Pre Paid on buses, from: Random observations around the network ...

[O_128]

Saw someone get on an O/B 88 @ Taringa, try to pay to which the driver informed them it was pre-paid so they just got on.  Driver didn't say a word.

Can we please make all BUZes and the 109 prepaid.

[SurfRail]

Saw someone get on an O/B 88 @ Taringa, try to pay to which the driver informed them it was pre-paid so they just got on.  Driver didn't say a word.

Can we please make all BUZes and the 109 prepaid.

And this helps people at Anstead, Carindale Heights, Toohey Forest and Waterworks how?

All busway stations, all interchanges, the CBD and selected major stops (eg Toowong High Street, Sunnybank) - fine.  Blanket rule?  No, not unless you want to put an AVVM at every stop.  80% + go card usage should be sufficient to keep things moving.

Under that metric, routes like the 29, 66, 111, 162 and 169 become pre-paid by default anyway.

[somebody]

80% + go card usage should be sufficient to keep things moving.

I want 98% go card usage on buses.  It's a waste of time when someone pays with cash, and shouldn't be allowed at major interchanges with AVVMs.  Note that Indooroopilly interchange still lacks an AVVM.

[#Metro]

All busway stations could become pre-paid very easily. Just have the drivers refuse cash fares at the station, that way you don't need a barrier, you just need a sign. You can also make all buses all-door boarding at busway stations too.

[SurfRail]

80% + go card usage should be sufficient to keep things moving.

I want 98% go card usage on buses.  It's a waste of time when someone pays with cash, and shouldn't be allowed at major interchanges with AVVMs.  Note that Indooroopilly interchange still lacks an AVVM.

That's swell.  Making BUZ routes pre-paid does not achieve this end though. 

As I said, primary stops, interchanges and stations and the surface stops in the CBD can be prepaid, there is no need to roll it out everywhere else.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Personally I don't mind passengers paying for tickets if their in the city when the bus is at the very start of the journey but the amount of times I have caught a bus and been blocked from boarding, watching bus after bus stop/leave or go past while on a busway or a busy stop because someone is fiddling around looking for change just sh%ts me beyond belief. Maybe Translink could trial/impliment pre paid only in the inner city (Something similar to the city/southbank/milton parking zones but just for the inner city). Busways should automatically be prepaid imo.

[O_128]

Personally I don't mind passengers paying for tickets if their in the city when the bus is at the very start of the journey but the amount of times I have caught a bus and been blocked from boarding, watching bus after bus stop/leave or go past while on a busway or a busy stop because someone is fiddling around looking for change just sh%ts me beyond belief. Maybe Translink could trial/impliment pre paid only in the inner city (Something similar to the city/southbank/milton parking zones but just for the inner city). Busways should automatically be prepaid imo.

exactly, I'm over it, buy a god damn go card

[somebody]

80% + go card usage should be sufficient to keep things moving.

I want 98% go card usage on buses.  It's a waste of time when someone pays with cash, and shouldn't be allowed at major interchanges with AVVMs.  Note that Indooroopilly interchange still lacks an AVVM.

That's swell.  Making BUZ routes pre-paid does not achieve this end though. 

As I said, primary stops, interchanges and stations and the surface stops in the CBD can be prepaid, there is no need to roll it out everywhere else.

I don't think I agree about the surface stops in the city.  Other than that, I'm with you.

Anything which increases pressure to get a Go Card is a good thing, but having to go in to KGSBS, Central or QSBS from Queen St or parts of Adelaide St is probably a bit of an ask.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Install ticket machines in 7-11s? There seems to be one on every street corner I walk past. Or maybe a street conductor during peak hour. How about putting pay wave on busses?

On my bike now  :bi

[SurfRail]

Anything which increases pressure to get a Go Card is a good thing, but having to go in to KGSBS, Central or QSBS from Queen St or parts of Adelaide St is probably a bit of an ask.

7-Eleven is your friend. 

Seems to work in Sydney well enough, although down there if memory serves it is only 7am-7pm weekdays - that should be achievable here without ruffling too many feathers.

[somebody]

Anything which increases pressure to get a Go Card is a good thing, but having to go in to KGSBS, Central or QSBS from Queen St or parts of Adelaide St is probably a bit of an ask.

