Ministerial Statement: 50 000th go card sold

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
17/04/2008

50 000th go card sold

TransLink's 50 000th go card was sold today and the lucky winner of the $250 go card was Catherine Raff.

Ms Raff said she had decided to buy a go card after a friend recommended it.
"I'm always running late and never have time to get a ticket," she said.

"I asked once if it was possible to buy a couple of weeks worth of single paper tickets, but I was told you can't.

"Then a work colleague told me about the go card and it just seemed a lot more convenient than having to line up every day to buy a single ticket."

Ms Raff said she generally used the train to travel to the city a couple of times a week. Based on this frequency of travel her $250 prize could provide her with over five months free travel.

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel said he was thrilled the 50 000th card had been sold and would be calling Ms Raff to congratulate her.

"Reaching 50 000 go cards is a wonderful achievement and I am very happy for Ms Raff who will now enjoy months of free travel on her card," he said.

"Take up of the go card is progressing very well with about 3000 new go card users coming on line every week.

"There have been over 800 000 journeys on the card and almost $2.8 million has been loaded onto go cards across South East Queensland.

"For a system many predicted would never get off the ground this has been a great start.

"We now look forward to making go card an even better option for public transport users in South East Queensland."


April 17, 2008

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[ozbob]

How about looking after the hapless 'pioneer' go card users?  The ones who have been copping extra fares and penalties?

All a bit silly Minister!

Cheers
Ozbob

[Mozz]

Ahh I love the spin - when I first read it I thought - hmm they haven't sold 50,000 go cards - but of course the way it is presented the language suggests this but in fact a plain english interpretation is that "someone has purchased a gocard card which just happens to be the 50,000th card in circulation"

[ozbob]

Media Release 17 April 2008 

SEQ: 50 000 Go Cards ? some questions

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has congratulated Translink on the 50,000th go card being issued, but has said that serious problems remain with the go card (1,2,3).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?The go card, successfully implemented with a high user uptake promises improved efficiency gains and cost savings for public transport.?

?Fifty thousand go cards is a milestone of sorts. It is a great pity the go card is still unreliable and many commuters have had to abandon it and revert back to paper ticketing due to ongoing problems, particularly on the buses and ferries.?

?The go card frequent user fare structure is expensive relative to the present paper integrated ticketing for many, and this has also acted as a disincentive for use and uptake.?

?Congratulations to the recipient of the $250 go card. Pity normal users are limited to $200 maximum top up.?

?Here are some questions which if answered might show the true situation with the go card:

1.  How many of these 50,000 cards are in active use?

2.  How much of the revenue so far is actually penalties/excess fares not claimed back?

3.  When will the go card be reliable on buses and ferries?

4.  When will equitable fares be introduced?

5.  Is 50,000 really a sign of a successful roll out?

6.  Why haven't go card users been alerted by Translink and the Minister for Transport as to the major time issue with the go card system on buses and encouraged to check their transaction history for excessive charges and make claims for refunds of extra fares and penalties??

Reference:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=746.0

2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=443.0

3.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?board=27.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[Fares_Fair]

I have a question ... any statistics whizzes out there.

The Minister announced today in parliament (and recorded in Hansard)
that the GoCard has been used for 830,000 journeys and that they
sold the 50,000th GoCard today.

Journeys of course is an exaggeration of the true use of the card,
This in fact equates to approx. 83,000 (to and fro) trips by individuals based
upon the 80% of regular weekly commuters who do (on average) 10 journeys per week.

If we take these 83,000 trips and divide by the 50,000 GoCards
that have been sold, we get the resultant 1.66 trips / per person / GoCard .. to date.

Is it just me or is that not very impressive ?   
Am I missing something here ?

[ozbob]

I think you are on the money Fares_Fair!

But it is 830,000/50,000 = 16.7 journeys which is just under two work weeks (nine days) of regular travel on average per card.  I think a significant number have gone back to paper.

I think the reason this is low too is that a significant number of cards have been given out.  I am not sure if they would be used but are possibly in the total card count on issue?  I know at least 8 people who have a 'free' go card and are not using it.  They think it is too dear, but they used it over Easter!   

Some of my colleagues at work are playing 'spot the go card user' on the bus they come into town each day.
One person who comes long haul on the SE Busway is yet to see a Go Card user in the flesh so to speak

I have seen a small number using go cards on rail regularly (myself included). It works fine on rail (fare structure not withstanding).  The problems are on buses/ferries with the readers particularly and the recent time problem has probably turned a lot more off too.

I stood opposite the Casino in George St the other day, where the temporary Translink tents are and watched a number of buses loading. I was interested in seeing if any using Go cards.  In probably a couple of hundred passengers over a number of buses, most seem to be using ten trippers, few cash, fewer go card < 5.

[Fares_Fair]

Thank you ozbob,

It would appear that people are discovering the disadvantages associated
with the cost of the card and the major issues with the time variances / readers
and the extra charges this has incurred, and have abandoned use of the card.

The actions of TransLink in all of this are reprehensible.
Their tardiness, and silence on the bus time issue is astounding.

