QLD Smart Ticketing - Open Payment

[Derwan]

We're about to be leap-frogged by Sydney - after their initial disastrous smart card roll-out!

Why does Queensland have to be so slow at everything?

[ozbob]

It will be a while here in Queensland ...

Sent to all outlets:

24th November 2015

Err no, go card around for a while yet ...

Good Morning,

A short item in the Couriermail today.

=====================================

Couriermail --> Let's hope the next generation Go Card will make travel easier

Quote

SO FAREWELL the current incarnation of the blighted Go Card, the decade old smart ticketing system that has been the bane of commuters for years.

Department of Transport and Main Roads Director-General and former TransLink boss Neil Scales earlier this month oversaw the calling of tenders for the next generation Go Card, with talk the new version could be used to buy other things besides travel.

Scales used to work with Merseytravel in the UK where the Go Card's equivalent — the Walrus card — can be used to buy things like drinks at local stores. Many commuters in Brisbane would be glad if the thing just worked to take them from A to B. Since being introduced in 2008, the Go Card has been plagued with problems, including one incident where users were wrongly charged for trips they never took. There has been a host of other errors and malfunctions.

Our spies tell us part of the problem with the Go Card, which is operated by California-based Cubic Corporation, is the antiquated software that runs the system. We hear Windows 2000 is still being used to operate some systems despite being close to 16 years old. Microsoft stopped making security patches for the software five years ago!

=======================================

Hate to disappoint but the go card contract has just been extended for a further three years from September 2016.

Details here >  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/11/prweb13091888.htm

The transport authorities have failed to inform Queenslanders of this.  It is also surprising that the media has not picked it up.

There is also some confusion out in punter land concerning the Next Generation Ticketing System.  A Government in control would properly inform its citizens of what is actually happening and what it means.  Some poor confused punters think that if they don't have a smart phone they will not be able to catch a bus!  Hopeless communications, from a Government that boasts it is transparent and communicative. Shambles ...

Don't burn your go cards just yet!

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Media release 22nd November 2015



SEQ: Fare unaffordability crisis continues - Time for fare action

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has said the October 2015 Public transport performance data again has ' affordability ' as the standout failure of the KPIs.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The unaffordability of fares is again the key standout failure of the latest TransLink Key Performance Indicators - October 2015 (1, 3, 4). There is no doubt that the previous State Governments and TransLink have failed to deliver a fare system that is equitable, drives patronage and assists in mobilising our community. The failure to properly sort the SEQ fare structure is a very sad indictment on previous Governments."

"To the credit of the present State Government, a fare review is underway, but it is in slow motion unfortunately - as with most things in Queensland."

"Cubic has just announced overseas that the go card contract has been extended to 2019 (2). So we will be using the go card for a number of years yet. It is therefore important that the failed fare structure in SEQ be fixed, and fixed promptly. Waiting for the next election is not acceptable."

"It is also disappointing that such important news concerning the go card is found out from overseas websites. It is though the public transport community in Queensland does not really matter."

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

References:

1. https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/9a60c199-a049-4a83-ae06-11dbf42cd75f/resource/622c1b82-a77a-4267-acfe-6619a996b34b/download/2015octsnapshot.pdf

from https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/translink-public-transport-performance-snapshots

2. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/11/prweb13091888.htm

3. KPI Summary October 2015



4. Affordability KPI October 2015

[Derwan]

We're about to be leap-frogged by Sydney - after their initial disastrous smart card roll-out!

Why does Queensland have to be so slow at everything?

Oh look... they even have an Opal Card app:  https://www.opal.com.au/en/get-an-opal-card/opal-travel-app/

Meanwhile in Queensland, we suggested that the official TranskLink App should include Go Card management.  Nope.  We wait... again.

[ozbob]

Railway Gazette --> Android Pay for pay-as-you-go travel in London

UK: Transport for London announced it had become 'the first transport organisation in the world to accept Android Pay as a method of ticketing' with the UK launch of Android Pay on May 18. Passengers can use the Android Pay app on mobile devices to travel on London Underground, bus, tram and most rail services in London.

