I've been doing some thinking about Brisbane's new public transport smart card system, the "go card". It's technologically spiffy and probably faster than the current 10-trip or driver-issued ticket system, and I'm sure it benefits those who have bus or train as alternatives to each other. I only have the bus, unfortunately.
Financially, I am slightly better off with a 10-trip ticket than a go card. The trips work out about the same per week except when there's a public holiday. Go card discounts only apply if you make six trips between each Sunday and Saturday, making a normal working week cost as much as 8 trips. A 10-trip ticket is sold for that same price. If there's a public holiday, the 10-trip ticket just remains valid over that time. The go card discount does not.
Furthermore, if my 10-trip ticket fails, I get free travel for the day. If my go card fails, I pay a flat fee of $3 for the bus trip. This is a necessary consequence of the go card system, but it is also a weakness. Allow me to demonstrate.
If I had four zones to travel to work five days per week, that makes ten trips per week. A Go Card would charge me a total of $32 for the week on buses. However, if I simply fail to "touch off" at the end of every trip, I am charged $3 per trip. Multiplied by 10 trips, that's only $30 per week. Four zones is where this saving overtakes the frequent user discount for buses. It's higher for trains because the no-touch charge there is $5. Still, if you're taking a single trip and the charge would be more than the $3/$5 no touch charge, doesn't it make sense to do that instead?
Mokalus of Borg
PS - And if I have an unregistered card they can't come to yell at me for doing that.
PPS - I don't know how many people would deliberately do this.
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