When will the Minister acknowledge that they have got the fares all wrong !
When will the Minister acknowledge that they have got the bus (time zone) readers wrong !
He really appears ill-informed by his refusal to recognize the problems - or do anything about them.

[ozbob]

Brisbane mX 18 April 2008 page 2 not online

Commuters go for cards

Commuters go for cards

Translink has sold 50,000 Go cards since their staggered introduction this year.

Transport Minister John Mickel said about 3000 people were taking up the cards each week.

"There have been over 800.000 journeys on the cards and almost $2.8 million has been loaded on to the go Card across south Queensland," he said.

But Back on Track (sic) spokesman Robert Dow said the Government was yet to fix major problems plaguing the system.

[Mozz]

Nooooo MX - your paper has been caught in the GoCard spin vortex - the 50,000th card might have been sold but many others were just given away ...

[Fares_Fair]

I think you have hit the nail on the head Mozz,

Nooooo MX - your paper has been caught in the GoCard spin vortex - the 50,000th card might have been sold but many others were just given away ...

What is the number of GoCards actually sold compared to the one's given away for free ?
( free that is until they use it - then it can cost them big time, particularly long distance commuters and greater than 10 trip users, not to mention Uni Students, Shift workers etc. )

I wouldn't even consider asking TransLink, especially with their track (no pun intended) record in the non-answering of commuter questions. They may respond but the response doesn't address the questions asked. Reprehensible barely describes the contempt with which they treat commuters.

( I have decided to give TransLink another chance,
see the 'TransLink - Did they respond to your Questions ?' thread )

Translink and the ill-advised Minister seem to love playing with semantics
which often-times conceals the reality.
Prove me wrong, has TransLink really 'sold' 50,000 cards ? 

[Otto]

I would say TL have 'issued' 50,000 cards.. not sold..

Where I work, we just needed to call a number to have a complimentary card sent.. I had already bought mine online when I found out..

[ozbob]

Yes, in our media releases re 50,000 cards we have stated 'issued'.

I have heard that about 20,000 cards  are in some sort of active use ... (this is not official or confirmed).

Not good!  And with the ongoing problems with touching and time errors the user base is possibly shrinking on the buses particularly.

It is just unfathomable that the time issue has still not been addressed and the go card users advised by Translink and the Minister to take action to seek refunds of the excess charges.

[bris_chris]

Those numbers don't seem all that impressive to me.  Comes to about 16 trips per card, and I take 10-12 trips per week on my weekly ticket.  How long has Go-Card been in use for now?

And does anyone else getting the sneaking suspicion that Ms Raff is a Translink stooge? She states...

"I asked once if it was possible to buy a couple of week?s worth of single paper tickets, but I was told you can't...

Wrong!  It's called a Monthly ticket and any employee of Translink should have been able to provide that answer.  Seems like more spin from the Minister, or maybe a fore-telling of what's to come in the coming months (no more weekly or monthly tickets?). 

More spin by the "average commuter"...

"Then a work colleague told me about the go card and it just seemed a lot more convenient than having to line up every day to buy a single ticket."

If she had of purchased a weekly or monthly ticket she wouldn't have this problem, in fact you don't even need to be at a station to buy one!

Ms Raff said she generally used the train to travel to the city a couple of times a week. Based on this frequency of travel her $250 prize could provide her with over five months free travel.

More spin to convince the media and public that most commuters only use it a couple times a week, instead of the reality of every week day plus trips on the weekend!  And how did she get more than the $200 loaded onto her card?  Is it just her special card that gets this privilege?

In light of the Minister's statement on Bus Drivers overcharging Go-card users, I totally agree with any call for him to step-down.  Either he's a straight-up liar or so misinformed that it verges on criminal. 

Long live Weekly and Monthly tickets! 

[GOody]

And how did she get more than the $200 loaded onto her card?  Is it just her special card that gets this privilege?

You can only load $200 in one transaction, but the card can have up to $250 credit on it.

[Fares_Fair]

According to advice received from TransLink. 

Over 85% of GoCards currently in circulation (as at 24/4/08) were purchased.
Approx. 15% were given away free.

[Mozz]

I don't know a single person who purchased a card, I know about 15 people with cards. That's all I have to say on those figures.

[Fares_Fair]

Thanks Mozz,

I found it hard to believe myself.

I am seeking verification as to whether the figures quoted include the registration of cards.
They shouldn't have of course - but you never know.
Semantics is a wonderful thing.

[mufreight]

out of 23 people I know who possess Go Card's only one has purchased the card, the rest giveaways, how many more will be given away at the Busway open day that will be included in the total?  Worth thinking about, more spin less reality.

[Fares_Fair]

I haven't got one yet, Mufreight.
I refuse to do so until the Fares are Fair. 

Paper Tickets are the best, most convenient, secure, and above all cheapest option for me.
The GoCard is in a mess, especially for Bus users.

I reckon commuters should organise a massive GoCard hand-back, but that's just me.

We got a free pedometer in our Corn Flakes last week.
Wondered if it had something to do with the 'Watch your money Go' Card.   

I'm waiting for my GoCard to appear in the next Corn Flakes pack.