The Australian Capital Territory is on the cusp of signing a deal to roll out Perth's smart ticketing system for its buses.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/ACT-follows-Perth-s-ticketing-system/0,130061702,339297089,00.htm?omnRef=http://www.egov.vic.gov.au/index.php?env=-inlink/detail:m519-1-1-8-s-0:l-15743-1-1-- (http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/ACT-follows-Perth-s-ticketing-system/0,130061702,339297089,00.htm?omnRef=http://www.egov.vic.gov.au/index.php?env=-inlink/detail:m519-1-1-8-s-0:l-15743-1-1--)
Good to see the new ticketing system is getting a move on, thanks for the article link there 'geoffrah'.
I personally don't have any experience with Perth's ticketing system, I'd be interested to hear from someone else (Pompously) on what it is like......
It is quite a good system.
Transperth have a tag machine at the front & rear doors. The front tag machine always lets you tag on & off (even mid way between bus stops). However the rear tag machine is activated when the main system registers that the bus has arrived at the bus stop. But sometimes the main machine won't notice a bus stop & won't let people tag on or off.
You can then see what runs you have been on via the internet record. Passengers can also add value to their smartcard via online or the driver.
It was partly expected since Perth use Wayfarer Smartcard Technology
Topping up the card through the driver is definately not the way to go, then the driver will carry large amounts of cash with him, Top-up machines at Interchanges, or newsagent top-ups are the way to go IMO.
Rear door validator is also a worry.....
Well passengers can top up from $20 to $250
Now that's stupid. What happens when the dropkicks find out that the driver can be carrying upwards of $250, that's just asking fortrouble.
Also you'd have to be a few screws loose to be carrying $250 to top up your smartrider.
I just hope that we copy Perth's zone system. But don't panic, Perth's zone system are circles from the CBD.
Quote from: TP 3000 on June 26, 2009, 08:13:47 PMBut don't panic
I wasn't even thinking about it.
Think about it, commuters topping up their 'Smartcards' at the beginning of the week on an Intertown, I'm sure the driver could end up with more than $250.
I thought the whole idea of Smartcard ticketing was to eliminate drivers handling money......?
I know of a run with just intertown service that already takes over $200 & that is with 2 more intertown services to go. But remember most Public servants will do it online & Perth adult daily tickets equal to about $8.50.
Just because Perth has a rear door validator doesn't mean we will too. They will just put one or two card readers at the front door, it is smart enough to both tag on and off from the same machine.
If you don't put a machine at the rear door, then passengers can't tag off when they exit. ACTION wants to have a tag on/tag off system, despite the current fare structure not requiring it, just so that they can collect all of the passenger travel statistics that comes from the system.
You can tag off from the front machine. But if it is set up properly we can farewell Miss Piggy II, as the rear validator can let people on & off in peak periods.