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#51
General Discussion / Re: MyWay replacement
Last post by Bus 400 - March 15, 2024, 08:00:42 PMOpal contactless payments are similarly to Tfl Oyster in being adult fares only. Opalpay allows concession, but that's like the CDC Canberra system.
Anything else I was only mentioning IF TC joins Opal. Which we don't know how or if it will even happen.
Anything else I was only mentioning IF TC joins Opal. Which we don't know how or if it will even happen.
#52
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - March 13, 2024, 09:16:27 PM715 (R3)
598 (R4)
811 (57)
400 (57)
413 (R4)
653 (32)
509 (32)
455 (R3)
The first 3 above represent a regular Wed journey from Spence to Hughes via Woden, being more convenient for required arrival time, than direct from the City. Nominally there are 3 R4s leaving Cohen St Interchange (at 6min intervals)
which fit the window between the R3 and the 57 from Woden to Hughes. But trusting the latter 2 R4s to make the 57 connection is risky.
There is another R4 which is timetabled to precede the R3 by 1min.
Typically, this preceding R4 is caught up by the R3 somewhere between Cohen St and City Interchanges. This was the case today with the transfer made at Westfield, Belconnen. Benefit is adding to assurance of connecting to the 57.
Today my R4 was overtaken by the following R4 (leaves Cohen St 6min later)! At this time of day it is not unusual to see 3 South bound R4s nose to tail at Woden despite being 6min apart leaving Belconnen.
The cause seems to be the vagaries of traffic (particularly Haydon Dr and queue backs in Kingsley St waiting to enter the parking facility), traffic light luck, and if the leading R4 service happens to be well patronised, then it gets delayed and picks up customers who should have only made the following R4, thus compounding the delay. That leaves the following R4 lightly used (as I have observed several times) and keeping nearer to time. Presto 3 R4s end up together. The sequencing of R2s and R3s is also relevant Whilst buses are mixed in with traffic, this will ever be so.
Sorry, putting it into written words is laborious compared with experiencing the issues and strategies.
Lastly, if remaining time window at the City Interchange is a bit less than 25min then Plan B is don't risk it, switch to the next direct 57, and arrive a bit late at destination. 2 occasions so far (traffic jam and consecutive 'no shows').
These sort of things can make travel both interesting and frustrating.
598 (R4)
811 (57)
400 (57)
413 (R4)
653 (32)
509 (32)
455 (R3)
The first 3 above represent a regular Wed journey from Spence to Hughes via Woden, being more convenient for required arrival time, than direct from the City. Nominally there are 3 R4s leaving Cohen St Interchange (at 6min intervals)
which fit the window between the R3 and the 57 from Woden to Hughes. But trusting the latter 2 R4s to make the 57 connection is risky.
There is another R4 which is timetabled to precede the R3 by 1min.
Typically, this preceding R4 is caught up by the R3 somewhere between Cohen St and City Interchanges. This was the case today with the transfer made at Westfield, Belconnen. Benefit is adding to assurance of connecting to the 57.
Today my R4 was overtaken by the following R4 (leaves Cohen St 6min later)! At this time of day it is not unusual to see 3 South bound R4s nose to tail at Woden despite being 6min apart leaving Belconnen.
The cause seems to be the vagaries of traffic (particularly Haydon Dr and queue backs in Kingsley St waiting to enter the parking facility), traffic light luck, and if the leading R4 service happens to be well patronised, then it gets delayed and picks up customers who should have only made the following R4, thus compounding the delay. That leaves the following R4 lightly used (as I have observed several times) and keeping nearer to time. Presto 3 R4s end up together. The sequencing of R2s and R3s is also relevant Whilst buses are mixed in with traffic, this will ever be so.
Sorry, putting it into written words is laborious compared with experiencing the issues and strategies.
Lastly, if remaining time window at the City Interchange is a bit less than 25min then Plan B is don't risk it, switch to the next direct 57, and arrive a bit late at destination. 2 occasions so far (traffic jam and consecutive 'no shows').
These sort of things can make travel both interesting and frustrating.
#53
General Discussion / Re: MyWay replacement
Last post by Barry Drive - March 12, 2024, 10:25:15 AMQuote from: Bus 400 on March 11, 2024, 09:07:02 PMThere is OpalPay, AFAIK, this includes multiple private operators & their different fare systems.For those who are hard of hearing: Opal still uses stored-value Smartcards. From the very start, TC/ACT Government have wanted an account based system - since they offer more flexible fare arrangements and instant account top ups. (If you need a constant data connection to run your credit card payment system, you might as well go the whole way and run an account based fare system. The only advantage from using a Smartcard was not needing a permanent data connection, but it's now the 2020s, not the 2000s.)
I'd assume TC would be added to this, if needed.
And, correct me if I'm wrong: the Opal credit card payment system only allows for full fares, but not concessions.
Also: I referred to concession rules, not fare rules. For instance, ACT Seniors over 70 are eligible for free travel in ACT, but not NSW; student concession rules are also different - an acceptable ACT Tertiary student might not be acceptable in NSW. (By the way, this will also pose a problem for cross-border fares. However, I'm assuming the NEC system will permit multiple concession flags, since it's not limited by Smartcard storage.)
#54
General Discussion / Re: MyWay replacement
Last post by Snorzac - March 12, 2024, 12:59:45 AMThe CDC Canberra fare collection system is botched without trying to coordinate with Canberra. In Friday whilst waiting for a 56 in the City I witnessed a CDC bus loading quite a heavy load for an 830, the process took so long that the buses idle timer actually timed out engine before boarding was complete. They would really benefit from a tag on/tag off system
#55
General Discussion / Re: MyWay replacement
Last post by triumph - March 11, 2024, 09:22:11 PMThere is a more relevant local issue too - Queanbeyan. Just absurd that there is no fare collection co-ordination.
