Subscribe to RSSHOP Integrated Card Launched (Update)
Auckland Transport is today launching details of the first stage of its long awaited integrated ticketing, confirming the name of the tag on tag off smart card is the HOP card.
It calls it part of a phased lead-in to the full introduction of the region’s first fully Integrated Ticketing system next year.
HOP is the primary brand for the Auckland Transport card. But Hop will have a Snapper logo attached. It will bring fare savings up to 17%.
Auckland Transport has yet to detail the timeframe for trains and ferries getting it although it says this will happen “in the lead up to the RWC 2011″ - in the middle of this year.
HOP will be launched shortly on the NZ Buses - firstly the North Star buses followed by Waka Pacific, Go West then Metrolink and LINK bus services and will replace the Go Rider card.
You will tag on and tag off as you board and exit.
The card can be topped up using e-money (stored value) for the greatest flexibility or loaded with ten trips. HOP is also protected by customers simply registering online to protect the balance on their card.
Even the NZTA says it may cause Aucklanders to swing to public transport.
Integrated ticketing using a single standard smartcard accepted on all public transport services is a major step forward in convenience, providing cost and time savings for commuters and more effective and accurate ways to gather fares and patronage data, says NZTA’s Auckland regional director, Stephen Town.
“The convenience of the HOP smartcard may well prove the point where many commuters opt for public transport and leave their cars at home,” says Mr Town.
Here are the savings the card will bring - one stage and Link is a 17% saving.
NZ Bus is using Snapper to deploy its ticketing and payment system for the launch of HOP as part of Auckland Transport’s single integrated ticket initiative.
The HOP card initially replaces Go Rider cards. Go Rider cardholders will receive a free HOP card and will be able to transfer any balance remaining onto that card. The change will roll out over the next few months.
You can change your Go Rider card to a new HOP Card for free before May 31 via HOP staff at locations over the next few months.
The website promoting the cards says HOP Cards will be issued soon, however they can’t be used on the bus until the relevant bus operator can accept them. If you travel with a bus operator (eg Go West) that has not yet transferred over to HOP, you have to use their existing Go Rider card until the bus operator changes to using HOP. If the customer uses multiple NZ Bus operators for their journey they will need to hold a HOP Card and a Go Rider card until the rollout is completed for the bus operators they use. By the end of May the HOP Card will be accepted on all NZ Bus routes.
There is a 19 digit number on each card, the first 16 digits comprise your Individual HOP Card number and last 3 digits are your security code. You have to use these numbers to register your card to protect your balance from loss or theft.
Auckland Transport Chief Executive, David Warburton says the name symbolizes seamless transport and the ability of customers to literally “hop-on and hop-off” public transport.
“The name of the card was decided through the outcome of focus groups with wide representation from public transport users.”
Card types are:
- Adult -Those 18 and over
- Student- Those under 18. Needs student ID unless wearing school uniform
- Tertiary term one - For those attending one term only at tertiary institution - current student identification card required with a silver Maxx sticker
- Tertiary full year - for those attending a full year or tertiary institution - current student identification card required with a gold Maxx sticker.
- Disability -For those with disabilities and for customers with limited mobility - Intellectual or Psychiatric Disabilities ID card, Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind ID card or Total Mobility ID card required.
While work is continuing on rolling out the system to further bus operators, rail and ferry, with construction works for ticketing devices currently underway across Auckland’s rail network.
Duucting and cabling ready for rail tag on and tag off devices for all train stations on Auckland’s network intime for Rugby World Cup 2011 has already been installed at stations like Morningside, Mt Eden and Mt Albert.
On buses you will need to both tag on and tag off at boxes near the doors. On trains you will do it at tag post machines as you get on and leave. If you don’t do so it will remember next time you use the card.
Ducting installed at Morningside
On March 9, NZ Bus company’s Wellington-based Snapper card was officially launched here. It will be offered on buses and be integrated into the integrated ticketing system so it can also be used as an alternative eventually.
Snapper has already fitted out hundreds of buses in the NZ Bus fleets with the Snapper ticketing equipment, and developed a retail footprint of over 200 retailers in Auckland.
Auckland ticketing system has national implications as it forms the basis for national ticketing standards and implements core transport ticketing infrastructure which can be used for the whole of New Zealand.
