News & Discussion: Public Transport Contracts, Service & Policy

[PeFe]

I have not used a Metrocard yet but I can think of plenty of advantages over the current paper tickets i.e.
1) Much quicker boardings on buses speeding up the entire bus service
2) The ability to top-up online meaning you can never have to "go out" to purchase travel credit
3) The ability to always have bus/train/tram fare in your pocket irrespective of how much cash is in your wallet
4) The enviroment benefits from not cutting down millions of trees to make individual tickets (I wonder how many individual tickets
have been produced since 1987....20...30 million?)
5) Metrocard may make it more difficult for the bludgers to cheat the transport system

I really think they should implement a tap on tap off process, so fares are adjusted by trip length, thus presenting an advantage over current ticketing. Make the longest possible journey no more than a current paper ticket, and progressively lower price for shorter journeys, thus presenting an actual advantage to metrocard holders, and an incentive to use a metrocard.

At the moment Adelaide really does have the cheapest public transport out of Australia's 5 major cities. For example if you want to travel 20-30 kms on a train system in the middle of the day here is a comparison between the cities quoting the cheapest fare available for a ticket (not weekly or monthly)
Adealide : Gawler to Adelaide $1.75
Perth : Clarkson to Perth $5-80
Brisane : Ipswich to Central $6-62
Melbourne : Dandenong to Flinders St $5-54
Sydeny : Mt. Druitt to Central $6-40

The cost of a all day ticket in Adelaide $9-10.....the cost in Sydney $16.00

Public transport to Adelaide's outer suburbs is incredibly cheap by Australian standards and a tap on/off distance based fare structure
should really reflect the true costs involved i.e people who want to travel on public transport over long distances (20kms or more) should really pay more. It will be a brave state government that implements such changes.
(By the way after looking at all differnet cities public transport costs Melbourne gets my vote for 2nd cheapest and no 1 spot for value for money considering what you get)

[ChillyPhilly]

Public transport to Adelaide's outer suburbs is incredibly cheap by Australian standards and a tap on/off distance based fare structure
should really reflect the true costs involved i.e. people who want to travel on public transport over long distances (20kms or more) should really pay more. It will be a brave state government that implements such changes.
(By the way after looking at all different cities public transport costs Melbourne gets my vote for 2nd cheapest and no 1 spot for value for money considering what you get)

I actually think it should be the other way around, so that people silly enough to be stuck in those car-dependent deathtrap suburbs of Andrews Farm etc. up north and down south have more incentive to use PT.

5) Metrocard may make it more difficult for the bludgers to cheat the transport system

It's easier to cheat the system when leaving town than it was before. Use a paper ticket to get through the gates, sit on your train and when asked to show your ticket, just flash a non-validated Metrocard. I'd expect this to change when staff get new inspecting device things.

[dsriggs]

It's easier to cheat the system when leaving town than it was before. Use a paper ticket to get through the gates, sit on your train and when asked to show your ticket, just flash a non-validated Metrocard.

Why wouldn't you just show the paper ticket you used at the gate?

[ChillyPhilly]

It's easier to cheat the system when leaving town than it was before. Use a paper ticket to get through the gates, sit on your train and when asked to show your ticket, just flash a non-validated Metrocard.

Why wouldn't you just show the paper ticket you used at the gate?

Paper tickets aren't validated at the gate, Metrocards are, however. So times printed on the paper ticket would be inconsistent.

[fkj]

I have not used a Metrocard yet but I can think of plenty of advantages over the current paper tickets i.e.
1) Much quicker boardings on buses speeding up the entire bus service
2) The ability to top-up online meaning you can never have to "go out" to purchase travel credit
3) The ability to always have bus/train/tram fare in your pocket irrespective of how much cash is in your wallet
4) The enviroment benefits from not cutting down millions of trees to make individual tickets (I wonder how many individual tickets
have been produced since 1987....20...30 million?)
5) Metrocard may make it more difficult for the bludgers to cheat the transport system

I really think they should implement a tap on tap off process, so fares are adjusted by trip length, thus presenting an advantage over current ticketing. Make the longest possible journey no more than a current paper ticket, and progressively lower price for shorter journeys, thus presenting an actual advantage to metrocard holders, and an incentive to use a metrocard.

At the moment Adelaide really does have the cheapest public transport out of Australia's 5 major cities. For example if you want to travel 20-30 kms on a train system in the middle of the day here is a comparison between the cities quoting the cheapest fare available for a ticket (not weekly or monthly)
Adealide : Gawler to Adelaide $1.75
Perth : Clarkson to Perth $5-80
Brisane : Ipswich to Central $6-62
Melbourne : Dandenong to Flinders St $5-54
Sydeny : Mt. Druitt to Central $6-40

The cost of a all day ticket in Adelaide $9-10.....the cost in Sydney $16.00

How much quicker is it then paper tickets anyway though; in my experience, it's not worth even saying it's quicker. The machines are slow, and by the time it comes up on the screen with your balance after you validate it, you may as well have used a paper ticket.
The ability to always have tram/train/bus fare, is no difference to carrying a multitrip.
I don't see how on earth it makes it easier to fair dodge, people will do the exact same thing as always, walk straight on in a crowd, pretend to use the machine, keep walking.
Online features are indeed a convenience, yes, but implementing the metrocard, using essentially the same system as the paper tickets. Where is the progress, nothing has changed except for the medium. It really hasn't been all that thought out. Progress for the sake of progress.

