Any one have one of these? I was thinking about getting one.

I catch the bus to uni 3 days a week (6 trips total)

Plus I also go to brisbane most weekends on the train.

According to http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/go_fees
it would work out cheaper.

Is it worth it?

well isn't it 20% discount?
and they've stopped selling the old ten trip savers

yeah ten trip things aren't beind sold

they are cool cause you can just flash your wallet over the thing instead of f***ing around getting a ticket or coins out out when you have bags and s***

I've started catching the bus this semester for the first time ever in an ongoing basis and the go card is awesome. They've now changed the rates so you get it cheaper by using it plus it's easier to just swipe the card than to buy a ticket each time. Plus like yesterday if the terminal on the bus has no battery left or is not working for whatever reason the trip is free.

obligatory 'sif public transport' post

They've now changed the rates so you get it cheaper

Yep I avoided them before as they were the same price as a paper ticket.

Now they're somewhere between 10-trip savers and paper tickets in terms of price.

they're pretty handy, i recommend one.

protip: don't write your name on it with permanent marker. It just smears the s*** all over.

Actually, cancel that, cover the whole card in permanent marker. That way when people steal your card they have no idea what to use it for.

I'm a genius.

last edited by Phooks at 21:20:30 06/Aug/08

20% off every trip, then 50% off on the 11th and subsequent trips each 7-day period, Sunday - Saturday.

They (Oyster Card) were awesome when I was in London for a holiday.
If I used Public Transport more then 1-2 times a week i'd get one. Would of been great for when I was at Uni, few years to late :/

At the moment I live 5min drive from work with no traffic, so little reason to use the Bus these days.

yeh gocards are the s***

plus when the machine isnt working, you ride for free

I heard there were a lot of problems with over charging with the go card.

10 trip saver for the win

Is it worth the hassle to get a registered go card, or just a regular one?

you can register it after you get it, if you want

registering it means if you lose it you can ring up and get it frozen and transfer the balance to another card etc

they aren't selling 10 trip savers anymore as of the 4th of this month. and if you have stocked up, they won't work as of the 1st of next year

Yes got one, love it. So much f***ing easier than having to worry about having to have the exact change. You can also fill up the credit online or fill up the credit during non-peak hours. You can also go to the airport with them now as well which is cool.... I wish they had this going sooner.

I wish they had go cards sooner also :(
5 years of bussing it to uni, and then start to bring it in the year I drive to uni and sometimes bus.....now when i don't use the bus at all it's working well :(

Doh!

Register your card for sure. They stuff up now and then and occasionally charge you extra. If you can't log in and check it then you'd never know.

also,

obligatory 'sif public transport' post

+1. I'll be free of public transport as of next week, except for the odd time I get lazy and catch the ferry across the river instead of walking to the nearest bridge.

they aren't selling 10 trip savers anymore as of the 4th of this month. and if you have stocked up, they won't work as of the 1st of next year

Balls! Stupid government removing choice

They're s***, for me it works out exactly the same as a weekly ticket and I don't get the benefit of being able to duck into the city during a lunch break or using it on the weekend (though I rarely do on a weekend)

I hope to never have to use the GoCard, unless it becomes a f***load cheaper. I'm in the same boat as WetWired, it works out to be no-more cost effective for me to use the GoCard compared to my monthly tickets, except my ticket lets me travel an unlimited number of times during the month. If I go out into town, I don't have to pay for transport. If I want to go into the city at lunchtime, I don't pay for transport.

The advantage of the go card compared to weekly/monthly tickets (and the 10 trip saver), is you're not restricted to travelling between any given zones. (ie. if u buy a weekly for zone 1-2, but on the weekend you decide you want to travel to zone 4, you'll have to fork out for a single or daily).

go card isn't resricted to any zones - you still get the discount.

If you travel peak Mon-Fri and on the weekend it may be cheaper with the further discounts after (I think) 10 trips but without an off-peak discount, I'll only be using my go-card for the occasional trip that's point A-B, B-A. I won't be using it in off-peak times, or when I want to travel several times on different modes of transport throughout an outing as a daily ticket is still the cheapest option for that.

(ie. if u buy a weekly for zone 1-2, but on the weekend you decide you want to travel to zone 4, you'll have to fork out for a single or daily).

Just buy a daily for 4-2 and when you're there use your weekly.

Fair enough, but in the very unlikely occasion that I would be taking public transport outside of the zone range of my ticket, it would still work out cheaper to just sell out the extra couple dollars for that one trip. I know it's not the same for everyone, but in my particular situation, I much prefer the flexibility of my ticket.

