Re: Melbourne's Automated Ticketing

[Dave McL <davemcl@-DR*P-iprolink.co.nz>]

Anthony Tubbs wrote:

> Will people stop moaning about the automated ticketing system now
> being introduced on the public transport system. If you went to Europe
> and wanted to use to trams in Warsaw you would be confronted with a
> ticket machine and the instructions aren't in english. What would you
> do?  At least here the instructions for use are well set out in
> english. The ticketing system is here to stay so you better get use to
> it.

The problem with the $300 million-plus Melbourne ATM system is that the 
state government tried to reinvent the wheel.

Perfectly good, well tried and well proven ticketing machines are in use 
on trams, buses and in railway stations all over Europe. Rather than buy 
one of the many excellent and flexible European systems, the Kennett 
Government decided to invent its own. 

The Kennett Government keeps claiming Melbourne has adopted the first 
multi-operator, multi-zone, multi-mode ATM system in the world. This 
is either a Big Lie of Goebbells proportion or the idiots repeating it 
have not visited a single medium-size city in Switzerland or Germany.

Having seen Mr Kennett's machines and been able to compare them to many 
designs I have seen in Europe, I assure you the Melbourne product is the 
worst I have seen anywhere. It is grotestquely expensive, technically 
backward, prone to massive technical faults and does not sell the product 
(ie ticket) which Melbourne commuters expect. The fact some European 
operators do not sell day tickets on their trams does not mean Melbourne 
is incapable of selling the most common  ticket bought on its trams. You 
can programme a machine to do anything, except in Melbourne, it seems. 

Even at this late stage it would be better to scrap the entire Melbourne 
ATM system, send the bill to Jeff, and buy an off the shelf system from 
Switzerland, Germany or even Poland. 

Dave McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand