Get rid of old-fashioned bus tickets, urges mayor

By WAYNE THOMPSON

North Shore Mayor George Wood says it is time to remove one of the greatest hassles in Auckland public transport - its old-fashioned ticketing system.

Mr Wood said traffic flow had improved greatly in Taipei since the Taiwanese city decided to introduce an electronic ticketing system, with a non-contact smart card.

In three years, Taipei had set up an integrated ticketing system that served users of 15 bus companies, six railway lines and 50 car parking buildings.

"I was amazed at how fast it is getting on public transport.

"It's magic - you keep your card in your wallet and just put the wallet near the reader as you get on."

Mr Wood said he would push for a similar system for Auckland, although operators have for several years shied away from a proposal that the regional council had investigated.

Taipei, a city of three million, awarded a contract for its Easy Card system in February 2000. A survey last month of bus and train users found 95 per cent satisfaction with the system.

"It's technology but it's also a matter of people having the fortitude to try this innovation," said Mr Wood.

"The ineptitude shown in Auckland over integrated ticketing is a crying shame. Why can't we do this here?"

Regional transport chairman Catherine Harland said the ARC was renewing efforts to get local councils and transport companies to push for integrated ticketing.

But the ARC was told it could take five years to launch a system.

Surveys of Aucklanders had shown that complicated ticketing and slow journeys were barriers to using public transport, she said.

Local authorities had provided bus-only lanes to reduce trip times but better ticketing for bus, train and ferry customers promised further benefits.

Ms Harland said the ARC had given transport companies more than a year's grace to improve ticketing after they rejected an ARC smart-card proposal which would have cost $30 million to buy and $6 million a year to run.

"So far, they have come nowhere close to customers' expectations."

Stagecoach spokesman Russell Turnbull said it was fair to say that the company's current Go Rider smart card, which needs the driver's help, was showing its age when compared with systems in other cities.

But while it was talking to the ARC about integrated ticketing options, Stagecoach was looking at simple improvements, including the chance to buy tickets from a pay-and-display type machine at major bus stops.

Bus and Coach Association chief executive John Collyns said overseas developments in ticketing showed promise, but Auckland operators were not confident the systems were proven.

Auckland needed a tailor-made system rather than a copy of one an Asian city used. Most systems in use in comparable cities overseas were experimental or did not have to cater for a range of operators.

Some bus users in Tauranga and Hamilton have, since May, boarded buses by simply passing a smart card over an electronic ticketing machine.


Taipei tickets

Taipei has an integrated ticketing system serving users of 15 bus companies, six railway lines and 50 car parking buildings.

A survey of bus and train users found 95 per cent satisfaction with the system.