This follows the launch of Apple Pay in July 2015. Passengers touch their smart phones on the yellow card readers in the same way as an Oyster smart card or a contactless payment card, with TfL's back office systems applying the appropriate capping to calculate the best fare.

'It's great to see another mobile ticketing option introduced into the market' said Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer & Director of Customer Experience at TfL. 'Android is a popular mobile operating system and we have been working closely with Google to ensure that Android Pay is fully incorporated into the capital's transport network.'

TfL said more than 10 million unique bank cards from more than 80 countries have been used for over 400 million contactless journeys since contactless payment was launched on London buses in December 2012 and on London Underground and National Rail services in September 2014. A third of all pay-as-you-go journeys in London are now made using contactless payments, with TfL's network accounting for one in 10 contactless transactions in the UK, making it one of the largest contactless merchants worldwide.

Pay-as-you-go using contactless and Oyster was extended beyond London to Gatwick Airport earlier this year and TfL said it is 'now working to further expand the benefits of pay-as-you-go to all London airports as well as other key locations around the commuter belt.' Discussions are ongoing with Govia Thameslink Railway for an extension to Luton Airport which forms part of the train operator's franchise agreement, while future extension to Stansted Airport would be subject to an agreement with Abellio Greater Anglia. 

[verbatim9]

Australia is so behind in this ! Yet Australia can be the prefect test country as most of the population find mobile tap n pay methods convenient.

[Derwan]

I'm hoping that the next generation ticketing system will launch with all of the payment methods already offered in London (which are essentially the same thing - payments by "credit card").  There's no reason why it shouldn't.... except of course that this is Queensland that we're talking about.

[verbatim9]

I'm hoping that the next generation ticketing system will launch with all of the payment methods already offered in London (which are essentially the same thing - payments by "credit card").  There's no reason why it shouldn't.... except of course that this is Queensland that we're talking about.

Yes second that!

[ozbob]

Black Country Radio --> Contactless Payment Comes To Buses And Trams By 2018

National Express West Midlands is fitting every one of its 1500 buses with state-of-the-art contactless technology by 2018.

The firm has signed a multi-million pound deal for ticket machines that can take bank cards, smartphones and smart watches, as well as cash and Swift smartcards.

The first ticket machines will be appearing on buses in Coventry at the end of this year, and will be rolled out across the whole West Midlands fleet over the following two years. Managing Director Peter Coates said:

"We know our customers want the choice of using contactless when they travel. Only a month ago, we introduced it on the Midland Metro and already 7% of passengers buying a ticket on board are using contactless.

So, as part of our pledge to the West Midlands Bus Alliance to get more people travelling by bus, we are investing in contactless because it makes journeys quicker and easier for passengers."

The new technology will speed up bus journey times because passengers will spend less time buying a ticket. A recent report for Greener Journeys - The Effects of Congestion on Bus Passengers by Professor David Begg - pointed out:

"If London-style cashless buses with contactless payment and smart ticketing could be extended to the rest of the UK, bus journey times could be improved by up to 10% by halving dwell time at bus stops. In urban conditions, dwell time makes up between 25% and 33% of total journey time. The big five bus operators in the UK have set a target to introduce contactless bus transactions by 2022. They should do everything possible to accelerate this, and it is realistic for them to achieve this goal in the large conurbations within three years."

National Express West Midlands awarded the contract for driver consoles, on-board computers, ticket printers, validators and the back-office system to keep it all running to German company INIT Innovations in Transportation Ltd, who are based in Karlsruhe.

Jens Mullak, Managing Director of INIT Ltd, said: "Our solutions are already in use around the globe, and National Express is an important new customer for us in the UK. I think that, with the popularity of contactless bank cards and the use of mobile phones, contactless will surely replace cash payments more and more."

The ' Swift ' card is their base ticket product = go card on ours.

[verbatim9]

New Deal with Cubic ----> http://www.eurotransportmagazine.com/19906/news/industry-news/tfl-contactless-ticketing-system/

[Derwan]

New Deal with Cubic ----> http://www.eurotransportmagazine.com/19906/news/industry-news/tfl-contactless-ticketing-system/

Good news!  Now watch Queensland bureaucratic nonsense delay the roll-out of Next Gen ticketing by several years!