7-Eleven is your friend. 

Seems to work in Sydney well enough, although down there if memory serves it is only 7am-7pm weekdays - that should be achievable here without ruffling too many feathers.

Sydneysiders have been used to an awful ticketing system for some time, and are also far more accepting of positive developments in general.  I'm not sure such a thing could be implemented here without a sizeable backlash.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I'm not sure such a thing could be implemented here without a sizeable backlash.

Then those people should have bought a gocard or if they never use PT don't bother complaining about something you never use as they lost it. Its really not that difficult to purchase and have a few dollars stored on it even if you don't frequently use transport. Students/children don't have any excuses. They have parents, most have jobs, most go to parties, most have expensive game consoles, smart phones and ipods. Adults don't have an excuse. The only people that might have an excuse would be the elderly and tourists but from when I've travelled on PT (especially the busses) the past couple months seniors really seem to be on the ball and tourists usually have done the research before coming or see the advertising/people using go cards.

[Gazza]

Then those people should have bought a gocard or if they never use PT don't bother complaining about something you never use as they lost it.

Yes, You only have to buy the card once, and the credit lasts 7 years, so all the infrequent users can just harden up and get one 'to keep'. If they eliminated paper tickets, you'd have about 2 months of people writing angry comments on the CM website, and whingeing a lot, but then in the end they would have to be adults and just get the damn card.

Tourists can just use a 'Tourist Oyster' style product.

To be honest, I'm actually interested to see how the Melbourne situation pans out, just quietly. It seems as if having a paper option is some sort of untouchable, and nobody is willing to accept that a 100% smart card based system would benefit the majority and only inconvenience a minority.

Imagine the alternate universe for a second...If there were no paper tickets, then AVVMs would perhaps be about half the size, with no need to give change. Just a note acceptor and a simplified interface that only needs to sell the cards, and do top ups. The lower cost of such units means they could be put in many more locations across the city, perhaps as prevalent as ATMs....I think if they got Coles and Woolies onboard, and had one out the front of every supermaket, then that would mean basically the entire population is going near one of these machines once a week.

[dwb]

prevalent as ATMs....I think if they got Coles and Woolies onboard, and had one out the front of every supermaket, then that would mean basically the entire population is going near one of these machines once a week.

That is not the point. You shouldn't have to go somewhere else first before getting on a bus, it is that simple.

Like the toll roads, you just drive through then pay after if you don't have a toll token.

Already there is a strong financial disincentive to pay by cash increasing go card usage. In my opinion the current utilisation is probably composed of 99% of commuters using go and then infrequent users paying cash. Like in London I think this is fine, plus you earn all that extra money from having more expensive singles available. So not only are you not preventing customers who are new to the system, or infrequent from using the system, but you're making extra money off them. I don't think anyone here has articulated any need to get rid of cash tickets entirely.

If however you could buy a set $10 or $20 go card on the bus, that then might be a different story.

[somebody]

dwb, I actually agree with you here in general.  With one qualification: I do not think that 20% cash fares is indicative of all commuters using go.  Go card take up should be much higher than that.

Even tourists could easily use Go except for the mediocre refund arrangements.

With the toll roads, I think the no penalty for paying later is likely a temporary measure.

[dwb]

dwb, I actually agree with you here in general.  With one qualification: I do not think that 20% cash fares is indicative of all commuters using go.  Go card take up should be much higher than that.

Even tourists could easily use Go except for the mediocre refund arrangements.

With the toll roads, I think the no penalty for paying later is likely a temporary measure.

Perhaps, however I would tend to think that overall use of PT is not as commuter oriented as everyone assumes and I would think that many of those customers NOT currently using Go would not be commuters.

As a tourist in other places I've used a mixture of cash and cards and here I think for many Go is a good option and all barriers to go card use should be minimised, a great way to do this might be selling go cards on buses and a more prominent transit info/ticket booth at the airports. Don't forget though that not all tourists arrive by plane! Some of them are regional, some of them live here, some of them drive here then catch an occasional trip - they're very different demands, I do not believe there is one tourist type out there.

wrt the toll roads, if by temporary you mean 15-20 years, then yeah I'd probably agree with you.