The NZTA has partnered with Auckland Transport planners for some years now on the Auckland integrated ticketing programme, including development of a parallel national programme, as well as developing NITIS, a national standard which enables integration with other ticketing equipment and transport service providers.
The system’s capital cost is $60 million, with a ten year operating cost of $80m. The NZTA is providing a $42.95m share of the capital funding, and Auckland Transport is providing a $15.3m share. The NZTA is also funding $20m for the central (national) system to provide for expansion, and for the inclusion of transport services in other regions.
The initial planning for integrated ticketing started in 2006 and the system tender was released in late 2007, to ensure Auckland and eventually the rest of the country received the best and most cost efficient system available.
The contract to introduce integrated ticking was signed with Thales NZ in December 2009 by the former Auckland Regional Transport Authority, now managed by Auckland Transport.
“The NZTA is delighted that the first stage of this system that will revolutionise public transport travel will be rolled out in time for the Rugby World Cup,” says NZTA Regional Director Stephen Town.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce issued a statement this afternoon to mark the official launch:
“Integrated ticketing is an important part of establishing a more efficient, effective and user-friendly public transport system.
“As I’ve said a number of times before, if we’re serious about supporting the growth of our largest city we need all our transport modes working efficiently. The government is making a record investment in Auckland’s rail commuter network and in public transport services, at the same time as we’re making a record investment in the city’s motorway network.
“Integrated ticketing is about ensuring we get the very best results from our very large investment in public transport.”
See how the Hop tag on tag off looks on buses
98 Comments
Its a real shame they haven’t gone further and integrated the fares yet and that transfers are still full priced.
Also on a separate note I know that Sturges Rd, Sunnyvale, Glen Eden and Fruitvale Rd have all had the ducting and cabling done for the readers
What an amazing moment for Public Transport in Auckland. We certainly are catching up to the 21st century at long last.
I like how they have integrated Snapper with the card. I was worried that Snapper were going to derail the whole thing and confuse everybody but it seems to have worked out OK.
If the card can be used at dairies, coffee etc, people are more likely to get a card for this benefit, and occasional PT users are likely to use PT more often because it makes it easy for them.
Doesn’t look all that amazing! I was expecting some kind of design to go with it
The front of the card is depressingly busy and cluttered. I hope what is shown is the reverse, and the front is just the logo, like Snapper or Oyster.
I hope they sort out their web marketing soon. Webiste impossible to find on Google. I find transportblog, auckland trains and cbt forum, but official website nowhere to be seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-KpmV8zIEQ&feature=player_embedded
here is promotional video, tag on/off looks to be a couple of seconds which is good. Remains to be seen if it will work if in wallet and how sensitive it is.
Disappointing its not available on other services, NEX especially. Would really help boarding times at Britomart.
Doesn’t ring my bells …
Integrated ticketing surely should cover Ritches/Howick & eastern, Birkekenhead services as well from above this does not seem to be the case. Definitely problematic when you think that Ritchies run the Northern express buses
Tag on & tag off- seems very bizarre on bus services, even more considering the current overloading …In the short term seems we will need more passes not less, I can only hope that will change
Really do need this on NEX before the RWC. It would defeat the whole purpose if a major part of our RTN was not on it.
Alex - Disappointing they not in the first stage, but they will be on the system. Tag on and Tag off makes sense, and works well on buses over seas.
@ Alex
Tag off is required unless we went to a flat rate for bus trips, like in London.
Aucklanders will have to learn to get off the bus at the rear doors though!
Am sure Aucklanders can learn that, they do enforce it on school bus runs ….
but they will need more buses rather than the overfull sardine cans currently used- in which you can’t get near the rear door …. well thats my experience on the infamous B-Line which is overfull even on a Sunday.
@Raffe - Really? I cant see why we cant use both doors in both directions like we do on the trams in Melbourne, the only problem could be enforcement, but it would speed up boarding times like this. Random inspections with Hefty fines should decrease people taking advantage of the system.
The front of the card is indeed different to the picture shown (which is the business side). See http://www.myhop.co.nz/
Bit confused as to the relationship with the snapper card that I have. Will I be able to use the snapper card on an Auckland bus? Will I be able to use my Hop card on a Wellington bus? Or are they subtly different?