[verbatim9]

Android pay was released on Thursday. That means mobile wallets cannot be used to top up Go Cards currently at  Go card vending machines. When will the payment option on Go card vending machines be upgraded to NFC tap n Go? Other vending already accept this technology!

[verbatim9]

More than half of Australians want to pay for Public Transport with their phones or bank debit or credit card-->
https://news.google.com/news/ampviewer?caurl=https%3A%2F%2Famp.news.com.au%2Ftechnology%2Finnovation%2Fmore-than-half-of-australians-want-to-use-their-bank-cards-or-mobile-phones-to-pay-for-public-transport%2Fnews-story%2Fc2d0213862a64d9c2cb6dfe1aa8d3849#pt0-745165

[ozbob]

Not sure what this is about ..

Transport minister says smart phones could be public transport tickets soon

— Shane Doherty (@ShaneDoherty9) September 1, 2016

[verbatim9]

^^Yeah apparently the current system supports virtual cards. "Be great for Tourists to the area." Probably be an enhancement into the App.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard Questions Without Notice

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2016/2016_09_01_DAILY.pdf

1st September 2016

Public Transport, Cairns
Mr PYNE: My question is of the Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games. Will the
minister please advise when residents in my city of Cairns will have access to some of the easy payment
options that users of public transport in South-East Queensland take for granted?

Mr HINCHLIFFE: I thank the member for Cairns for the question. The member for Cairns is
referring to what many people in South-East Queensland know and appreciate as the go card. That
sort of easy access ticketing is vitally important and has been at the forefront of public transport practice
across Australia as demonstrated by the go card network, introduced and brought in by a Labor
government. It is a demonstration of the way in which Queensland has been at the forefront of delivering
that sort of level of service on our South-East Queensland network. I acknowledge that right across the
length and breadth of the state there is great keenness and a desire to see the same level of
functionality that South-East Queensland commuters enjoy being available to public transport patrons
right across the rest of the state.

I can assure the member for Cairns and, indeed, other members of the House that the
Department of Transport and Main Roads and TransLink, which is part of the department, are working
very closely with service providers right across our state to deliver a more seamless ticketing solution
and system for public transport across the rest of the state. That is a core part of the work that we are
doing on what we call our next generation ticketing project, which will take the South-East Queensland
system to the next generation of ticketing solutions, and we will ensure that we bring the rest of the
public transport network in this state along with us here in South-East Queensland as we do that.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about those next generation ticketing opportunities. In
delivering that, we want to make sure that we bring world's best practice to public transport users here
in Queensland. When the go card was introduced in South-East Queensland we were at the leading
edge of world technology in this space and we want to do that again. That is why honourable members
will see as we roll this out into the future that we will not necessarily be using the go card that I can
produce from my pocket right now. Instead, we will be making sure that we use technology that may
include other forms of smart cards. Indeed, smart devices that people carry with them regularly today
can be part of the ticketing solution and enable management of their own public transport access and
budgets.

I want to thank the member for Cairns for the question. I assure him that I will work with him and
other members right across the state to ensure that all public transport users can have access to best
quality, latest technology systems, and ticketing is a very important part of that

[ozbob]

Not sure what this is about ..

Transport minister says smart phones could be public transport tickets soon

— Shane Doherty (@ShaneDoherty9) September 1, 2016

Seems just chatter related to the Next Generation Ticketing system (See Hansard above).  The present system is very limited.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard Questions Without Notice

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2016/2016_09_01_DAILY.pdf

1st September 2016

Public Transport, Cairns
Mr PYNE: My question is of the Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games. Will the
minister please advise when residents in my city of Cairns will have access to some of the easy payment
options that users of public transport in South-East Queensland take for granted?

Mr HINCHLIFFE: I thank the member for Cairns for the question. The member for Cairns is
referring to what many people in South-East Queensland know and appreciate as the go card. That
sort of easy access ticketing is vitally important and has been at the forefront of public transport practice
across Australia as demonstrated by the go card network, introduced and brought in by a Labor
government. It is a demonstration of the way in which Queensland has been at the forefront of delivering
that sort of level of service on our South-East Queensland network. I acknowledge that right across the
length and breadth of the state there is great keenness and a desire to see the same level of
functionality that South-East Queensland commuters enjoy being available to public transport patrons
right across the rest of the state.

