Re: (Vic) New Metcard Yearly Ticket

[Francis Shand <fshand@bigfoot.com>]

> From: mjm@silas-2.cc.monash.edu.au (Mike McBain)
> Organization: Monash University
> Newsgroups: aus.rail
> Date: 14 Feb 2000 13:00:17 +1100
> Subject: Re: (Vic) New Metcard Yearly Ticket
> 
> Sam Eades <eadess@yahoo.com> writes:
> 
>> The "Metcard Xpress" (proximity card) was extensively tested by onelink,
>> and found to be unreliable and too expensive. It has (AFAIK), been
>> abandoned.
> 
> Meanwhile, in Hong Kong the Octopus proximity card is used by 4 million people
> a day, and works just fine. The technology exists but ...?
> 
> 
Surely the proximity card was part of the original deal when Melbourne first
agreed to electronic ticketing. It certainly makes a big difference to the
efficiency to which the system can operate (faster, shorter queues at ticket
machines, less 'unreadable'/bent/mangled tickets,etc.) Has technology not
been installed for these proximity cards (i thought every machine could
handle them): is it still cheaper to just leave this unused?

Is Onelink to be allowed to abandon them this easily? It seems to me that
they have failed to deliver what they promised (surprise, surprise).