Anyone know if you can use this Auckland snapper card in Wellington? That would be smart, so I doubt it.
@ Joshua - Just based on my experience in London (where rear doors are the rule) and here in Akl where people getting off at the front slow down those getting on. Bus doors really only have enough width for one person to pass at a time.
@ Alex, what is to be surprised?
In Perth you can exit on the front or rear door, you just tag on when you get on, and tag off when you get off, its actually really simple, you’d have to be bloody stupid if couldn’t work it out.
What I don’t like is that its coming in, in phases, why can it just not come in over the whole system?
its pointless giving some people the use of it and others not.
oh and let me guess, I bet the buses from Pukekohe to Papakura aren’t included in the pricing changes either.
once again, we get shafted.
sorry but it really needs to be rolled out on the whole system.
and whats with the bullshit of the discounts being different, in different areas?
what idjot dreamed that up. It should be the same over the whole system, because why should one area have more discount than another?
doesn’t really look exciting at all. and the card, what a joke, to much confusing text.
and two different tertiary tickets? seriously ,
Adult,
full time students ticket,
Primary / Secondary school,
Pension / Low Income card holder
end of story, why have all this other confusing crap.
it amazes me how not a single thing in AUckland can be done to international standards.
Of course bus passengers should exit at the rear. It pisses me off when I am getting on the bus and morons are pushing past me to get off. Use the rear door!
@WestieCommuter Thats the plan, maybe not right away.
@Owen Don’t know how and why that crazy annoying trend started. But I have done it myself when i just cant get anywhere near the back door.
@Carl Thales which is doing it has done it internationally in numerous countries and says it is using international standards.
@Owen - the common standard now days is to let people exiting exit first then enter, they teach that at school and has pretty much become a standard by itself.
Makes no logical sense to try and enter before the person exiting.
Joshua, if they exit from the rear the bus can load quicker.
@ Matt L
“Its a real shame they haven’t gone further and integrated the fares yet and that transfers are still full priced.”
Agree. In the case of transfers, they should at least do what Valley Flyer does in the Hutt: tag-on within half an hour of tagging-off & the first zone/stage is free.
@ Carl
“oh and let me guess, I bet the buses from Pukekohe to Papakura aren’t included in the pricing changes either.
once again, we get shafted.”
Any basis for that claim? IIRC the Pukekohe services are operated by Waka Pacific which is part NZ Bus & thus will be getting HOP.
http://www.myhop.co.nz is the website, I saw it on the eletrontic bus signs on the north shore this evening
Hmmm. Good start, good to see it taking shape.
It will only work properly if all bus companies come to the table. Shortly after that, transfers have to be made easy between modes and users absolutely should not have to pay two or three times.
Crossing my fingers!
[...] – AKT Bus changes include outer loop. HOP integrated Card Launched. How HOP tag posts [...]
as long as they dont get confused with the movie, Hop: http://www.iwantcandy.com
Domain names Hop and Hopcard.co.nz have already been taken. Hopcard has not been activated. Could be interesting and very confusing if someone launches something on it.
@westiecommuter you can use the Hop/Snapper card everywhere on the Snapper network - 1000 buses, 2000 taxis and close to 500 retailers in Auckland and Wellington. More to come soon
Miki
CEO
Snapper
@Owen Thompson - I agree. What’s the point in having people fighting over who is going to tag first and just causing more delays. Especially at peak times, you want a quick and steady flow of people. That’s the whole point of the system isn’t it?
@Miki Thanks for the info and for popping by.
Hi Miki…
So if I have a HOP card with the Snapper logo on the face. It is usable in Auckland and Welly??
@Miki Szikszai I understand the Hop/Snapper card is not the same as that already in circulation for Wellington, and that the current version of Snapper in Wellington will not work in Auckland.
I am a registered user of Snapper in Wellington with a residential address in Auckland. Given that Snapper is touted as “working everywhere”, if this is the case, will Snapper be able to issue people affected by this an Auckland AND Wellington compatible Snapper upon surrender of their current Wellington Snapper Free of Charge? If not, why not?