I can assure the member for Cairns and, indeed, other members of the House that the
Department of Transport and Main Roads and TransLink, which is part of the department, are working
very closely with service providers right across our state to deliver a more seamless ticketing solution
and system for public transport across the rest of the state. That is a core part of the work that we are
doing on what we call our next generation ticketing project, which will take the South-East Queensland
system to the next generation of ticketing solutions, and we will ensure that we bring the rest of the
public transport network in this state along with us here in South-East Queensland as we do that.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about those next generation ticketing opportunities. In
delivering that, we want to make sure that we bring world's best practice to public transport users here
in Queensland. When the go card was introduced in South-East Queensland we were at the leading
edge of world technology in this space and we want to do that again. That is why honourable members
will see as we roll this out into the future that we will not necessarily be using the go card that I can
produce from my pocket right now. Instead, we will be making sure that we use technology that may
include other forms of smart cards. Indeed, smart devices that people carry with them regularly today
can be part of the ticketing solution and enable management of their own public transport access and
budgets.

I want to thank the member for Cairns for the question. I assure him that I will work with him and
other members right across the state to ensure that all public transport users can have access to best
quality, latest technology systems, and ticketing is a very important part of that

[aldonius]

tl;dr you're not getting sh%t until after it's rolled out in SEQ

[ozbob]

Meanwhile ...

One for the #Adelaide commuters to watch out for: SA transport to trial smartphone payments https://t.co/E7FzT5wCWi #publictransport

— Paris Cowan (@parisbcowan) September 5, 2016

[verbatim9]

Great! Way forward especially for casual users and tourists. Much more convenient.

[ozbob]

^ Yep, Adelaide is not the ' back water ' that some think. Rather enjoyed my visit there early this year. 

[verbatim9]

The ticketing Smart card system they have is off the rack system from France touch on only. So I guess you can use Credit and Debit cards easily for payment. Touch and Debit

[ozbob]

London's contactless payment goes global https://t.co/Ufoco07H84 pic.twitter.com/2iEsuHqSYJ

— Metro Report (@MetroReportInt) March 1, 2017

[verbatim9]

Sydney's Opal card will be next to accept cards debit and credit cards for touch on and off, as flagged last year.

[Derwan]

Phones, watches, smart devices to replace Go Card system

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/go-card-replacement-could-be-announced-within-20170830-p4yvmi.html

South-east Queensland commuters could know within weeks what system will replace the Go Card, according to the head of Translink.

A "next generation" ticketing option for buses, trains and ferries has been in the works since the Newman government but the move towards it had been slower than expected.

The Palaszczuk government eventually called for expressions of interest in September 2015.

On Tuesday, Translink director-general Matt Longlands said the tender process was almost complete.

"The tender process is very close and hopefully we'll see some announcements on that very soon," he told ABC Radio Brisbane.

"I would hope in coming weeks."

Many options had been floated for the new system, with credit card and mobile contactless payments chief among them.

Mr Longlands said he could not reveal much about the three international businesses competing for the contract but he shed light on what was coming.

"The solution will be what's called an account-based solution," he said.

"So we'll have things like phones, watches, smart devices, tap and go ... those things will be built into the new system.

"So you may be able to use a normal Go Card but also a number of other ways of connecting and paying for your trip."

About 90 per cent of passengers now use the payment card, introduced in 2008, up from about 82 per cent two years ago.

"We want to make sure that when we put the new solution in place that we can manage that transition very carefully so we can make sure that we're not left with a gap in between one system finishing and the new system starting," Mr Longland told the radio station.

[ozbob]

 

[verbatim9]

^^That's great. From my understanding the new system will be a statewide solution not just for SE Qld as suggested in the article.

[kram0]

Let's hope we don't try and reinvent the wheel and go with a platform (and company) that has a proven track record such as the Oyster card in London.