Triamks, good point, occasionally I buy an offpeak paper ticket instead of using my go card.

Mostly though (on weekends) it'd be cheaper to use the 50% discount.

keep your eyes peeled for a gocard ad with a man with big hands holding a tiny gocard. its my ad :) i didnt do the current ones, they are boring as s***.

I put $50 on a 3 zone trip i take 3 days a week. Very handy.

The card also goes through anything.

I got it inside a plastic cover, in my wallet, in my boardies...

Walk close to the sensor and it picks it up :D

Never work properly, need to monitor account funds, additional money gets deducted out of your account, you spend an hour on hold to talk to someone about it and they they dont give you youre money back anyway.

Still not a better option than just buying a ticket.

You know, maybe I'm special but I've never had a single problem with the go card ever. Never had a reader fail, never had a 'failed to touch off' fine.

Its not a difficult system to use...touch on, touch off. Green means go, red means stop. Short single (or double if you're on concession) beep means go, long beep means error. If there's an error...you stop and fix it, not just run away.

whats cool about these go cards is how frequently the machines are broken, I was getting free bus rides fairly regularly when I had no licence for a few months
I am paranoid about them being able to track my every move, however

especially considering I (stupidly) attached it to my credit card

I am paranoid about them being able to track my every move, however

why do you hate freedom?

these colours dont run

Its not a difficult system to use...touch on, touch off. Green means go, red means stop. Short single (or double if you're on concession) beep means go, long beep means error. If there's an error...you stop and fix it, not just run away.

I buy a ticket once a month and take as many trips as I want without having to think about it.

I'm not talking about GoCard versus Paper Tickets, I'm talking about people who whinge and bitch about the system being "difficult to use" or "unknown fines" or "forgetting to touch off". The majority of these people complaining are office workers who use Prox-Cards to get in and out of their offices.

I don't see hundreds of office workers milling around their front door in the mornings staring at a red light freaking out or screaming that their building management "BRING BACK PAPER KEYS". I just don't understand the stupidity of some people.

I just don't understand the stupidity of some people.

exo, the system is basic on the front end, no one can argue against that otherwise why could they get so many idiots on the system. On the back end it is flawed. The whole system rips customers off.

Examples.

1. Bus drivers setting the wrong GPS settings, etc. This results in people being charged little bits extra. Individually you either don't notice or don't care (you usually cop a 30cent or so extra payment because the system thinks you got on and/or off somewhere other than you did). But collectively, on peak hour buses how much extra revenue does this generate across the board? This has happened to me around 10 or so times.

2. Personal example of the system just being s***. I catch the bus and the train, depending on what I feel like if I don't cycle in. One day catching the bus in, I scan on no problem. Scanning off, it says see the driver. He says, don't worry about it. Something's wrong with the system. He says it says that I've scanned my card so you should be OK. I get home that night to check. I've been fined $5 for not touching off the next time I touch on. Ringing up they refused to refund me because I couldn't prove that I had tried to touch off. A few angry words later I got my money refunded (3 weeks later the money actually arrived).

They know the system is flawed, they just don't give a s***. This is what happens when govt. touches stuff, they f*** it up.

In principle it is all very nice, but in practice it is terrible. Every screw up is a bit more money in the bank for them. I've now reverted to weekly tickets. No problems at all, I pay what I pay and it just works. Big disappointment after years of development and a stupid amount of money spent on it.

you stop and fix it, not just run away

Not really an option on a busy bus.

Then use the flaws to your advantage, easy on the trains, buses are a bit harder.

f*** then just buy a paper ticket and stop crying

is that what the bus driver told you paveway

no your mother did when i was lining up

my mum isn't a bus driver

yeah everyone else drives

You can't buy 10 trip savers anymore.

So, I could either buy a single paper ticket (3 zone is now $3.40) or I could use my go card, and pay $2.72.

Not hard to see what a normal person would do.

GoCards are now just as cost-efficient as the 10-trippers were. On the 10-trippers you got 2 rides free (2/10 trips free). On a GoCard every fare is 20% off...when you add that up over 10 trips its the same discount. Beyond that you go up to 50%, which you didn't get on the 10-trips.

this system was supposed to be in place in sydney for the games in 2000. as of a couple of months ago when a friend from sydney visited, they were $50+ million over budget and it still wasn't working properly. you can't get a gps signal in the tunnels under the mall with 30ft of concrete between you and the sky and you can't get a solid gps signal at street level in the city because of the buildings.

i don't use it myself and wont until i stop seeing people standing at the doors of buses waving their cards in front of machines that just keep flashing red. and i think the council penalising people (20% discount with cards) for not using a broken system is disgusting.