Bus Drivers often don’t open the rear doors without being asked. Frustrating waiting there then being forced to hop off at the front.
Can we tag off from the front door?
@joust Yes you can.
With all this mention of 10-rides and single rides, i wonder will there still be a monthly option available, it seems pretty daft for someone living 30kms from the city to pay a single fare each way every day, it would be a public transport disaster! And similarly would they combine options (ie combined bus and train like in Wellington).
If Monthly passes won’t be available (as they’re not mentioned on HOP’s website),
For city zone-A commuters who catch Metrolink buses across 3-stages in and out each weekday for four weeks, this will be a fare increase of $32 per month!
Perhaps a separate printed card will be on sale instead.
oh, http://www.gorider.co.nz/go-rider-pass-change.php
I see thats already happened - crisis averted.
They’re trying to reduce the number of cards required for public transport — lets hope we dont need another card, one card fits all surely!
video showing tagging on and off here http://www.myhop.co.nz/About-HOP/Pages/3-Steps-To-Using-HOP.aspx#video
Why doesn’t the reader show the card balance when tagging on and off?
@joust
Card balance is displayed when balance is less than $12. That’s the current requirement. It can be changed.
You can also tag off at the front door.
@buffalo bob you can use a Hop/Snapper card anywhere on the Snapper network including Wellington buses.
@Andrew
AT will announce their policy on the ability to read a Snapper card soon. There’s no technical issue that prevents reading the Snapper card.
Cheers
Miki
Oh right, thanks @Miki Szikszai, thats actually a security feature then, by the sound of it. To not advertise people’s balances to anyone interested.
Fantastic. So integrated actually means central auckland.
Anyone using Birkenhead transport misses out again. I guess ill stick to my 1920s clip on card.
@joust - crisis not averted… the info on GoRider was posted back in January.. there has since been an increase (mid-March) for the monthly pass - All Zones is now $200.
I am still wanting to know if the monthly passes will remain in place - otherwise my commuting will almost DOUBLE (8 stages) based on the HOP pricing table
which is making the car look more favourable for me…..
If monthly passes are being withdrawn there will be a big shift back to driving from not only the outer isthmus suburbs also points beyond. Potentially a huge increase in traffic with trips back on the road.
Will Auckland Transport confirm the monthly passes will remain in place? Or at least a similarly priced alternative?
Rear doors please
Let common sense prevail
Most buses I’ve been on around Auckland have a mount for a unit at the rear door. Sometimes two if space allows. So I am assuming that units will be mounted in the rear. It would be good to see day, week and month capping.
I catch the link bus daily, and I’m wondering what it’s gonna be like getting off the bus during peak hours, especially when everyone just wants to get off the bus and get to work. Now we have to stand there and wait for a scanner so we can’t be penalised.
I have watched the youtube video and it’s not an instant scan, it takes about 3-4 seconds for it to pick up your card.
Now since the scanner to tag out is located at the back, picture 10 passengers trying to get off the bus at Britomart, especially when everyone is standing due to a full bus, now everyone will have to try to push there way to the rear of the bus to scan out. Ridiculous.
Come have a ride on the Link bus during peak hours, and see if it will work.
Also, for us Go Rider cards, I wish we don’t have to look for the myhop reprsentatives to give us our free HOP cards, can’t we just register our Go Rider cards on the site to get ours mailed out? We do have a card number located on the Go Rider card.
Looking forward to the 17% discount though
@CJ
You can tag off at any reader on the bus, you don’t have to use the reader at the back door.
I’m sure Wellington buses have two readers at the back door, I haven’t paid too much attention to see if that’s what we’re getting here, will have a look on my way home tonight.
Bear in mind that this exact system has been in place in Wellington for a few years, is tried and tested, and while not always perfect, it seems to work.
@CJ
Also, all of the tag posts and the drivers console can be used at once - essentially four transactions can be taking place at any the same time on one bus, i.e. two people can tag off at the back door as one tags on at the front door and another purchases a ticket from the driver.
There’s also always the option of tagging off as the bus approaches your stop, you don’t have to wait until the doors have opened - I’ve seen this a lot in Wellington.
Wellington buses indeed have a reader at each door, and Snapper actually seems to have sped things up overall. Okay, getting off may be a tad slower but getting on is a shedload faster.
