Smart Ticketing and Real Time tracking Statewide rollout

[TheDragonFire123]

I've heard that Brisbane City Council will be the last to have Smart Ticketing fitted, presumably due to the sheer size of the fleet compared to other operators. Meanwhile, some TBS and most (all?) KBL buses have it.

[BT Enthusiast]

I have seen from TBS Rail that some CB60s have them from going about... but they're still Go Card only at this time

[Lachlan-Conley-102]

Here is a photo of the new smart ticketing readers and the new DCU for the buses, Caboolture Bus Lines, Kangaroo Bus Lines, Thompsons and Hornibrook are the current operators getting the new equipment.

The new DCU is a Handheld Algix 8X tablet, running what looks like the same OS as the old ones.

The picture taken is from Thompsons 005 and Hornibrook 112.

[Merc1107]

Could they have made it any bigger!? Sheesh.

Hopefully they make the same relatively innocuous beeps as the units at the train stations, although I've noticed those are much less responsive than the existing readers onboard buses. It seems you have to hold the card near for a substantial amount of time for them to tag on or off.

It also looks like the whole screen is a reader. Great idea while they're new, but over time I wonder how easily they'll scratch and become illegible.

[Lachlan-Conley-102]

Could they have made it any bigger!? Sheesh.

Hopefully they make the same relatively innocuous beeps as the units at the train stations, although I've noticed those are much less responsive than the existing readers onboard buses. It seems you have to hold the card near for a substantial amount of time for them to tag on or off.

It also looks like the whole screen is a reader. Great idea while they're new, but over time I wonder how easily they'll scratch and become illegible.

They do make the same beep as the train station ones, however the DCU sounds are the same as the old one, which means along with the new invalid card sound used at the train stations that the card reader itself makes, the DCU itself makes an invalid tap sound which remains the same as the old one.

[TheDragonFire123]

Seems the Smart Ticketing strategy is to move south; the next operator to get them is, shockingly enough, TFB. S2000 has been found in a photo to be fitted with them, although it's a bit odd that this came before any other southside operator.

[Merc1107]

Any word on the number of validators at each door?

Thought I might've seen them fitted to a Clark's bus recently ... but then again, maybe I am mixed up with another private operator (e.g. one of the ones helping out with Ekka shuttles last week).

[daveeyh]

I was on TfB S1939 this morning and there were three validators - two at the front door and one at the back door at the right of entry. Will slow things down if the plan is to only have one at the back door.

[Merc1107]

Will slow things down if the plan is to only have one at the back door.

Guess we have to wait and see what happens with buses fitted with double-leaf doors (later delivery rigids, all the artics, and 14.5m tags).

[TheDragonFire123]

Will slow things down if the plan is to only have one at the back door.

Guess we have to wait and see what happens with buses fitted with double-leaf doors (later delivery rigids, all the artics, and 14.5m tags).

S1644 spotted at UQ Lakes with new readers; thankfully, all three doors have two each.

[verbatim9]

New readers on Route 66

[BT Enthusiast]

The single door validator has been slowing alighting and exiting down quite considerably from my experiences
Clarks interestingly has opted for opposite of Tfb... theyve gone 2x back door and 1x front door

[Merc1107]

Be worth telling Translink, assuming they bother to read and respond to your report!

[daveeyh]

The single door validator has been slowing alighting and exiting down quite considerably from my experiences
Clarks interestingly has opted for opposite of Tfb... theyve gone 2x back door and 1x front door

Was on E2089 this morning and it had all four readers installed so it may only be a temporary thing.

[verbatim9]

I was recently in Sydney and linked my credit card to my Opal in their App although you need to tap on with your credit card first before you can link it. It also takes overnight to view your travel history when touching on and off with your linked CC in you phone or wearable device. I assume the new Translink App will have a similar functionality. I also like how it counts the number of trips before you reach your weekly travel reward. This being a cap or half price...

[verbatim9]

The smart ticketing roll out continues with the 333 inbound today.

[verbatim9]

I was just on an outbound 444 today with an S depot number. The bus had two new readers for the front door and the middle door which was single leaf had only one new reader. Thus, three in total instead of 4 previously.

[TheDragonFire123]

27 WBC is the first Ipswich side bus I've seen with new readers, in a "budget skimping" 2 front 1 rear config.

[TheDragonFire123]

In contrast, S2059 has the full fat two pairs of readers. It's not clear what the criteria for deciding whether they get two back readers or only one are.

[TheDragonFire123]

W5043 now has new readers; the first Willawong bus and also my first tag to have them.

[Merc1107]

Quite a few buses at W now have them.

[BT Enthusiast]

1033 and a few MAN diesels are now getting 2 for each door

[verbatim9]

Looks like all of the South East Qld buses have new readers now, although they are still working on the Brisbane ones.

[verbatim9]

I hopped on a 375 today and it still had the old readers. I think they still have a way to go before turning on contactless payments on buses here in Brisbane unfortunately.

[Merc1107]

The payments are technically contactless already.

I don't believe the facility to use credit/debit cards was promised before mid-2024 in any case.