GoCards are now just as cost-efficient as the 10-trippers were

Almost as. It's still a little more expensive for the typical traveller (i.e. those not doing 11+ trips/week), but not by much. Much better than before the 20% up-front discount though, that's for sure.

they are cool cause you can just flash your wallet over the thing

Yeah except I have other cards in my wallet, which it picks up .. flashes red, then quickly picks up the Go card and accepts it. I've since separated my cards in my wallet and put the Go card on the opening flap so that the other cards are never close enough to the scanner to be picked up.

Almost as. It's still a little more expensive for the typical traveller (i.e. those not doing 11+ trips/week),

No no, the GoCard is now exactly the same as a 10-tripper. Instead of getting an upfront 2-trip discount when you buy the 10-trip, you get an equivalent discount applied across every trip.

2/10 free is the same as a 20% discount.

For starters... its not a 20% discount on every fare. Its 20% for some, higher for outer zones.


Secondly... Its not quite as cheap.

$2.72 * 10 = $27.20
$3.20 * 10 - $6.40 = $25.60


Thats just my example, I catch 3 zones 10 times a week.

No no, the GoCard is now exactly the same as a 10-tripper

According to the prices, 10 trips on a Go card @ 2 zones is $11.60.

I don't remember paying that much for a 10-trip saver?

For starters... its not a 20% discount on every fare. Its 20% for some, higher for outer zones.

No, 20% for all - Direct from the GoCard website:

go card users receive an up-front discount based on the number of zones travelled:
1 to 10 zones travelled receive an up-front 20% discount on the single fare
11 zones travelled receive an up-front 25% discount on the single fare
12 zones travelled receive an up-front 30% discount on the single fare
13 or more zones travelled receive an up-front 35% discount on the single fare.

and

Secondly... Its not quite as cheap.

$2.72 * 10 = $27.20
$3.20 * 10 - $6.40 = $25.60


Thats just my example, I catch 3 zones 10 times a week.

Your figures are wrong, a 3-zone ticket is $3.40, not $3.20 - see here.

last edited by exo at 23:04:25 10/Aug/08

On friday while coming back from uni i witnessed this: Kid gets on scans his go card, then walks to the back and scans it again.

Ingeniously dodgy.

I got it inside a plastic cover, in my wallet, in my boardies...

Walk close to the sensor and it picks it up :D

Bulls***. You just flash a knife and get on for free.

According to the prices, 10 trips on a Go card @ 2 zones is $11.60.

I think you'll find that's the cost of 5 trips on a go card @ 2 zones.

IMO they should make busses free and d*******s in sigle occupant sedans/humvees/wagons driving in the CBD during business hours should pay the cost.

they are paying the cost, its called petrol.

According to the prices, 10 trips on a Go card @ 2 zones is $11.60.

I think you'll find that's the cost of 5 trips on a go card @ 2 zones.

Explain.

http://www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/ti_fares_conc_aug08

" Single go card journey, zones travelled: 2 = $1.16 "

That x 10 = $11.60

EDIT: oh right, you're talking full fare, I'm talking concession.

last edited by parabol at 22:42:21 10/Aug/08

paper tickets ftw

iono go cards just seem dodgy to me, relying on technology to do something simple can fail so easily...

still the same happened with weekly tickets.. i bought 3x 10trip saver tickets in a row and they were all "faulty" so i had to blow time taking them back and getting replaced, i just stick to emptying shrapnel out of my wallet now.

and dailey tickets > go card, because i've often caught 3-4 busses in a day, do that on a gocard and u paying twice as much, cheers :D

Dude at work 'forgets' to touch off because the fine is cheaper than his trip.. awesome system!

On friday while coming back from uni i witnessed this: Kid gets on scans his go card, then walks to the back and scans it again.

Ingeniously dodgy.

haha rad

On friday while coming back from uni i witnessed this: Kid gets on scans his go card, then walks to the back and scans it again.

Ingeniously dodgy.

I don't get it?

Ticketee's have scanners now so if your card isn't "active" on the train you still get in trouble.

Some guys checked tickets on the train the other day, but anyone with a go card just showed it, they didn't scan them.

I've also NEVER seen a ticket inspector on a public bus, only once on a school bus.

I probably went a year without seeing a ticket inspector on a bus, but now I see them fairly often at Garden City.

Thing is, they don't have the go-card scanners, so they only get you to show them your card.