#56
General Discussion / Re: MyWay replacement
Last post by Bus 400 - March 11, 2024, 09:07:02 PMThere is OpalPay, AFAIK, this includes multiple private operators & their different fare systems.
I'd assume TC would be added to this, if needed.
Whilst it's a dream for now, I wonder if this would allow Opal cards to be used in Canberra temporarily or MyWay in Sydney.
I'd assume TC would be added to this, if needed.
Whilst it's a dream for now, I wonder if this would allow Opal cards to be used in Canberra temporarily or MyWay in Sydney.
#57
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by Sylvan Loves Buses - March 11, 2024, 08:28:11 PMBeen having some interesting outings recently.
Tuesday 5th:
452 (R4N)
308 (32W)
727 (31E)
Thursday 7th:
536 (R4N)
6634 (831E)
4546 (830W)
543 (902W)
540 (71S)
494 (R4N)
9013 (831E)
9035 (831W)
528 (R5S)
Monday 11th: (was quite confusing going between public holiday and normal NSW weekday timetables)
616 (R4N)
620 (59E)
9014 (834E)
8621 (830W) why is this hourly in the middle of the day, ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... I may have had 3 hours to kill today, but I certainly didn't enjoy waiting 50 minutes for a bus back to the City in the heatwave we're having right now.
570 (56S)
570 (R6W)
671 (R4S)
Tuesday 5th:
452 (R4N)
308 (32W)
727 (31E)
Thursday 7th:
536 (R4N)
6634 (831E)
4546 (830W)
543 (902W)
540 (71S)
494 (R4N)
9013 (831E)
9035 (831W)
528 (R5S)
Monday 11th: (was quite confusing going between public holiday and normal NSW weekday timetables)
616 (R4N)
620 (59E)
9014 (834E)
8621 (830W) why is this hourly in the middle of the day, ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... I may have had 3 hours to kill today, but I certainly didn't enjoy waiting 50 minutes for a bus back to the City in the heatwave we're having right now.
570 (56S)
570 (R6W)
671 (R4S)
#58
General Discussion / Re: MyWay replacement
Last post by Barry Drive - March 10, 2024, 11:58:12 AMQuote from: triumph on January 16, 2021, 10:52:20 PMWhilst Mark has had a go, like most Opposition pot shots, he has omitted to say what the Opposition would do or recommend be done? Costs, if the tenders/prices given to the buyer are not value for money and/or wildly in excess of a properly developed estimate, why wouldn't the buyer reject them? Does the Opposition want the project (and, for that matter, any project) to proceed when the price is not value for money, just so a date can be met?While fear-mongering about the 3G shutdown on ABC Radio last week, he did actually state what he would do: "piggyback onto the Opal system".
Which, as I've stated before, is not a next-generation system. While it has an extremely useful app and supports EMV (credit) cards, it still uses a stored value Smartcard.
To basically ditch your current system and replace it with one which is 50% the same seems like a waste of money.
There's also questions about costs, timeframes and whether Opal could even support a different jurisdiction with different concession rules. And whether the NSW Government would allow it.
The better approach that could have been taken (but it's way too late now) was to jointly develop a new system with another state and share the costs. Although it does look like everyone is experiencing some delays in delivering new account-based systems.
There is a new article which details the journey to where we are now with MyWay+ being months away from implementation.
https://www.actbus.net/the-long-journey-to-myway/
#59
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - March 06, 2024, 07:01:35 PM4th March
710 (R3)
459 (54)
957 (54)
465 (R2)
704 (R3)
Today
436 (R3)
320 (57) Left quite late, arrived near on time, driver on a 'mission' - exhilarating.
376 (57)
731 (32)
414 (32)
549 (R3)
710 (R3)
459 (54)
957 (54)
465 (R2)
704 (R3)
Today
436 (R3)
320 (57) Left quite late, arrived near on time, driver on a 'mission' - exhilarating.
376 (57)
731 (32)
414 (32)
549 (R3)
#60
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - February 28, 2024, 10:01:34 PM26th Feb
679 (R3)
725 (32)
551 (32)
728 (31)
472 (R2)
390 (R3)
Today
667 (R3)
447 (R4) Schedule has R4 leaving prior to R3 at Cohen St Interchange. Often caught up by R3 and I can change to it. Today was such an occasion as R4 and R3 arrived at City Platform 4 together. (Part of journey Spence to Hughes, is usually via Woden as better suited to arrival time needed,)
363 (57)
397 (57) Legislative Council stop is temporarily closed so convenient to divert via Northbourne Ave and London Circuit. Observed an R2 which didn't divert.
001 (R1)
705 (R8) another convenience diversion - continued along Ernest Cavanagh St into Gribble St.
557 (R3)
679 (R3)
725 (32)
551 (32)
728 (31)
472 (R2)
390 (R3)
Today
667 (R3)
447 (R4) Schedule has R4 leaving prior to R3 at Cohen St Interchange. Often caught up by R3 and I can change to it. Today was such an occasion as R4 and R3 arrived at City Platform 4 together. (Part of journey Spence to Hughes, is usually via Woden as better suited to arrival time needed,)
363 (57)
397 (57) Legislative Council stop is temporarily closed so convenient to divert via Northbourne Ave and London Circuit. Observed an R2 which didn't divert.
001 (R1)
705 (R8) another convenience diversion - continued along Ernest Cavanagh St into Gribble St.
557 (R3)