News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[Tonsley213]

Now that the MetroCard system has been in place for a few months now, I really fail to see the reason for keeping the existing Crouzier ticketing system for the single trip and day trip tickets - it really does seem quite pointless, and I don't' see any reason why we couldn't have just gone down the path of Melbourne's Myki system (but with less failures! ) and have just the one card for all and force visitors to buy a card. They're only $5. Hardly anything to cry about.

You've made yourself seem very stupid with this comment.

Have you been to Melbourne, do you know how difficult it is to get a Myki.

Why would you force once off travellers to buy an unnecessary card, this would most defiantly turn people off.

Having the ability to board a bus and buy a paper ticket rather than have to find a retailer and buy the card for $10.

[muzzamo]

There are many systems around the world that force customers to buy the stored value cards.

There are a few reasons that come to mind such as no longer having a need for any cash handling facilities/security.

The most significant reason for it, imo, is that in truely congested systems (eg Adelaide city bus stops in peak hour), the 30 seconds or so that is wasted while someone buys a ticket is 30 seconds that the system doesn't have to spare. To take the city bus stops as an example, this could mean multiple buses queuing behind for the stop when they should already be at the stop.

[Brucetiki]

Now that the MetroCard system has been in place for a few months now, I really fail to see the reason for keeping the existing Crouzier ticketing system for the single trip and day trip tickets - it really does seem quite pointless, and I don't' see any reason why we couldn't have just gone down the path of Melbourne's Myki system (but with less failures! ) and have just the one card for all and force visitors to buy a card. They're only $5. Hardly anything to cry about.

You've made yourself seem very stupid with this comment.

Have you been to Melbourne, do you know how difficult it is to get a Myki.

Why would you force once off travellers to buy an unnecessary card, this would most defiantly turn people off.

Having the ability to board a bus and buy a paper ticket rather than have to find a retailer and buy the card for $10.

Difficult to buy a Myki?

ROFL!

Buying a Myki is incredibly easy.

Likewise buying a Metrocard is easy.

Maybe one way to encourage Metrocard use is to increase the paper ticket fares and at the same time drop the Metrocard fares.

[Norman]

You can't buy metrocards on buses, trains or trams. Same with MyKi.

[Tonsley213]

Now that the MetroCard system has been in place for a few months now, I really fail to see the reason for keeping the existing Crouzier ticketing system for the single trip and day trip tickets - it really does seem quite pointless, and I don't' see any reason why we couldn't have just gone down the path of Melbourne's Myki system (but with less failures! ) and have just the one card for all and force visitors to buy a card. They're only $5. Hardly anything to cry about.

You've made yourself seem very stupid with this comment.

Have you been to Melbourne, do you know how difficult it is to get a Myki.

Why would you force once off travellers to buy an unnecessary card, this would most defiantly turn people off.

Having the ability to board a bus and buy a paper ticket rather than have to find a retailer and buy the card for $10.

Difficult to buy a Myki?

ROFL!

Buying a Myki is incredibly easy.

Likewise buying a Metrocard is easy.

Maybe one way to encourage Metrocard use is to increase the paper ticket fares and at the same time drop the Metrocard fares.

Buying a Myki is not incredibly easy, you must go and find a retailer to buy one. Same with Metrocard, I cant just rock up on a bus and buy one.

People don't seem to understand that you can no longer buy Multitrip Metrotickets and it is starting to piss me off. The cheapest metroticket you can now buy is the $1.30 student single trick which is far more than the $0.87 on MetroCard.

Educate yourselves before talking out your ass can make you not look so stupid. Its not bloody difficult.

[Vjkdigital]

Myself on a few occasions has had my card run out, and had to buy a paper ticket instead. Without this option, i would have to turn around and go find a recharge station.

[Port Adelaide Fan]

[Patrick_27]

I agree with Tonsley, as a resident of Melbourne (which I'd say a majority of you aren't); MyKi is only convenient for people who use the system everyday: they can top up their card on-line, in 7-Eleven's or via the machines. However, as a tourist or one time user of PT the system which you must buy a $5.00 card is stupid, and not being within appropriate distance to buy a card is also stupid. Whilst 7-Eleven has extensive reach, for a lot of people getting to a 7-Eleven without PT is hard, and usually people take the risk of getting on a tram to go get themselves a card. But if you're only serviced by buses in your area (like Caroline Springs), you're screwed. Not to mention the flaws with the system (like overcharging your card), and the excessive cost of using PT in Melbourne. I understand their fazing out of the old ticketing in Melbourne was to make on-going PT users switch to MyKi but it leaves a black hole with in-frequent users or tourists. And with hefty PT policing in Melbourne, your chances of getting caught are pretty high.