Guys, a number of you seem to be complaining without really looking into what the system does. Whats on offer is virtually identical to that in Wellington, and down there you can tag off at any door.
@Miki:
The brochure I have says that. “A 25-cent fee applies to e-money top-ups at retailers.” If you top up online is this fee charged?
@Gus - You’re right. People should be getting up ready to get off anyway. If it works in cities like Seoul where I live, it will work fine there. Or you could keep using your cash, you know, up to you!
Any plans for Birkenhead buses soon…. I guess for the Birkenhead ppl have to wait for another century to get it ready for using the snapper network???
@Jacky Its up to Birkenhead. All bus companies have been asked to join in but they can not be forced.
So many comments of this thread seem to have ignored the adage that “the longest journey starts with the first step”. It’s like we’re driving from Auckland to Wellington, and you’re kicking up a tantrum because we’ve stopped for petrol at Pukekohe.
@Doloras So well put. I wish i could write like that! This is stage one rushed out to get something working out the door for the RWC.
Other bus operators have been asked to join in. They can not be rushed or even forced unless the Government legislated.
But the idea is for a single transit card for Auckland and it could take 2 years.
It’s a major step. It can’t happen all at once. As we move more to a cashless society zapping mobile phones to pay for things, so will the cards become more useful to buy other things or top up online etc.
AKT - They can’t be forced at the moment but I think AT might be able to require it when existing contracts come up for renewal.
can’t be forced, such a weak excuse.
this is why it will fail.
it needs to be in effect over the whole network, not just the central auckland part.
once again this will go pear shaped.
lol and being charged a fee to top up? again are they taking the piss?
cut all the Bullshit and get a system working.
your suppose to be making people save money and use it more often, not give them a discount, but then charge them for topping it up.
if you get direct debit in perth, you save a further 10% on the fare.
surely people would be interested i doing that too?
bump the cash fare up and give commuters that are on the train everyday a bit of a break.
charge the person who does a quick trip from new market to Britomart once a month more (using that as in example), otherwise like what others have said, if you scrap the monthly passes, expect more cars on the road again.
honestly it doesn’t take a rocket engineer to work that out does it?
“It’s a major step. It can’t happen all at once. As we move more to a cashless society zapping mobile phones to pay for things, so will the cards become more useful to buy other things or top up online etc.”
forget all that garbage, get a card working for the trains and buses and ferries like most modern cities and let the “card for everything” crap get designed by someone else.
that fact that its 2011 and we still don’t even have a intergrated system is joke.
this is suppose to be a 1st world country, some 3rd world cities have better plans in place than what auckland does.
Is there a map of the fare zones yet? And can you buy a weeks worth of travel for different zones?
@ Carl
Your postive attitude is astounding …
Btw, can you back up your earlier assertion about Pukekohe getting shafted etc
@Carl
Integrated ticketing projects worldwide are notorious for huge delays, cost blowouts, and technical issues. A few that come to mind are San Francisco’s TransLink/Clipper, Melbourne’s myki, and Sydney’s Tcard. Implementing the system is no easy task, so how about you wait until it’s actually operational before you start bagging every aspect of it? Here’s an idea you don’t seem to have considered - maybe it will work!
The card will be operational on all NZ Bus services next month, and trains shortly after, with ferries to follow. Yes, we don’t know when other bus companies will accept the card and whether this will be by force or choice, but it appears we’re making the best of an inherently flawed system rather than throwing it all in the too-hard basket.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love for this to be up and running on all services across metropolitan Auckland with a fully integrated fares structure from day 1, but the reality is it’s not going to be, and I commend Auckland Transport/NZ Bus for just getting on with it despite the ‘drawbacks’ of the structure of our public transport systems.
I think the concept of introducing the smart card first with a major change to fairs policy is smart. Things like free transfers etc require all providers to be online to work effectively. AT can always change the fares policy after the roll out is complete. You want to make it as simple as possible for passengers at this early stage. A major change in fares policy would make the transition very complicated.
@ Kegan
we aren’t getting elecy lines, why we would get hop cards?
they only roped franklin into the super city to COLLECT money, not give us anything back.
