Myki: Rolling Stock or Laughing Stock?

David Heath
Tuesday, 14 April 2009 07:58

Business IT - Technology

Microsoft Office 365

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From Fcic0rscvgs0, who claims to be a 'Chief Train Controller,' "I went to a Connex 'Meet the Managers' session at Flinders Street Station a few weeks ago and I was told by one of them that Myki won't be out for 'at least another 18 months.' Meanwhile, Myki seems to be causing enough problems for the DOT to actually withdraw some of the privileges we've been enjoying for ages - like being able to travel to an additional zone on periodical tickets on weekends, for instance. Obviously it's too complex for the 'smart' card to handle."

From another poster 'Gwiwer:' "Everything is starting to point towards a Government increasingly desperate to make the ludicrously expensive system work at any cost and attempt to hit the user in the wallet at any and every opportunity whilst creating a smoke-screen of 'added value.'

What of the Public Transport Users Association?  Surely they would applaud such an initiative.  No, they're just as scathing as all the other commentators.

In a recent press release, PTUA President Daniel Bowen passed comment on the first week of full Myki operation in Geelong.  He paints a very poor picture stating that "Despite earlier trials on a limited number of buses, the rollout onto all Geelong buses has gone ahead, bringing with it a myriad of problems." 

PTUA members reported a number of issues:

• passengers being over-charged, with the system charging for multiple two-hour tickets within a single two-hour period

• no lower limit on the amount that can be added to a Myki ticket on buses, leading to some users paying small amounts of money to the bus driver each time they board — the very type of time-consuming transaction Myki is supposed to eliminate

• slow response times when scanning on and off

• resultant slow "dwell" times for buses, causing delays

• little or no information about fares available at bus stops or on-board buses

• single-use tickets showing no expiry time or cost information

• machines periodically not working, including not registering scans

• uncertainty and contradictory information about the penalty fare for failing to scan off at the end of a trip

• inadequate help from the Myki call centre, with operators giving excuses such as "I'm not in Geelong," despite Geelong being the only city to be using Myki so far