Opal Discussion and Observations

[CityRail]

Why it is credit card and not direct debit?

[simonl]

Why it is credit card and not direct debit?

Perhaps because most people prefer that. I don't want debits coming out of my bank account randomly when I'm not necessarily expecting them.

[CityRail]

Perhaps because most people prefer that. I don't want debits coming out of my bank account randomly when I'm not necessarily expecting them.

Yet if I have a Visa Debit card, I can still use it and the effect will be the same as direct debit.

Anyways, anyone else have received a call or a courier post from Opal? I haven't.

[matthew858]

Just received my magical Opal phone call. Strangely it came from a mobile number (0477...). Sounded like a middle-aged lady reading from a script, sitting very close to other people doing exactly the same. Turns out the $11.50 pre-loaded onto the card is something you get if you sign up before 7th December. So yay for being an early adopter! All cards are being delivered this Thursday between 1pm and 4pm, and they will ask which address you want the card shipped to (doesn't have to be the address you wrote down, they specifically ask if you'd like to provide a business address). There are 4 retailers with which you can recharge your Opal card, and the list is provided in the pack you receive with the card.

[TheOpalUser]

Just received my magical Opal phone call. Strangely it came from a mobile number (0477...). Sounded like a middle-aged lady reading from a script, sitting very close to other people doing exactly the same. Turns out the $11.50 pre-loaded onto the card is something you get if you sign up before 7th December. So yay for being an early adopter! All cards are being delivered this Thursday between 1pm and 4pm, and they will ask which address you want the card shipped to (doesn't have to be the address you wrote down, they specifically ask if you'd like to provide a business address). There are 4 retailers with which you can recharge your Opal card, and the list is provided in the pack you receive with the card.

Just got my call then, but mine came from a private number. And yeah, it comes with $11.20 preloaded. (an adult return trip)

4 retailers in Neutral Bay for topping up in person, or auto recharge (ala eTag), or just a once off topup over the phone - which they say takes about an hour to reach your card/account.

[CityRail]

I just a phone call without the number but missed it. I hope if that's Opal u.ex will reply again.

[moa999]

Also no number call that I missed.

[boxythingy]

Sounded like a middle-aged lady reading from a script.

Ha! I got the same person. They might as well have got a robot to call everyone

[kypros1992]

Got the call today and the call centre sounded like 10 people in one room

[stupid_girl]

Just received my magical Opal phone call. Strangely it came from a mobile number (0477...). Sounded like a middle-aged lady reading from a script, sitting very close to other people doing exactly the same. Turns out the $11.50 pre-loaded onto the card is something you get if you sign up before 7th December. So yay for being an early adopter! All cards are being delivered this Thursday between 1pm and 4pm, and they will ask which address you want the card shipped to (doesn't have to be the address you wrote down, they specifically ask if you'd like to provide a business address). There are 4 retailers with which you can recharge your Opal card, and the list is provided in the pack you receive with the card.

Wow...How much administration cost is involved?

[stupid_girl]

Selling unregistered cards will clearly attract much less "souvenir hunters" then a free registration.

From application forms, they can't ensure that the people participating in the survey had used the ferry!!!
If they save the administration cost for registration and redirect the manpower to do survey onboard ferry, then they can ensure that only genuine ferry travellers are surveyed.

The application form will be linked to the card, and the trip details can be recovered from the usage of the card. It's a sensible and thorough way to do it. No doubt they will follow the trial with a survey of the registered users, which again can be linked to the trip data.

sensible and thorough?
It is an absolutely cost-ineffective way to do it.
No wonder cost blowout is so common in Sydney.

Octopus card in Hong Kong started from unregistered cards and focused on the infrastructure, ie. ensured that passengers know how to tap the card and have correct fare deducted.
When the infrastructure was working properly, the company could divert resources to deal with administrative issues, such as the registration of personalized Octopus Card and auto top-up function.
This is the sensible way. There is no point to introduce these administrative issues into the system initially.

When the magnetic tickets were introduced, didn't Cityrail start from unregistered tickets?

[simonl]

Continuing the bagging of MyZone, farebox recovery figures are:
Cityrail 2008/9: 27%
Cityrail 2010/11: 22%

Metro Buses 2008/9: 41%
Metro Buses 2010/11: 32%

Outer Metro Buses 2008/9: 14%
Outer Metro Buses 2010/11: 11%

Patronage has only increased marginally too.

[moa999]

Got a call from an 0477 xxxxx number.
Very noisy in the background - does not seem like a proper call centre as could literally hear everything in the background (microphone is too good)..

Some more comments on the Auto-top up.
Mastercard or Visa only
Take credit card details and CCV over the phone.
Top-up is automatically taken once balance falls below $10 (similar to RTA toll cards)
Minimum top-up $40.