@ Gus, nice to see your using cites that have probably twice the population of auckland, almost with a stretch the same population as the whole of NZ.
the fact that its probably only really going to be used by maybe something close to 300,000 people probably not even that much, that why its a cop out.
there is no point trying to use places like melbourne that runs over 200 trams alone to the likes of auckland that probably doesn’t even have a 100 trains.
Why should people that live in the outer lining areas have to wait longer?
why so the can give the people in the inner cities cheaper tickets and keep charging the others more money.
the discounts need to be the same across the system, train and bus (clearly when the train comes in)
not picking and choosing like they have done.
15 year olds are smart enough to use mobile phones for skype and facebook, honestly, Fark Me if tagging on and tagging off a bus is anywhere near as hard as that.
Its a simple idea, and why bus companies don’t pull their collective heads in and get on board is beyond me.
ffs have the heard of the term, spend some to make some?
Wonders never cease. Grandpa Harold does an editorial on HOP and how wonderful buses, not trains are for Auckland - the Govt line http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10717314
@Jacky re Birkenhead Transport: One slightly ironic thing about Snapper is it was first implemented on (then-called) Stagecoach Wellington services to replace their ageing and unserviceable ticketing machines.
They were Datafare 2000s - the same as Birkenhead Transport continue to use. So it’s not like BTL have an investment to protect (like Ritchies, operators of the NEX, claim to).
On the NEX, it’s gross-contracted with the money going to AT, so I hope that then-ARTA put some sort of futureproofed integrated ticketing requirement into the NEX contract when it was signed.
@ Carl
“why we would get hop cards?”
Questions:
1) Which company operates the buses?
2) Which company operates the trains?
Pukekohe will be getting Hop this year if the answer to (1) is NZ Bus and/or the answer to (2) is Veolia.
@Carl The same discounts for the Hop cards are already available on the Go Rider cards. Therefore you are not missing out on a discount during the regionwide roll out.
http://www.gorider.co.nz/how-do-i-use-go-rider.php
In Welly, all buses have 2 scan posts, 1 at front door + 1 at the the dack (except buses with 1 door where there is 1 only at the front door) A prime example was a highly patronised route with 1 door was the Airport Flyer - Route 91, its a fairly modern bus and a very large Scania bus - no idea why Valley Flyer had this bus built with only front door.
Auckland shouldnt be a problem getting off and on, as almost all our buses have back and front doors (if not all of them )
I used Snapper yesterday in Wellington - for the first time yesterday and found it simple - except when I wanted to pay for mum as well but the 1st driver wasnt clear in instructions by telling me to wait for a few buttons to be pressed. b4 I tagged on. luckily I hd cash for mum becoz i only taged me on.
the next trips were a breeze as the other drivers were more helpfull. - Will Enjoy Aucklands turn.
As for the other bus companys accepting Hop/Snaapper I agree A.T cant really make them accept it, but remember when their Contracted Bus Routes come up for Tender they could lose the routes by not complying with the minimum Fares and Ticketing standards - and NO BUS COMPANY would want to lose GUARANTEED MONEY whether they have a full or empty bus.
So they will end up Voluntarily accepting - or face the risk of losing of what can be a Very large SUM of Money - if they dont. due to losing their contracted routes to Another competitor.
Cards don’t allow you to pay for two people, and they shouldn’t either.
I really don’t understand why people are making a fuss about tagging on or off situations.
school kids (under the age of 15) even do it here.
when you get on a bus here, you tag on, when you get to the connecting train station you tag off the bus, which is deemed a “synthetic” tag off and you are charged for that section or stage fare.
you then either leave the station and end your trip, or if your getting on another bus, or train and going somewhere else, you tag on again, and tag off at the destination.
They all have a GPS tracker, so you only get charged what you should. For example if i catch the bus to the city from where I am, its a 15 minute journey it costs me $1.78 on the way in.
