Things have been fairly quiet about the implementation of integrated ticketing in recent times. Auckland Transport’s board paper on the project is quite genius in writing quite a lot of words without actually saying anything – a pinnacle of bureaucratic nonsense:
However, a few posts on the Campaign for Better Transport forum suggest that some further news might not be too far away (original source apparently here):
The current HOP card is only available for use on NZ Bus buses. HOP Snapper Cards will be phased out and replaced with the new AT HOP card when NZ Bus services become part of the integrated ticketing system. We will keep customers updated of developments through marketing activity and through information available on both the MAXX and MyHop website.”
Please inform customers that an official announcement will be made next week. We advise customers to sign up for updates at http://www.myhop.co.nz/pages/subscribe.aspx
This confirms the suspicions of many that the current HOP cards will need to be swapped out for new HOP cards in order for them to work on buses, trains and ferries in the future. This raises a number of interesting issues and questions in my mind:
- Will the existing Snapper/HOP cards be deactivated completely from being able to be used on NZ Bus services or will there be two different parallel HOP systems?
- How will Auckland Transport manage the swap? Presumably existing Snapper/HOP card holders will get a new HOP card – but do they get to keep the old one (still potentially has value for small purchases at shops but could cause confusion with real HOP)
- Does this news suggest that NZ Bus has confirmed they’re able to hook into “real HOP” by November 30th, or will we see trains and ferries happen first?
- Do we really want two different HOP cards, one for some buses but doesn’t work on the trains or ferries and one for trains and ferries but doesn’t work on buses, in circulation at the same time?
Hopefully one day the full story comes out about the whole process – because from the outside it seems like a giant slow-moving train wreck of a farce. But perhaps we’ll get there in the end?
> Do we really want two different HOP cards, one for some buses but doesn’t work on the trains or ferries and one for trains and ferries but doesn’t work on buses, in circulation at the same time?
Would also be nice to continue to use the same card in Auckland (HOP) and Wellington (Snapper) as well… that was part of the original plan (and works well now).
Lots of grumbling in front of me on the train this morning about conductors stopping selling 10-trip tickets on 1 Sep, since there’s been zero communication about the upside/new-way.
They are??? Where did you learn that? Did I miss it on a post here?
Waiting for the thread to get trolled in 3,2,1….
While there has been alot of focus on the rollout of HOP on NZ Bus/Snapper devices,
Wwhat if anything has been done about getting the new Thales card on to other bus operators??,
– have new readers started to be installed yet or at least wiring for rear doors being done,??
or are AT simply doing a “if we cannot rollout Thales Hop on NZBus we won’t do it on any buses”
- which is a bit of a cop out if you ask me…
The other bus companies have opted to go with Parkeon as their supplier, it’s not Thales equipment being installed in them, not sure when they are due to go online. I’m pretty sure with what I have heard that they are quite far behind schedule however, if this is the case, it will impact the bus companies revenue.
Many people including myself already only catch NZ Bus buses due to the fact we have a HOP Card, this is only going to increase once Trains and Ferry’s are on the/a system.
Agree re losing revenue. I have concession tickets for 2 companies, one being HOP. I will let all other buses go by.
Ritchie’s in particular must miss out on a lot of money on the Pt Chev to Britomart section … Often there’ll be 3 or 4 Ritchie’s buses in a row that no one flags down while they all wait for a NZBus bus so they can HOP on, which then inevitably becomes overcrowded.
My understanding is the consortium have paid their deposit for the new machines but the final design has still not been signed off, presumably due to issues with AT and Snapper.
The new machines will not be in the other bus companies till 2014 at the earliest, is what I have heard.
If that’s the case, then why are Snapper/NZ Bus busting their a$$ attempting to meet a November deadline, if it only going to be Ferry/Train and NZ bus for all of 2013,
Sounds like a total and utter B@lls up…..
It is the case.
I assume Snapper are doing all they can because they have a contract stating they have too. With all the big talk from Big Jerry, they dont want to be the ones to blame. If they meet their deadlines, the blame falls back on AT. And NZ bus ends up with a card that also works on Trains and Ferry’s giving them an advantage over other bus companies.
