Opal Discussion and Observations

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
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CityRail
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Re: STA Observations 2021

Post by CityRail »

pgt wrote:For some time I've noticed at least in the morning there are either security guards or TransportNSW staff (in orange hi-vis) at some key bus stops doing headcounts of people on buses - whether they're counting those wearing, or not wearing, a mask I'm not sure but it seems that's what they're looking for.
Be curious as to what sorts of numbers they are seeing when they do their counts.

On the buses I've been on, only occasionally would I see 100% compliance (*fitted* masks being worn properly).
I think they are social distancing officers monitoring patronage to seek increase of services if buses/light rail is full?

They have no authority to check tickets, and with no police around patrolling buses and light rail, one actually thinks if the government has given up on fares.

In 2019, 30000 tickets checked each day, in 2021, only 10,000. So 20,000 more reasons why we shouldn't pay fare on public transport.

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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

How a maintenance worker stole $300,000 in cash from Opal top-up machines

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how ... 57a9u.html
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Re: STA Observations 2021

Post by Geo101 »

CityRail wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:25 pm In 2019, 30000 tickets checked each day, in 2021, only 10,000. So 20,000 more reasons why we shouldn't pay fare on public transport.
There must be something wrong with these figures.

The posters state that there are more than 800 Transport Officers, Authorised Revenue Protection Officers and Police

Thats 70000 / 800 ; an average of 87.5 ticket checks per staff member per week?

If they all work a 5-day week, then they are averaging 70000(per week) /5(days) /800(staff) = 17.5 tickets checked per day/shift per staff member?

That amount would be lucky to be the total patronage of a singular off-peak rail carriage (or 3 or 4 carriages as they seem to gang up in groups of 3 or 4!!!) They would do this in less than 10 minutes.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

Why don't Transport For NSW send transport officers out to suburban bus stops witch where section points back in the pre opal days that drivers now use as timing points for rapid random surprise opal inspections on buses
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

They do in STA areas. Transdev AOs are regulars on the trams.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Jurassic_Joke »

I do wanna say that I saw a Transdev (branded) transport officer checking tickets on the tram recently, someone hadn’t tapped on, I think it was something like I had to run for the tram and I thought I tapped on, sorry. I was expecting zero consequences, but nope, this time, actually, the officer asked for and took her license, did some typing with his device with license in hand, asked to confirm address and name, then said “ok so, we’re gonna send you a caution in the mail, ok, you should get it soon, please be mindful, next time if you aren’t tapped on it’ll be a $200 fine...... mmmmhmmm..... and I appreciate that, but it is your responsibility to make sure you’ve tapped on. Ok?”.

I’m impressed with how professionally calm he remained and that’s more than I’ve ever seen the grey ones on Sydney Trains do
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

From observations, probably about 10% of tram passengers don't tap off when they leave the tram, so I'd guess most of those haven't tapped on either.

One problem is that can be very hard to read the terminal screens out in the open. Often even the light can be hard to confirm that it showed green. So "I thought I tapped on" could be valid, but serial evaders have a book of such excuses to try to put over the inspectors.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

I wonder how the situation would go if one was to have their OPAL mobile application handy & show it to the transport officer that they have a solid history of always tapping on and this time they just happened to have been caught out by believing they've tapped on but not hearing the OPAL reader reject the card because it wasn't tapped on properly with the reader.

I'd imagine they'd let you go the first time, 2nd time it's probably a fine or caution, 3rd time they probably mean it and will send you a fine but I suppose if your not a pain in the backside to the transit officer I reckon they can understand and probably cut you some slack at least once.

Someone (probably numerous) of honest people have probably been through the situation I'm describing so it has to have happened before.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

What is the alert that bus drivers see on the console screen if someone tries to board the bus and taps on with a card with no money on it
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

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Presumably the same alert that is on the reader, but the passenger ignores.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

ScaniaGrenda wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:16 am I wonder how the situation would go if one was to have their OPAL mobile application handy & show it to the transport officer that they have a solid history of always tapping on and this time they just happened to have been caught out by believing they've tapped on but not hearing the OPAL reader reject the card because it wasn't tapped on properly with the reader.

