Opal Discussion and Observations

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
Passenger 57
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Passenger 57 »

matthewg wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 2:22 pm But not that many of the people crowding onto these services can do anything about it.
I agree, it will take the efforts of groups other than the commuters themselves, such as employers for example, to level out peak demand. Some employers are not as flexible as they can be. One good thing about the current pandemic, if any good can be said to come from it, is that more employers have come to accept that working from home is not only a valid option in normal times but actually beneficial to their business. Have your "core hours" changed as a result of that?
Passenger 57
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Newcastle bus/ferry fares

Post by Passenger 57 »

Are fares for Newcastle combined bus/ferry journeys calculated as if the ferry were just another bus? I was trying to check this via the trip planner but it refuses to plan a bus/ferry trip only so I can check whether the fare changes at the 3km boundary from Stockton Wharf. On a ferry/bus journey from Stockton Wharf to Hamilton Station the 3km boundary from Stockton wharf seems to be around the intersection of Maitland and Albert Sts, so the last stop for 3km fare on route 11 would be on Maitland St opposite Wickham Park. On routes 13 and 23 the last stop before the boundary looks to be Tudor St before Gordon Ave. Route 12 (transfer from 13 at Cooper St) is possibly too close to call. Donald St before Lawson St might be just before the boundary. On 47 (transfer from 23 at Newcastle West) the boundary is the Wickham Park stop.
stupid_girl
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by stupid_girl »

Fleet Lists wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:52 pm
Passenger 57 wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:04 pm BTW, I notice there the PR about the Opal fare increases only mentioned caps that were remaining at the same level, so presumably the weekday and weekend caps will rise by the nearest 5c or 10c increment to the CPI increase, so say $16.40 for the Adult weekday cap.
I mentioned that earlier and to the contrary I expect that all the caps will stay the same.
Raised to $16.30 :(
https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ ... dult-fares
Passenger 57
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Passenger 57 »

Thanks, as it happens I was going to check what the current cap was just after I checked what the new post in the forum was about. Re: the cap increase, in my book lying by omission is no better than the other forms of lying. So the good news is that the cap has increased by less than the 1.5% amount, just 1.24%. 1.5% would have taken the cap to a hair above 16.34 so 16.35 would have been above the CPI. I think they have gone above CPI on previous cap increases due to rounding to the next increment but I can't be bothered to check. Interesting that the weekly $50 cap is deserving of political protection while the daily cap is not.

I dislike the one size fits all daily cap. Caps should be proportional to the extent of travel. Back in the days of the MyMulti and TravelPasses one could choose the extent of travel for weekly and periodical tickets (and restricted modes prior to MyZone) with varying fares. 5 different zone definitions in the case of all modes TravelPasses, 3 in the case of MyMulti. Unfortunately, there was still only a all-zones daily ticket (and a cheaper bus only mode prior to MyZone). Of course without zone definitions varying caps are more difficult to design. One thing I like about Myki is that the daily cap is equivalent to 2x2 hour fares covering the same zones.

I wonder how long I'll have to live before I see a properly designed integrated multi-modal fare in NSW. It doesn't matter, I'll be eligible for a Gold Opal Card before then. Hopefully, the daily cap will still be $2.50 which is already lower than 2 x 0-3km peak bus fares now.
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boronia
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

Family of technician who stole $300,000 from Opal card machines repay moneyhttps://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/fam ... 58824.html
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homebush
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by homebush »

The Opal Digital trial app is set to expire in ~30 days. Might be an indication of a wider public release. Hopefully express mode for apple pay and concession fares become available soon.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Swift »

boronia wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:41 pm Family of technician who stole $300,000 from Opal card machines repay moneyhttps://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/fam ... 58824.html
Only sorry because he was caught. Yet another example why I utterly detest contracting out services. In house must come back like the good old days. Never will happen with this mob we've got who have a deep belief in privatisation.
NSW, the state that embraces mediocrity.
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jpp42
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by jpp42 »

homebush wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 4:10 am The Opal Digital trial app is set to expire in ~30 days. Might be an indication of a wider public release. Hopefully express mode for apple pay and concession fares become available soon.
Ah thanks for the reminder I need to figure out how to cancel my card and get a refund, I have not found it useful at all. It still takes too long for the travel history to show up, which is really the only benefit over just tapping a standard credit card. I'm going to go back to a traditional card, with a credit card as backup if I forget or lose the former.
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boronia
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boronia »

Swift wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:23 am Only sorry because he was caught. Yet another example why I utterly detest contracting out services. In house must come back like the good old days. Never will happen with this mob we've got who have a deep belief in privatisation.
And how many public servants have been busted for rorting the system?
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Geo101
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Geo101 »

Swift wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:23 am
boronia wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 6:41 pm Family of technician who stole $300,000 from Opal card machines repay moneyhttps://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/fam ... 58824.html
Only sorry because he was caught. Yet another example why I utterly detest contracting out services. In house must come back like the good old days. Never will happen with this mob we've got who have a deep belief in privatisation.
Probably just easier to not have cash payments at all.
Frodo
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Frodo »

A 'Paid Zone' sticker was painted onto the ground at the entrances to Asquith and Mt Colah stations a few weeks ago where the 'tap on tap off' sticker used to be. However, this only lasted for a few days before it was removed. Maybe they realised that the ticket machines were inside the paid zone area.
Passenger 57
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Passenger 57 »

I'd guess it is probably more common than not to have ticket machines inside the paid area in ungated stations/wharves. Unless the regulations have been updated the signs are mostly irrelevant anyway, as the Opal readers mark the extent of the paid area.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boxythingy »

A worker employed under the various acts of public service employment would be blacklisted for breaching codes of conduct and any laws in general. It would be relatively easy to maintain a list for a very tight market for available permanent staff.