[verbatim9]

Let's hope we don't try and reinvent the wheel and go with a platform (and company) that has a proven track record such as the Oyster card in London.

^^Did Cubic help develop and run the Oyster system in London?

Big chance of Cubic getting renewed here. You don't want the debacle of Myki and over blown costs. Surely there is an off-the-shelf shelve system with Next Generation ticketing that would suit Qld statewide to a "T"!?

[#Metro]

Phone up whoever did Perth.

[kram0]

Let's hope we don't try and reinvent the wheel and go with a platform (and company) that has a proven track record such as the Oyster card in London.

^^Did Cubic help develop and run the Oyster system in London?

Big chance of Cubic getting renewed here. You don't want the debacle of Myki and over blown costs. Surely there is an off-the-shelf shelve system with Next Generation ticketing that would suit Qld statewide to a "T"!?

Yes Cubic implemented the Oyster card in London and the Opal card in Sydney. London in particular is a very advanced system allowing payment by Apple pay and credit/debit cards.

[verbatim9]

Phone up whoever did Perth.

Apparently the Perth system doesn't support account based mechanisms. Like touching on and off with a Debit or Credit card and can't be upgraded to something like that.

[Mozz]

Used the old credit card in London recently - on the buses and the tube... worked flawlessly and quickly.

[verbatim9]

7 News report on Next Generation Ticketing

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/902867363929890816

[verbatim9]

Used the old credit card in London recently - on the buses and the tube... worked flawlessly and quickly.

Out of curiosity how much in GDP and AUD  were you charged on your statement. Guess there was a 3% conversion charge?

[verbatim9]

CEO from Cubic is here in Brisbane from San Diego. Does this mean a decision from the the Next Generation ticketing agreement is imminent?

[ozbob]

CEO from Cubic is here in Brisbane from San Diego. Does this mean a decision from the the Next Generation ticketing agreement is imminent?

[kram0]

CEO from Cubic is here in Brisbane from San Diego. Does this mean a decision from the the Next Generation ticketing agreement is imminent?

I am catching up with someone for dinner tonight who is in the know, so will keep you posted.

[verbatim9]

^^Sorry Managing director from San Diego Tom Walker not CEO but saying that both could be here in Bne.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Cubic Corporation trials facial recognition technology which could replace your public transport Go Card

FUTURE commuters will be able to use their faces as a ticket to board trains and buses.

New technology being tested by the company behind the Go Card will use biometric recognition to enable passengers to pay their fares.

Card-operated gates would be replaced by machines which scan people's eyes or the unique pattern of veins in the palm of their hand, linked to a prepaid account.

"We are trialling it in the lab at the moment,'' said Chris Bax, vice-president of intelligent transport systems global strategy for Cubic Corporation, who was in Brisbane yesterday for a summit.

A real-world trial is planned within the next year, probably in the UK, before being rolled out in cities around the world.

"Biometric technology still has a way to go but it is developing quickly. And there are privacy issues to be worked through,'' he said.

While facial recognition could be some years away from southeast Queensland's public transport, a contactless payment system for trains, buses, ferries and light rail will be introduced much sooner.

Cubic is one of three international companies vying for the TransLink contract to replace the current Go Card from 2019.

The successful bidder is expected to be announced early next year.

Regardless of the winner, the next generation system will be based on a "one transport account'' model, allowing passengers to use credit or debit cards, smartphones, Apple watches and other devices to pay (via Bluetooth recognition) as well as a Go Card-style smartcard.

"We are revolutionising transport payment systems to make them simple,'' Mr Bax said.

Whatever payment form passengers used, it would be linked back to a personal ID token.

That could be expanded to include facial or palm recognition at a later stage.

Contactless payment was essential to maintaining efficient public transport, Mr Bax said.

"We have the current system where people tap a smartcard down to as quick as we're going to get it.

"As our cities become busier and busier, we have to look at how we can get people through stations quicker.

"One way is to look at whether we need a gate that has to open."

Scanners could trigger red lights or vibrating floorpads when someone failed to pay and security could be on hand at hot spots to nab would-be fare dodgers.

More than a billion trips on London's Underground and rail system have been paid using contactless methods.