Snapper on the endangered species list?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Snapper on the endangered species list?

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Yabanize

2350 posts

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#1460542 3-Jan-2016 11:13

If they can't be used interchangeably in Auckland and Wellington there is no point, if they could though It would be useful

I wonder if Christchurch will have to change their Metrocard

wsnz

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1461484 5-Jan-2016 11:36

Having spoken with a former colleague over the break who is now working directly for the NZTA, he confirmed that the ability to use a single card in multiple regions is still very much still in their long term vision. Poor choices for the solution stack may render this vision impractical though.

wsnz

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1461497 5-Jan-2016 11:43

Yabanize: l I wonder if Christchurch will have to change their Metrocard

The answer is that all regional public transport ticketing systems in NZ will eventually need to plug into the Thales system, so the existing ERG (unless they've been changed since I last used buses in Canterbury) terminals would need to plug into that system. Continued transport funding will be contingent upon that point.

sbiddle

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#1462079 6-Jan-2016 05:28

wsnz: Having spoken with a former colleague over the break who is now working directly for the NZTA, he confirmed that the ability to use a single card in multiple regions is still very much still in their long term vision. Poor choices for the solution stack may render this vision impractical though.

Wanting to do something and being able to do it are two very differnt things. Clearly you have inside knowledge so will be fully aware of what those limitations are.

It's sad to think NZTA wasted so much money building a platform that meets the requirements of a 1990's solution. If they want to deploy nationwide in many ways the best option is to bite the bullet and start again from scratch with a solution that's suitable for the needs of public transport for the next 10 years, building a solution that at it's core is not based around stored value cards. Carrying a stored value piece of plastic is an obsolete legacy solution, and not the future.

wsnz

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1462357 6-Jan-2016 14:44

I completely agree with you on all of the points above.

Despite Thales' insistence that the solution could be modified to allow cards to be used between public transport networks in other regions, I'm not sure that the NZTA fully quantified the project scope, ultimate cost or even if it was technically feasible. I do know that this usage scenario has been reiterated to the GWRC during the last six months or so.
The GWRC's upcoming tender for an integrated ticketing solution should be watched closely. The NZTA have already announced that they would prefer to see the Thales system implemented in Wellington using their own subsidiary New Zealand Transport Ticketing Limited, and that an alternative solution provider would need to provide better value and less risk. How those variables are quantified could easily swing the solution in favour of the Thales system. The cost of the GWRC making the "wrong" decision could see the NZTA slash the integrated ticking project subsidy which would leave transport users and the ratepayer to bear the costs.

Other regional transport authorities will be watching this round intently.

WyleECoyoteNZ

1049 posts

Uber Geek

#1462482 6-Jan-2016 16:44

Whatever the solution ends up being, I hope if you top up X dollars then that is the amount of credit that you have on said solution.

Not like snapper, and this was the case when I was using snapper a few years back of topping up $20 and then getting only $19.75 credit.

wsnz

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1465956 8-Jan-2016 15:27

Were you charged a fee for topping up by any change? Card top-up fees can be charged by the regional transport authority (e.g. AT, GWRC etc.) with most around the counrty, electing not to do so.

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wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#1465960 8-Jan-2016 15:33

WyleECoyoteNZ: Whatever the solution ends up being, I hope if you top up X dollars then that is the amount of credit that you have on said solution.

Not like snapper, and this was the case when I was using snapper a few years back of topping up $20 and then getting only $19.75 credit.

The Top up fee is an incentive for merchants to install the machines,

The Automated top up kiosks do not charge the fee, and neither do online topping up

morrisk

364 posts

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#1466049 8-Jan-2016 16:44

Was in London just before Xmas and when my Oyster card ran out of money I was able to use my NZ Westpac credit card that has the contactless PayPass built in instead of the Oyster card. All the tube stations had new readers that accepted my credit card. This seems like a step forward with one less card to carry.

wellygary

8312 posts

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#1466052 8-Jan-2016 16:52

morrisk: Was in London just before Xmas and when my Oyster card ran out of money I was able to use my NZ Westpac credit card that has the contactless PayPass built in instead of the Oyster card. All the tube stations had new readers that accepted my credit card. This seems like a step forward with one less card to carry.

yip, this is the sort of thing that NZTA should be enbracing, rather than clinging to a "one card to rule them all" solution.

I think in the next 5 years you will see NFC chips moving from phones into things like watches, Rings, bracelets, fitness trackers etc, thus allowing these objects to be used as part of payment ecosystems,

Kyanar

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#1466073 8-Jan-2016 17:07

morrisk: Was in London just before Xmas and when my Oyster card ran out of money I was able to use my NZ Westpac credit card that has the contactless PayPass built in instead of the Oyster card. All the tube stations had new readers that accepted my credit card. This seems like a step forward with one less card to carry.

That's the Cubic solution. Also in use in Brisbane, Sydney, Los Angeles, San Diego, Vancouver, Chicago, Florida, Atlanta, Minneapolis, SF Bay Area, New York, and countless others.

Or, just build your own with basically none of the future proofing in place in all of the above cities/states.

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