You tell me if there's a centralised blacklist for every external (sub)contractor from thousands of suppliers?

By the way, what was the contractual arrangement with Cubic in the Myzone and pre-myzone days?
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Swift »

I have heard too many stories of contractors not doing their work up to the same standards (not always their own fault as they're always chosen on price) as before and now dishonesty by someone who feels no connection to the organisation he is doing a job for indirectly.
The blame lies almost totally on a government who stick to doing things this way even if it's not the best way, for the sake of rigid adherence to a political ideology.
NSW, the state that embraces mediocrity.
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jpp42
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by jpp42 »

I applied to close my Opal Connect /Opal Digital account as I wanted the money back, and I haven't been using it. It doesn't offer enough benefit over the convenience of the traditional card, and I can still use a credit card from my phone if I leave my physical card at home. The have finally closed my account, with the following disclaimer:
Once closed, an Opal Digital card account cannot currently be reopened and if you wish to start using the Opal Digital card again you will have to create a new opal connect account with a new email address
What a world-leading IT system this is... /s.
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boxythingy »

moa999
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by moa999 »

Interesting.
Assume it needs additional scanning equipment in each bus?
matthewg
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by matthewg »

moa999 wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 8:16 pm Interesting.
Assume it needs additional scanning equipment in each bus?
Possibly not. They may only need to change a setting on the readers to increase the field strength.
It's always been possible to read cards at further than a few cm. I actually discovered, mucking about with some opal gates back when Opal was new that my Opal card would read at about 5-6cm from the reader, by my work's MiFare classic access card would get a response at 25cm. The MiFare classic needs less power to operate than the more complex MiFare Desfire that Opal uses.

I gather Periser uses a MiFare card system for access to the ski lifts and other 'rides' and they have the system set so you don't need to get the card out of your pocket - as their customers have heavy clothing, gloves and may have hands full of skis.

It may be the 'bag tags' just have a way better antenna and use less power than the cards so can work at a larger distance. If they use a back end system to track card IDs, the bag tags need to send little more than a serial number.

Several years ago I recall coming across some research done on ticketing systems. I can't remember if it was Australian or not. But the key finding was a ticketing system had to have a definite 'action' needed to tag on and off. A system that didn't need this but just scanned you as you walked through the door was not well received. People don't like it made obviously they can be silently tracked.

Yet they mostly carry mobile phones, and the phone network knows (where the phone is) to within 10s of metres. (And not via satellite GPS, it's simple signal strength and bearing calculation from multiple base stations.) Also, look at the people rushing out to buy Apple airtags so Apple knows where their stuff is at all times. But any idea that a government can track you like that and they reach for the pitch forks. :-)
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Campbelltown busboy
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

A free travel opal for people with vision issues

https://youtu.be/r1R5M--6FwA
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TheOpalUser
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by TheOpalUser »

Anyone else still rocking their original Opal cards from 2012? Anyone heard or seen anything about what happens with expiry approaching?
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Swift
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Swift »

matthewg wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:00 am

Several years ago I recall coming across some research done on ticketing systems. I can't remember if it was Australian or not. But the key finding was a ticketing system had to have a definite 'action' needed to tag on and off. A system that didn't need this but just scanned you as you walked through the door was not well received. People don't like it made obviously they can be silently tracked.

Yet they mostly carry mobile phones, and the phone network knows (where the phone is) to within 10s of metres. (And not via satellite GPS, it's simple signal strength and bearing calculation from multiple base stations.) Also, look at the people rushing out to buy Apple airtags so Apple knows where their stuff is at all times. But any idea that a government can track you like that and they reach for the pitch forks. :-)
People are funny.
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Linto63
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by Linto63 »

BeauGiles wrote: Anyone else still rocking their original Opal cards from 2012?
Yep, still gong strong after 6,500 taps. My Oyster card from London was still working 14 years after being issued, albeit in a declining state; gone were the days of not having to take it out of my wallet to tap.
BeauGiles wrote: Anyone heard or seen anything about what happens with expiry approaching?
Reported on page 365 of this thread that 30 days out from expiry a message will appear on readers. Presumably a trip to a ticket office will facilitate a swap and transfer of any balance.
moa999
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by moa999 »

Yep still strong, slowly now approaching 10k transactions after being used a little less the past two years.

Mines a Dec-2012 card in the 3xxx range.
matthewg
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by matthewg »

BeauGiles wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 3:55 pm Anyone else still rocking their original Opal cards from 2012? Anyone heard or seen anything about what happens with expiry approaching?
I still have the card, but haven't used it for about a year and a half now since contactless cards settled down. I use google-pay on my phone typically.

They could do what Singapore did, if the cards are not showing signs of degradation, extend their expiry.
My GoCard has been 'extended' and my Myki replaced twice as they expired.
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boxythingy
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Re: Opal Discussion and Observations

Post by boxythingy »

Friendly Community Service Announcement: Please ensure that the bank account associated with your contactless payment method has more than enough funds, the system won't let you tap on reverse or tap off after the initial tap on, withholding -$1.00 and will result in a default fare.

Don't assume various features offered by your bank (if applicable) will automatically sweep, move or draw funds from related or linked accounts.

For a "smart"card system, this occurrence is clumsy and non-user friendly.
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