Thing is, they don't have the go-card scanners, so they only get you to show them your card.

....yes they do, just not many of them.

I've been scanned 3 times, once ON the train to the city, once at Southbank station and once at Sandgate station.

The Go-Card scanners are slowly being given out. Up until a week ago I've haven't seen any inspectors with them. Now they have them, however it takes ages for them to scan every go-card that gets shown, so one inspector is lagging behind the other. Gives people a heads up and time to get off if they haven't paid.

Also, they never ever inspect during heavily packed peak hours for obvious reasons.

Dude at work 'forgets' to touch off because the fine is cheaper than his trip.. awesome system!

Haha thats great.

Dude at work 'forgets' to touch off because the fine is cheaper than his trip.. awesome system!

Dude won't be laughing when they cancel his card for continued breaches of the T&C.

f*** public transport is s***. I am not looking forward to the day I have to catch a bus or a train.

you starting high school next year, ctd?

I just properly calculated the cost of me to travel with the Go Card, and it's actually more expensive, not equal. $92.80 for 4 weeks on the Go Card (2 ways, 5 days a week), as opposed to $86.40 for a month (30/31 days) with my ticket, with unlimited travel.

CHUB its erally rare to see a ticketee's get on the bus and check peoples tickets. It's happened to me once in the 4 years I've been using public transport. Most of the time you will find them outside at the only exit of the station checking peoples tickets. What the kid did was scan on and off as soon as he got on the bus, of course if the bus driver notices he is screwed or if someone scans his ticket.

Also TicMan, the 'forgot to scan off fee' will increase in the near future, its just low at the moment because its a relatively new system.

I love public transport, it makes going to uni easy and simple. Except sometimes the "minorities" make the trip horrible. Like the Indian f*** that was playing his s***ty music at full volume and singing along with it. They turned it down once I asked them to.

greazy, i thought you were an indian f***

you take that back!

my sarcasm device was on
is yours?

f*** off cracker

mines working fine, but yours is broken like that indian guy's face.

I just properly calculated the cost of me to travel with the Go Card, and it's actually more expensive, not equal. $92.80 for 4 weeks on the Go Card (2 ways, 5 days a week), as opposed to $86.40 for a month (30/31 days) with my ticket, with unlimited travel.

Its well known that weekly/monthly paper tickets are still cheaper compared with the Go Card - and those tickets are still able to be purchased. Its people who whinge about 10-trippers being cheaper and crying cause they've been withdrawn from sale who are wrong.

Its well known that weekly/monthly paper tickets are still cheaper compared with the Go Card

Well, they're (Queensland Transport) trying to convince me to swap, and they've failed in every respect.

Exo.

His figures were right a week before the discounts came into play, my 10 trip saver on a 3 zone trip was $25.60. The next week they INCREASED the price of non go-card trips to $3.40 from $3.20 and put a decrease on the go-card trips.

I paid $25.60 2 weeks ago, last week I bought a go-card and had to put $27.20 on it to cover the same trips. The only reason BCC/Translink can now advertise that go-card is cheaper is because they raised the price of the non go-card fare. So I've now been forced to pay $10 for a go-card and pay an extra $1.60 a week in fares.

Sucks to be you all, my Go-Card trips are heaps cheaper then what they used to be.
Also, I got scanned while on the train today, Old Man Ticketinspecter had a bit of trouble operating his dohicky but got there in the end.

You still got about a month or two of swinging a dodgy excuse there way if you want a free trip. 'O I touched my card on the big machine' reply is 'ahh no they don't count as touching on, use the small ones next time'

Exo.

His figures were right a week before the discounts came into play, my 10 trip saver on a 3 zone trip was $25.60. The next week they INCREASED the price of non go-card trips to $3.40 from $3.20 and put a decrease on the go-card trips.

I paid $25.60 2 weeks ago, last week I bought a go-card and had to put $27.20 on it to cover the same trips. The only reason BCC/Translink can now advertise that go-card is cheaper is because they raised the price of the non go-card fare. So I've now been forced to pay $10 for a go-card and pay an extra $1.60 a week in fares.

All public transport fares increase every year in-line with the Consumer Price Index. Normally its a 10c rise, this year it was 20c due to the rising cost of fuel and shortage of drivers putting the pressure on higher wages to retain the drivers they already have.

My fares only went up 10c :S

Also, about 4 years ago my fares actually went down. They're still less than what they used to be.

Also, about 4 years ago my fares actually went down. They're still less than what they used to be.

Could that be because of the introduction/creation of Translink?

Probably.