If i get back on the bus within 2 hours and tag off in the same zone as where i got on, the return trip is free.
likewise if you buy a normal ticket.
if however I get off in the city and then get on a different bus or train and go somewhere else, the gps (in the tag on / off system) works out where I am and charges me accordingly.
it is actually so simple its not funny.
the only problem is if your stupid enough not to tag off you get charged a default fare (which is usually a few $$ but not much)
if you ever have any issues, certain train guards carry little read out things (not much bigger than an iphone) and they can tell about your last 10 trips or your when your last top up was.
so many people use it here and its so easy to top it up (without being charged extra like someone above posted)
A lot of older people use it, because they like the idea of not having to pull there purse our their wallet out and muck around without money.
you don’t even have to take the card out of your bag because you can hold your wallet or your bag up to the tag on / off post or box.
the stations that have entry / reentry gates run on the same system, again wallet out, slap it on top, scan, gate opens, through you go.
top up machines take credit and debit cards and cash notes.
min top up for a full price card is $10, student and peinsoners are $5.
again if you do direct debit (when you card falls below $4 your card is topped up via dd) you get a a further 10% discount on the already discounted price.
again massively simple….
The tag on machines here are provided by wayfair, which from what I saw on the box, are made in the UK.
the bus drive has one mounted on his dash and yes you can top up on the bus with cash, takes about 30 seconds to do it, and you get a printed receipt as well. then you tag on and sit down.
how is that hard?
Carl, I’m not sure who you are arguing against. You seem to be making arguments to people who even agree with you. Most people here think people can handle tagging on and off and would also like everything running exactly how you said ASAP. All these things have been discussed in great detail on this site and others.
It may be simple but the fact is that everyone also understands in the real world people are greedy, full of pride and care about themselves or their company more than doing good for society. This is what we just have to live with, unfortunately more so in Auckland. As you mentioned we don’t have a big population or a lot of services and this combined with Auckland’s history only adds to the time it takes to get these things working.
Maybe if the tram lines or even the trolley buses hadn’t been removed and were still operating things would have been very different today but that’s a whole different topic! lol
@ Carl
Incorrect - Snapper cards do indeed allow you to pay for multiple people. When you board you tell the driver you want to pay for two fares, they push some buttons, and you tag on/off as normal. I assume the Hop/Snapper card will have the same functionality.
@ Gus,
any card that does that to me is timing consuming and pointless.
if they only cost say $5-$10 to buy (as a start up)
then there would be no need for 2 people to use a single card.
when this happens, I bet you have to speak to the driver and get him to sort it out? which holds up the bus right?
please explain if I am incorrect, as I have never seen this on any system I have used overseas, and although its happens there, I find it quite bizzare if i may say so.
I would have just guessed that like any other system you either have a card of some sort, or just by a cash fare and move on…..
@ Andy, fair call, sometimes I wonder myself haha.
I think for the sake of every bodies sanity I’m just throwing information out there on the system where I am.
Maybe i’m a lost cause… but the more people know about different systems and how the work, I would feel the more will understand the concept in general.
I don’t mean to offend anyone, I’m just as frustrated as the next commuter.
I will move back in NZ at some point.
I want to be able to leave out of the city centre and be able to get on a train or a bus and go to work or play, and not have to worry about car or having the correct change to pay someone on board.
tag on, go, get off, tag off, enjoy….
With Snapper and soon to be with the HOP, you have to tell the driver that you are paying for 2 people he/she will touch a couple of buttons then a 2 (or what ever number your paying for) will flick up on the Snapper/Hop Reader.
this only works if your getting on together and getting off together, as when you tag off you tag both of you off. if you were getting off at different stops would not work.
I dont know if you can pay 1 Adult and 1 child etc when you tag on, never got to try that in wellington, we are a bit too old for child fare lol
even on the Go Rider (as long as you had the cash on it) you could pay for more the 1 person. the driver would issue the fare again (if same stages) or would key in different for each person. ie 1 srage adult + 2 stage adults no problems.
With Snapper and soon to be with the HOP, you have to tell the driver that you are paying for 2 people he/she will touch a couple of buttons then a 2 (or what ever number your paying for) will flick up on the Snapper/Hop Reader.
this only works if your getting on together and getting off together, as when you tag off you tag both of you off. if you were getting off at different stops would not work.
I dont know if you can pay 1 Adult and 1 child etc when you tag on, never got to try that in wellington, we are a bit too old for child fare lol
even on the Go Rider (as long as you had the cash on it) you could pay for more the 1 person. the driver would issue the fare again (if same stages) or would key in different for each person. ie 1 stage adult + 2 stage adults no problems.