Call last about 10min with probably 5-6min on that spent waiting for the credit card details to be implemented -- hopefully this is not a sign of how slow the system will be.

Card will be delivered Thu 6th 1-4pm

---

simonl -
I think the drop in farebox recovery is part due to MyZone, but also due to fares increasing at less than inflation (and below IPART recommendations)

[simonl]

^ MyZone cut long distance fares dramatically. On the buses, instead of having a 6-9 section, 10-15 section and 16+ section ticket, they just went with a 6+ section ticket at a price of about the 6-9 section ticket of old. Similar on trains.

[moa999]

simonl - not saying that MyZone wasn't the cause, but the fare increases also had something to do with it.

From what I understand the requirement to cut fares was in part due to prior IPART reports which prescribed max fares for each zone.
When they combined fares the lowest common denominator had to be used.

The latest IPART reports only contain average fare increases, which enables greater tinkering with the zones/ or indeed the zonal system in the future.

[Fleet Lists]

Continuing the bagging of MyZone, farebox recovery figures are:
Cityrail 2008/9: 27%
Cityrail 2010/11: 22%

Metro Buses 2008/9: 41%
Metro Buses 2010/11: 32%

Outer Metro Buses 2008/9: 14%
Outer Metro Buses 2010/11: 11%

Patronage has only increased marginally too.

Very one eyed post - as others have mentioned, there are a lot of other reasons.

While it may be a negative for Myzone, there were also some positives as I have mentioned before. The system before Myzone was one of the downfalls of TCard and with out Myzone the Opal card would also be a lot more difficult to introduce.

I dont think it was ever the aim of Myzone to increase farebox recovery.

[simonl]

simonl - not saying that MyZone wasn't the cause, but the fare increases also had something to do with it.

From what I understand the requirement to cut fares was in part due to prior IPART reports which prescribed max fares for each zone.
When they combined fares the lowest common denominator had to be used.

The latest IPART reports only contain average fare increases, which enables greater tinkering with the zones/ or indeed the zonal system in the future.

Actually they overruled IPART, which they are able to do by gazetting something. A couple of price points in the IPART determination were below the MyZone fares. Not sure which, but one could look it up.

Very one eyed post

But I left out the bit where Red Travelpass users needed to pay a big hike to use the MyMulti 1!

with out Myzone the Opal card would also be a lot more difficult to introduce.

Surely they would be throwing out the current fare rules in Opal. Otherwise, they aren't committed to integrated fares as you have often posted that they are.

As I posted above, as far as I can see, we could have had the positive points of MyZone without the negative ones - they just chose not to do it that way.

[Fleet Lists]

Surely they would be throwing out the current fare rules in Opal. Otherwise, they aren't committed to integrated fares as you have often posted that they are.

As I posted above, as far as I can see, we could have had the positive points of MyZone without the negative ones - they just chose not to do it that way.

Point 1 - Yes I agree BUT it can be achieved much more easily with Myzone as a stepping stone instead of trying to do it all in one go.

Point 2 - Again I agree (which is unusual) but that would have needed more time to achieve and as has been said they wanted it in quickly for political purposes. As it was it did not gain them much if anything but if they waited another two months it would definitely not have gained them anything.

I believe thew positives of Myzone outweighed the negatives - I certainly wont bag it.

[simonl]

Just allowing the privates into the Travelpass system could have been done with (at a guess) 1/10th the effort put into MyZone so far as I can see, so I'm confused by your argument: "that would have needed more time to achieve". I certainly cannot see how it would be more effort.

As for the bus/ferry travelpasses - just remove them from sale. Easy.

[Fleet Lists]

Myzone was trying to achieve MORE than just allowing the privates into the travelpass system and it did achieve some of that and if that was all they tried to do it would have gained them a lot less from a political point of view as it would only have effected those served by private operators while in theory (if not in practice) Myzone was supposed to have improved things for all travellers.

And I am not sure what your final sentence is meant to refer to. Past with Myzone or future with Opal?

[simonl]

Myzone was trying to achieve MORE than just allowing the privates into the travelpass system

Not sure what you are referring to here. Extending the reach of the system into the "Outer Metro Bus" areas? I presume you don't mean buying votes by giving people big discounts.

And I am not sure what your final sentence is meant to refer to. Past with Myzone or future with Opal?

I was referring to if we didn't have MyZone.

[Fleet Lists]

And why would you have wanted to have removed the bus/ferry travelpasses as part of your substitute system for Myzone? It will make sense with Opal but not before then.

[simonl]

And why would you have wanted to have removed the bus/ferry travelpasses as part of your substitute system for Myzone? It will make sense with Opal but not before then.

We need to get away from mode specific tickets, and this is one step in that overall move.

I give MyZone points for removing these separate pricing levels.

[mubd]

I didn't get a phone call. Should I be concerned?

[CityRail]

Call 136725 on Friday will do