydney.

"New technology is being installed on State Transit buses to get ready for the Opal card, and this means customers will soon no longer be able to buy their paper Pensioner Excursion Tickets on board the bus," Ms Berejiklian said.

Customers will need to buy their Pensioner Excursion Tickets before they travel on buses from more than 1,600 ticket sellers across Sydney, including newsagencies,
7-11 convenience stores, Australia Post and selected Woolworths stores.

"The vast majority of seniors and pensioners already buy their tickets before they board the bus – so the change will only affect a small percentage of customers," Ms Berejiklian said.

To ensure there is a smooth transition for customers, a letter and information brochure will be sent to more than 230,000 seniors to let them know about the Opal card and provide them with a list of the retailers nearby where they can buy their bus tickets.

Information will also be made available ahead of time on buses and the Transport for NSW website.

"Before the end of the year, all pensioners and seniors will be able to get their own Gold Opal card, which means they won't have to worry about buying a ticket or fumbling for coins ever again."

The Gold Opal Senior/Pensioner card will provide lots of benefits for customers.

"Not only will pensioners and seniors benefit from the same low cap of no more than $2.50 a day, they will be able to access Opal's Weekly Travel Reward, which means after eight paid journeys a week, they can travel for free on any mode of transport for the rest of the week," Ms Berejiklian said.

"The Opal card also means you never have to queue for tickets again. Most customers are choosing to link their Opal card to their debit or credit card so it automatically tops up – just like an e-tag."

The Opal card is a safe and secure method for paying fares, allowing customers to travel without carrying cash for tickets.

Opal is now available on all Sydney Ferries and by the end of this week the rollout on Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink intercity trains will be completed. Two bus routes now have Opal, with the remainder of public and private buses in Sydney, the Hunter, Illawarra and Blue Mountains to come on line by the end of the year.

Customers who are eligible to use a $2.50 Pensioner Excursion Ticket will be able to use a Gold Opal Senior/Pensioner card. This includes any customer who holds one of the following:

    Seniors card issued by any Australian state or territory government; or
    Pensioner Concession card issued by the Australian Government; or
    NSW War Widows' card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Gold Opal senior and pensioner card coming later this year (pdf 97KB)
8 April 2014

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Commuters face delays as rail staff lose jobs, union warns

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Parents tell Opal: you're kidding us

[ozbob]

Transport for NSW --> Opal rollout expands to State Transit buses in Sydney's East

[STB]

Just a quick question, does anyone know if there are any plans for the Opal to be able to top up on buses?

[ozbob]

Just a quick question, does anyone know if there are any plans for the Opal to be able to top up on buses?

Not that I am aware of --> http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/opal/top-up-opal-card

Also https://www.opal.com.au/en/faqs/

Can the bus driver top up my Opal card?

    No, you need to top up your card before you travel, either at an Opal retailer, online or by calling 13 67 25 (13 OPAL).

    A top up online or phone may take up to 60 minutes to take effect.

[STB]

Just a quick question, does anyone know if there are any plans for the Opal to be able to top up on buses?

Not that I am aware of --> http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/opal/top-up-opal-card

Also https://www.opal.com.au/en/faqs/

Can the bus driver top up my Opal card?

    No, you need to top up your card before you travel, either at an Opal retailer, online or by calling 13 67 25 (13 OPAL).

    A top up online or phone may take up to 60 minutes to take effect.

Hmm, so I guess there will be people caught out with out the minimum amount to touch on?   

[ozbob]

Opal is a go card on speed ... speed to get to the rort and free ...     

I saw a Cubic statement somewhere that thinks the free after 10, 9 or 8 as the case may be as ' innovative ' ... I call it a soft option and rather dumb ...

[petey3801]

Spent a week in Sydney a short time ago, wanted to get an Opal card, as we would be using the public transport network quite frequently for most of the trip (even though I had my car with me, it was simply quicker and easier to take PT in many cases!). One problem: Noone sells the damn things. Not even stations! They must be ordered online and they will be delivered to your home address. So, I just got a MyMulti 7 day pass instead...

That's something they need to fix quick smart!!

[STB]

Spent a week in Sydney a short time ago, wanted to get an Opal card, as we would be using the public transport network quite frequently for most of the trip (even though I had my car with me, it was simply quicker and easier to take PT in many cases!). One problem: Noone sells the damn things. Not even stations! They must be ordered online and they will be delivered to your home address. So, I just got a MyMulti 7 day pass instead...

That's something they need to fix quick smart!!

I tried the same thing back in February when I went to Sydney, really annoying how they have to be ordered online, although I have read that they are planning on rolling it out to retailers later this year.  Hopefully sooner rather than later!

[petey3801]

Fingers crossed!

[ozbob]

Daily Telegraph --> Hidden railway sting on Opal card as some train fares soar, making it cheaper for commuters to drive

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Transport for NSW --> Latest Opal roll out hits South West Sydney as new Opal Man campaign launches

[Simon Lovell]

Photo taken at St Peters, a station which does 2980 entries per weekday 24 hours in 2011: http://www.4shared.com/photo/sDp8Tzjsce/DSC_0001.html

[ozbob]

Twitter

Maria Lewis ‏@moviemazz

If you're grumbling about getting up and going to work this morning, just think: it could always be worse.

[dwb]

Spent a week in Sydney a short time ago, wanted to get an Opal card, as we would be using the public transport network quite frequently for most of the trip (even though I had my car with me, it was simply quicker and easier to take PT in many cases!). One problem: Noone sells the damn things. Not even stations! They must be ordered online and they will be delivered to your home address. So, I just got a MyMulti 7 day pass instead...

That's something they need to fix quick smart!!

Wow yeah I'm going tomorrow and was doing some research and that just seems crazy that you can't just buy one on the go. And cos you have to order it it must be registered?

Why must it be so hard to do anything in Australia. Unless their back-office isn't capable of actually handling all the transactions yet so they're still bedding everything down on a restricted number of "test" audience ie the ones who live in a specific place and want registered cards. Their website also barely mentions there is no intermode transfer, even if there are other caps like 8 then free. I find those discounts highly disincentive to casual users, the ones you should be coveting!