Auckland need to setup there fares like Vancouver.
Vancouver is split in to 3 zones and you can buy individual fares for eash zone or monthly zone passes.
For single fares you can use it as many times as you like for 90min from when you bought it.
All tickets are integrated for rail, bus and ferry.
After 1830 week days till morning and all weekend all vancouver is 1 zone charging so you can go anywhere for the price of one zone.
This makes is so much simpler than being charged for each connection you get
Details at http://www.translink.ca
James - I imagine that will happen here to, but we need to go through the roll out process yet.
Auckland will most likely be zoned up into areas, then you are charged accordingly upon tag-on and tag-off locations.
This is an assuption though.
@James and Joshua That has always been the wish. However a day 1 of implementation it would cause a big drop of revenue for operators and AT.
If AT can’t even force operators to use the integrated ticket then they won’t be able to force a new zoning system on them.
I filled out the contact form on the hop website asking about being able to top up online. Their response was
Pretty unbelievable that this isn’t going to be an option given that Snapper are rolling this out and you can top up their cards online and that you can register your card to protect your balance.
@Kris Maybe it’s a plot to force us all to buy Snapper cards. Their offering seems a lot clearer.
Just ask the Bus driver at Birkenhead while I am heading home… He know nothing about it… And they didn’t even think about it… Hmmm
@Jacky That’s worrying. Ring his boss on 483 9119 and ask him. If he doesnt know then we definitely have a problem!
Thought LINK would be first, with a small, captured fleet. Also makes sense that CBD would be first.
Hey Luke
It will be start on Northstar buses then it should be going to be the Go West buses (I see that the machine is on the Go west Buses already) I haven’t see the Wakapacific, Metrolink or the Link yet
I am sure they are on the way
@AKT= I am just wondering who are the bosses for Birkenhead Transport is…
Jacky - Its not surprising that Birkenhead drivers won’t know about whats going on as the company hasn’t officially signed up to integrated ticketing yet. Also this launch is the Snapper implementation of it however it is most likely that the other bus companies will use a different system (that will be able to read the same cards).
Hey Matt
Did u know Birkenhead is the only bus company that only use Paper form concession card…. That card has been with the company since I have been in New Zealand at 1993.. (it could be longer) I can remembered that when I first used their passes, their buses on the card is the old buses now being used for school buses… Because they have changed the fleet with the modern buses, they just decided to changed the picture on the ticket…
Well I certainly hope that Birkenhead will be part of the integrating bus ticket plan…Great that they are using the Northern Express bus ticket plan but I am certainly not very optimistic at the moment for the Hop Card/Snapper integrating bus network
Jacky
Jacky - They will eventually have to be part of it but at this stage the only company that has agreed to roll anything out is NZ Bus.
I haven’t been able to find anything concrete about being able to use the Snapper card on the bus. But if you can, I don’t know why you’d want a HOP card if the Snapper card could do everything and more that the hop card can as well as being the same price to buy.
Hi Kris.
Get a Hop card over a snapper because of the following reasons:
-Hop with snapper logo will be compatible with snapper micro-payment network anyway
-Hop will definitely work with the later stages of the roll out i.e. trains/ ferry’s/ Non NZbus buses, snapper may not
- snapper may not even work on NZbus services (although this is very unlikely given it is snapper hardware)
- It is possible future fare policy may be incompatible with snapper.
- Hop will be free if you let them clip your go-rider (limited time only)
The only advantage of snapper i can see is the ability to top up online and the smaller form that is available.
Although Im not sure how snapper will integrate into the project at the moment the safest card to get seems to be HOP
Just used the translink system for tagging on and off on buses/trains in the Queensland region in Australia and loved it. Was much faster than waiting for cash fares.
Now back to my stupid birkenhead transport clipping system now I’m home. How can we petition BT to join in with the snapper/hop system?
How will Gold Card senior citizens be handled by this system?
@David
I asked Auckland Transport.
they reply:
Seniors will continue using their Supergold card and receiving a ticket.
Can you only top up at retailers or can you do it on the bus, or at main stations?
@Abby http://www.myhop.co.nz/About-HOP/Pages/3-Steps-To-Using-HOP.aspx