Don't even get me started on their concession system either, rather than just using your tertiary card and having concession tickets; you must get a personalised PT concession card (a passport style photo and personal details - must be updated every year), and then go get your concession MyKi card. And for interstate visitors, the only concession available is for Seniors, all other concessions don't apply.

About the only thing this city does well with PT is their policing of fare evaders and frequency/prompt with arrival and departure.

[rubberman]

Most tourists either enter or live somewhere in Melbourne close to the CBD. It is therefore mind boggling that someone could think it hard to get a card. Sure, someone who arrives from interstate by road and has accommodation in a remote suburb without a sales outlet nearby, fair enough. But realistically, how many tourists are in that category?

I also believe that one can purchase a card on line. (Although I have never tried).

There is almost zero excuse for not being able to get a card. The only person that should feel aggrieved is the person who has to make an immediate trip to Melbourne and so cannot get a card in advance, and whose accommodation is in the sticks where there is no outlet, and who arrives by road and no where along that road is an outlet. I do feel sympathy for these people.

As for the five dollar purchase price. That is a question of pricing, and just like all questions of pricing, you have to make a decision as to whether or not it is worth it. It may be that for some people, that extra five dollars means a taxi is a better option. So be it. I understand that everyone wants to ride as cheaply as possible...just as those same riders when they are taxpayers resent high taxes and prefer users to pay for services.

I suspect that some people will be happy with the present setup, and would complain bitterly if it were changed. So that the authorities are in a no-win situation here. No matter what they did in terms of charging or availability, someone would have a beef.

What I like about Adelaide is that we managed to build a workable card system in very short time and at a fraction of the cost of the MYKIs and Oysters of this world elsewhere. An outstanding performance of which Adelaide can be proud.

[mattwinter]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/18805074/ton ... ring-line/

Surely you can't cancel a project that is already half way though construction?

[Aidan]

Most tourists either enter or live somewhere in Melbourne close to the CBD. It is therefore mind boggling that someone could think it hard to get a card. Sure, someone who arrives from interstate by road and has accommodation in a remote suburb without a sales outlet nearby, fair enough. But realistically, how many tourists are in that category?

But what about those who fly into Melbourne? AFAIK (and presumably as far as they know) there's nowhere at the airport selling Myki cards.

[Aidan]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/18805074/ton ... iring-line

Also at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-06/t ... ne/4940136.

Surely you can't cancel a project that is already half way though construction?

It's usually possible, but it's rarely advantageous. But I don't Think they're trying to cancel it - rather they're trying to get the SA government to fund it all.

[Nathan]

Most tourists either enter or live somewhere in Melbourne close to the CBD. It is therefore mind boggling that someone could think it hard to get a card. Sure, someone who arrives from interstate by road and has accommodation in a remote suburb without a sales outlet nearby, fair enough. But realistically, how many tourists are in that category?

But what about those who fly into Melbourne? AFAIK (and presumably as far as they know) there's nowhere at the airport selling Myki cards.

You can buy a Myki visitor pack from the SkyBus stands at the airport for $14 (which includes $8 of credit).
ttp://ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/myki-visitor-pack/

[[Shuz]]

Tonsley Line: I think its moreso a case of the Coalition withdrawing Commonwealth funding for works associated with the project for the 2014/2015 financial year and beyond. They would still have to honour any funding already committed to the project during the 2013/2014 financial year period. Unfortunately I think most of the project costs and works were going to be allocated for the 2014/2015 period. Therefore leaving the burden with the State Government to fund the bulk of the project.

Darlington section of South Road: I don't they they have cut down their funding to $300m. It still remains at $500m thereabouts, however, just spaced out over four years. Surely they jest if they think voters will put up with four years of construction work, for something that is really nothing more that just two underpasses, and (I presume) a connection to the Southern Expressway? By which time, there will have been another Federal election, or two - assuming the double dissolution threat goes through.

So excting to see the new trains finally on track! Choo, choo!

[Aidan]

Most tourists either enter or live somewhere in Melbourne close to the CBD. It is therefore mind boggling that someone could think it hard to get a card. Sure, someone who arrives from interstate by road and has accommodation in a remote suburb without a sales outlet nearby, fair enough. But realistically, how many tourists are in that category?

But what about those who fly into Melbourne? AFAIK (and presumably as far as they know) there's nowhere at the airport selling Myki cards.

You can buy a Myki visitor pack from the SkyBus stands at the airport for $14 (which includes $8 of credit).
http://ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/myki-visitor-pack/

Good.

What abut for those who have visited Melbourne before - is there anywhere at the airport to recharge existing Myki cards?