News & Discussion: Public Transport Contracts, Service & Policy

[mattwinter]

Please don't get rid of MetroCard...

1) Not everybody has a credit card to use on public transport

2) Nor will banks give credit cards to every person in society....some are too young, some are too old, some are an extremely poor credit risk

3) International tourists credit cards would not necessarily work in Adelaide. Yes Visa Amex MasterCard etc will....but others certainly won't and never will.
Also as a tourist do you want to pay an international transaction fee every time you take a bus in Adelaide?
I don't.....I have been overseas where I have been forced to use a credit to buy a train ticket....very annoying. I prefer to buy the local smart transport card.

Generally agree. I mean I much prefer to just use my credit card when I'm interstate... no hassle. I'd definitely like to see it go to credit cards + metrocards... no paper tickets. I don't think you should get rid of papertickets without introducing credit card payment though, otherwise there's no way to pay for a train if you go to a local station and don't already have a metrocard.

[PeFe]

And will I still be able to put a 28 day pass on a credit card?

I presume this will work because your credit card acts a a pseudo MetroCard......but what if it doesn't work?

In Sydney they do not have transport passes, all transactions are a " one off payment".

[mattwinter]

And will I still be able to put a 28 day pass on a credit card?

I presume this will work because your credit card acts a a pseudo MetroCard......but what if it doesn't work?

In Sydney they do not have transport passes, all transactions are a " one off payment".

The easy option would be to say that if you want that sort of stuff - get a metrocard. I definitely have no desire to see them removed.

A credit card option should be seen more like a replacement for paper tickets I would have thought... good for tourists and occasional users.

[OlympusAnt]

London has Oyster and Contactless.

We're not gonna get rid of MetroCard

[Crispy!]

Hi everyone and familiar names from Bus Australia

From what I’ve heard Torrens Transit, Keolis Downer, Busways have to run the system the way it is at the moment for a minimum time period.

[ChillyPhilly]

Hi everyone and familiar names from Bus Australia

From what I’ve heard Torrens Transit, Keolis Downer, Busways have to run the system the way it is at the moment for a minimum time period.

Welcome!

[Modbury_Man]

Anyone here know when the consultation on the new AdelaideMetro network will begin? The AdMet website just says from April until 30 June - I presume it'll start this week or next still?

[adelaide transport]

Anyone here know when the consultation on the new AdelaideMetro network will begin? The AdMet website just says from April until 30 June - I presume it'll start this week or next still?

DPTI says it will start at the end of this month, which means info will be up on special Adelaide Metro website with info on proposed new Go-Zones and new or revised routes.

[ouchjars]

In Sydney they do not have transport passes, all transactions are a " one off payment".

Yes, but with automatic daily and weekly caps as in many transport systems around the world. How hard is it for us to do the same?

[Westside]

In Sydney they do not have transport passes, all transactions are a " one off payment".

Yes, but with automatic daily and weekly caps as in many transport systems around the world. How hard is it for us to do the same?

Using you credit card is just like using your opal card. It waits to the end of your trip to calculate your fare. In Sydney you pay per distance for the train and bus connections are separately priced if you are connecting from another mode. So like opal it works out the cheapest fare and then charges your card.

[Brucetiki]

New Adelaide Metro website that looks nicer, but is just as useless.

https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au

My Metro and your MetroCard accounts are not integrated, so you need separate accounts (and I think separate e-mail addresses as well) for both. MetroMATE will also be replaced with 3 third-party supplied transport apps that, at best, do what MetroMATE did.

[PeFe]

Personally Metro Mate always worked for me...

From new Adelaide Metro website

Public transport apps
Find great public transport apps for your mobile device

Say hello to some great new apps …

To provide our customers with the best and most up to date experience in public transport apps, we've partnered with third-party experts to enhance existing transport apps to suit Adelaide and our public transport customers.

As we partner with these industry leaders in public transport app innovations, we say goodbye to metroMATE.

Goodbye metroMATE
From early July, metroMATE will no longer be available.

Great new apps
We have a range of third-party apps with enhanced Adelaide Metro public transport journey planning and trip information available for download right now.

Some of the features these apps will offer our customers include:

Trip planning for combined travel journeys
Service and journey notifications
Real-Time and accessible service information
Ability to save favorite services and sync across devices
Ability to tailor your travel by convenience, time, carbon emissions and more
You've probably already heard of the apps we are endorsing to get you to where you want to be, easily. That's because they are industry recommended and rank top of their game.

What are the apps?
You can also choose from a range of apps for your mobile device which are made by independent developers.

App Features Android iOS
Moovit

https://moovit.me/Adelaide

Moovit gives you the best route, with accurate Real-Time arrival information and service alerts.


https://nextthere.com/
App Store app
NextThere

NextThere displays departure information at a tap and shows where you and your next service are. Not available on Android
App Store app
Transit


https://transitapp.com/download?utm_sou ... n=partners
Transit shows real-time arrivals, step-by-step directions, and helps find new routes using buses, trains, and trams.


https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/Timeta ... sport-apps

[muzzamo]

It does make sense to use those apps, rather than the state government to build, fund and maintain their own.

An equivalent would be like SA creating their own version of the google maps app - why do it when others have already done it and are better at it.

[Nathan]

The only reason I can see for maintaining their own, is to remove dependence on third parties — who they have no control over how well they implement it and how they price it.

Both Google Maps and Apple Maps have Adelaide Metro transit information though, and Next There is excellent.

[rubberman]

It does make sense to use those apps, rather than the state government to build, fund and maintain their own.

An equivalent would be like SA creating their own version of the google maps app - why do it when others have already done it and are better at it.

Well, yes. But often those apps start overseas and only have limited cover.

So, does the government wait around for an unknown length of time till maybe thise apps catch up? Or does it make its own app to last a couple of years?

Obviously, if there's an app for something already developed, the government would be wasting money to develop something too. However, if it looks like a few years before it's available here, why not? And if it's already developed and updating only takes a tweak, why not tweak it? I'd also point out that if governments didn't do this, app makers would have little incentive to hurry up and expand their coverage...little old Adelaide would just have to wait.