I'd imagine they'd let you go the first time, 2nd time it's probably a fine or caution, 3rd time they probably mean it and will send you a fine but I suppose if your not a pain in the backside to the transit officer I reckon they can understand and probably cut you some slack at least once.

Someone (probably numerous) of honest people have probably been through the situation I'm describing so it has to have happened before.
Probably dependent on how benevolent the TO was.

If you pay by bank card, is this any easy accessible record of your transactions?
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by moa999 »

boronia wrote:How a maintenance worker stole $300,000 in cash from Opal top-up machines

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how ... 57a9u.html
Shocking that their reconciliations didn't pick this up and it took a co-worker

More surprised that so many people are using cash topups
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Swift »

moa999 wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:58 pm

More surprised that so many people are using cash topups
I'm not. Just dismayed at how stubborn Sydney people are with clinging to cash for PT fares and before with tolls, both of which hold people up, yet have no problem paying for groceries at the checkout with a credit card, which until recently, was slower than cash thanks to having to sign their signatures.

I'll never ever abide typical Sydney people.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boxythingy »

Carefully demarcated zones for non ticket barrier stations, probably will make legal arguments easier via CCTV footage on who was where.

Remember kids, you must wear a mask at a station not just inside a train!

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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

boronia wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:50 pm Presumably the same alert that is on the reader, but the passenger ignores.
The I forgot to top up excuse is the opal version of the hand over a 50 trick people would use to try to gain a fare free bus trip back in the days of cash collection fares
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

Opal card to expand to Uber, share bikes in world-first trial
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/opa ... 57eyd.html
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

ScaniaGrenda wrote: Tue Mar 30, 2021 1:45 pm Opal card to expand to Uber, share bikes in world-first trial
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/opa ... 57eyd.html
Commuters will be able to pay for Uber, Lime Bike, Ingogo Taxi or Manly Fast Ferry with their digital Opal card. But they can already pay for the MFF, and it will cease mid-year?
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Fleet Lists »

I was not aware that the MFF would cease. I thought it was just the normal Manly Ferry that would be replaced.
And also I was under the impression that at this stage only the normal Opal card was available for MFF while this also introduced the digital Opal card for that purpose.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Merc1107 »

Swift wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:07 am
moa999 wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:58 pm

More surprised that so many people are using cash topups
I'm not. Just dismayed at how stubborn Sydney people are with clinging to cash for PT fares and before with tolls, both of which hold people up, yet have no problem paying for groceries at the checkout with a credit card, which until recently, was slower than cash thanks to having to sign their signatures.

I'll never ever abide typical Sydney people.
Is there anything particularly wrong with cash topups at a station where it isn't holding things up?
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

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Subsequent posts which were ferry and NOT Opal related have been moved to thread 91590.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=91590
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

There is information on this in the Ferries thread, probably better discussed there.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Linto63 »

Swift wrote: I'm not. Just dismayed at how stubborn Sydney people are with clinging to cash for PT fares and before with tolls, both of which hold people up, yet have no problem paying for groceries at the checkout with a credit card, which until recently, was slower than cash thanks to having to sign their signatures.
For those who are part of the cash economy, the folding stuff will always be king.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

There are still a lot of shops that won't use EFT for less than $10, so people are probably conditioned to feel guilty about using it for lesser amounts everywhere.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boxythingy »

ScaniaGrenda wrote: Tue Mar 30, 2021 1:45 pm Opal card to expand to Uber, share bikes in world-first trial
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/opa ... 57eyd.html
How does the customer-tax payer benefit from this? Suppose I am travelling off peak and catch a train within 10km which is $2.52 then make a short Uber trip which costs $10.15.

Apply the $3 discount, and effectively the trip is $9.67. That means not only does TfNSW lose the entire $2.52 revenue, the customer is gifted $0.48 credit and Uber (private enterprise whose goal is not to provide a social benefit) makes a buck because the next bus had just left as the train arrived or isn't timetabled until 30-60min time? Isn't this effectively state sanctioned farebox recovery reduction, and outsourcing public transport service operation to private enterprise?

How will they continue justifying the message "fare evasion means less new services"?

This is essentially a government subsidy for Uber?
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