I have nothing against buying tickets from machines BUT
- all machines should accept notes (not just one per station).
- atms are set to dispence $50 notes as the basic unit, so tvms should
accept up to $50 notes and give change.
- all ticket types should be sold by all tvms (in particular the on--tram
ones). Melbourne has only a limited range of ticket types, so this should
be easy.
- validation should be necessary only ONCE.
- there should be no barriers.
I purchased my first Metcard on Sat.7.2: I had coins, and used the smaller
machine. The bigger machine was blocked by less confident customers trying
to read the instructions.
My machine worked ok.
The validator was slow: it swallowed the ticket completely, then spat it
back slowly.
There were long queues at the exit barriers at Flinders St. These used a
fairly fast in one slot and out another check for the ticket. Other
readers have pointed out the folly of having all barriers bidirectional. I
had no trouble with my ticket. The customer behind me had her
lightly-curled ticket rejected. The customer in the adjacent chute had her
badly-crumpled ticket rejected.
I bought a ticket on Thurs.12.2 with a $10 note. The machine would not
give change for a $20 note: poor design. My change came entirely in coins:
perhaps there were no $5 notes in the machine at the time?
At Flinders St barriers I was told that my ticket was valid until 2.00, so
the all-night tram route 99 should accept them.
I was unable to obtain instructions in Polish on operating the tvm. Mr
Metcard stated that Melbourne's machines would be better than Warszawa's,
as English would be unavailable in Warszawa.
I disagree with all readers who state that we will get used to shoddy
design in time. We should have had better specifications: precedents have
been available for over a decade.
-- Regards Roderick Smith Rail News Victoria Editor
> >It is now about 5 minutes quicker to get to work, as everyone boards > >the tram (Zs), and the tram is off. Those who have prebrought > >tickets can validate and sit down. The tram no longer has a queue out > >the front door, as everyone is lined up to buy their tickets. > >Weekend services will also benefit, with the driver relieved of the > >duties of issuing tickets. This is not so much an advantage of the new system as a disadvantage of the old without conductors. If trams had tvms capable of selling all ticket types, the tram could still move off rapidly, and customers could have convenience too. > I agree wholeheartedly with Andrew. There will be a few teething problems, > but it will become part of our public transport lifestyle. You will remember > to pre-buy your Daily tickets, you will remember to have a little change in > your pocket and you will remember to validate your ticket. This just shouldn't be necessary: better design would have obviated both requirements.