Public transport to Adelaide's outer suburbs is incredibly cheap by Australian standards and a tap on/off distance based fare structure
should really reflect the true costs involved i.e people who want to travel on public transport over long distances (20kms or more) should really pay more. It will be a brave state government that implements such changes.
(By the way after looking at all differnet cities public transport costs Melbourne gets my vote for 2nd cheapest and no 1 spot for value for money considering what you get)

.

IMO Brisbane runs on the best public transport fare structure, not as cheap, but in perspective far better value for money

[Stefan]

How much quicker is it then paper tickets anyway though; in my experience, it's not worth even saying it's quicker. The machines are slow, and by the time it comes up on the screen with your balance after you validate it, you may as well have used a paper ticket.

.

Wowwwwwwwwwwww, are you seriously complaining about a couple of miliseconds? If anything you dont even need to take the card out of your wallet to scan it whereas with the ticket you do and thats the time consuming part. What planet are you living on? Seriously? This metrocard system is like a god sent for Adelaide. Appriciate it.

[Tonsley213]

How much quicker is it then paper tickets anyway though; in my experience, it's not worth even saying it's quicker. The machines are slow, and by the time it comes up on the screen with your balance after you validate it, you may as well have used a paper ticket.

.

It is so much faster, I now don't even stop to validate my metrocard. I just walk past the machine and brush my wallet on the machine as I walk past, compared to the 2-3 seconds it takes for the machine to take your ticket and return it, not to mention the time taken to line the ticket up correctly.

[muzzamo]

How much quicker is it then paper tickets anyway though; in my experience, it's not worth even saying it's quicker. The machines are slow, and by the time it comes up on the screen with your balance after you validate it, you may as well have used a paper ticket.
The ability to always have tram/train/bus fare, is no difference to carrying a multitrip.
I don't see how on earth it makes it easier to fair dodge, people will do the exact same thing as always, walk straight on in a crowd, pretend to use the machine, keep walking.
Online features are indeed a convenience, yes, but implementing the metrocard, using essentially the same system as the paper tickets. Where is the progress, nothing has changed except for the medium. It really hasn't been all that thought out. Progress for the sake of progress.

Garbage. Metroticket is much, much quicker.

No progress? This is close to best-practice worldwide at the moment. In some respects it is superior to touch-on, touch-off due to its simplicity.

In terms of progress for the sake of progress, you are forgetting that metroticket was toast - there were no more validators that could be physically sourced.

[Aidan]

In terms of progress for the sake of progress, you are forgetting that metroticket was toast - there were no more validators that could be physically sourced.

There were, and AIUI Adelaide was sourcing them from Tasmania until the new machines were ordered. And the Crouzet ticketting system was used in many other places around the world.

The biggest advantage of Metrocards is reliability. Unlike some kinds of magnetic tickets, the Crouzet system only used a weak magnetic strip, so was easily accidentally erased.

The other great advantage (I assume, because it's a feature of the other smartcard ticketting systems I've encountered) is capped prices - so you don't have to pay more than the price of a Daytrip ticket even when you don't decide in advance to get one.But I haven't got a Metrocard yet, so can someone who has one confirm this?

[Tonsley213]

The cap doesn't exist with metroCARD, I should though.

[ChillyPhilly]

Triple M reporting that AdelaideMetty are to trial free wi-fi on trams and buses, I'd assume trains as well but only caught part of the snippet.

[Vee]

Triple M reporting that AdelaideMetty are to trial free wi-fi on trams and buses, I'd assume trains as well but only caught part of the snippet.

20 buses and all trams involved in a 12 month trial, funded by advertising and commercial sponsorship.
The first bus in the trial next Monday and the trams and other 19 buses by January 2013.

Further rollout across entire Adelaide Metro fleet, including trains, if the trial is successful.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6505298961

This is bound to be a big hit with PT commuters. Sucks for those who have to wait over 12 months if not lucky enough to be in the trial.

[Mr Smith]

A good next step would be to eliminate the driver having to provide change.

If you haven't got yourself organised with pre-purchase, you get no change.

Many frustrating hold ups occur when some stooge fumbles around for small change and then presents the driver with a $20 note which he/she then has to change out of his/her own pocket.

[Hooligan]

Yay, free porn on the bus!

[Hooligan]

A good next step would be to eliminate the driver having to provide change.

If you haven't got yourself organised with pre-purchase, you get no change.

Many frustrating hold ups occur when some stooge fumbles around for small change and then presents the driver with a $20 note which he/she then has to change out of his/her own pocket.

That's a good way to piss people off.