I agree that they probably have a contract to work to,
but why would AT make a plan that sees only NZ bus come into Hop early ( thus giving them a huge advantage), but not tell the public this is what was going to happen…..
It sounds like AT have still not managed to get buy-in from the other bus companies and they are dragging their feet like a recalcitrant school boy…… and AT is enabling this behaviour by giving them special treatment….
What a joke this whole AIFS project has been…right from the start. Will certainly not be buying any stored value card for use in AKL until such time as a proper working system is in place. Cant see that happening until 2016 at fhe earliest. By then, a HOP card will be able to be used on buses, trains, ferries and to make purchases from dairies, fast food outlets, petrol stations, convenience stores and supermarkets. That is the system that should have, with proper planning and project management, been rolled out over 2012/2013.
Yeah there could be some really interesting LGOIMA requests to make once AT can’t hide behind “it’s still happening” anymore.
Why is it that NZ transport and infrastructure is so half-arsed and short-sorted time and time again. Harbour bridge and clip-ons, Britomart tunnel entrance, short platforms at Onehunga, Hop/snapper farce, what will be next?
To day on they train i asked a train conductor he was saying that from the 3 of sep you can buy paper tickets from the Machines on the platform. But it’ll be a while until you can use your hop card. He was certain that from Monday there are going to start an advertising campaign on it.
I still do not know how they’re going to work across modes of transport tickets such as Northern pass?
Edited as requested – Matt L
Top stuff Daniel. Thanks for the info.
I love speculating on stuff as much as the next person, but I feel for AT when info gets released before it should and they can’t correct it if it’s wrong because they have to wait until the press release goes out officially. Sometimes the internet age can be a pain. Would it really have killed us to wait for a couple of days?
Look as I said in my post which part of it got quoted here and at CBT, I made a call when dropping the “instruction” that AT had issued and which got forwarded to me by someone else. No info was released before “time” in this case. If AT did not want this to occur then dont pass on an instruction as they did.
AT has been caught on the hop with poor social and traditional media communication (I wonder why AT are advertising for a Social Media person) before, now and most likely again in the future.
I should go diddle everywhere that the ten trip tickets wont be sold on the trains next month seeming an article dropped in the NZ Herald before train staff knew about it but have decided not to as I’ll wait for an official announcement.
If it means anything to regulars here, transport issues such as HOP (but not the CRL or road projects) I wont stray into with comments or posts as not my fortay. But in this case ah well to AT
ANONYMOUS, HOP will be just an integrated payment system to start with, the integration of fares along the lines of the Northern Pass will come later.
I wouldn’t get too excited. I don’t think the ‘HOP swap’ will be happening for some time yet. Most likely to do with the ticket vending machines which have been progressively set up over the last few months. As Mr Palenski above states I would think it would have to do with ticket sales through these machines and the withdrawal of multi-day tickets from being sold onboard trains. Perhaps that closed public trial for AT HOP will get underway finally after much delay…
5th or 6th hand rumour that bad news is coming for Snapper. As pointed out above, there can only be one HOP card.
I can’t wait to have only one bus card, it’s so annoying to have to top up my Ritchies card for the Northern Express at uni, and then go to Britomart and top up my hop card. I use either the Northern Express or one of the NZ bus routes that go into the city from the shore each day, and having only one card would be so much more convenient.
Try the Northern Pass Lena, you can get a weekly that can be used on any bus from the Shore to the CBD.
A bit unfair to slag the AT report to its Board for being “a pinnacle of bureaucratic nonsense”. It’s clear that there are VERY sensitive discussions ongoing, and that to say a lot of stuff in public would be detrimental to the ongoing negotiations. As we know, these matters are now being dealt with by lawyers. Not helpful to expose your hand in public, I’d have thought, despite the intense desire of transport geeks to know what’s going on behind the scenes.
Well seems we can wait a little bit longer folks – as in I might as well go pour another coffee or 50.
It seems this Official Announcement has been delayed with a new time for the announcement unknown, reason also unknown.
Heck its only 11:49am Monday morning, there is still until the end of business Friday before the “week” is out…
Few issues
1. Downtown Ferry FPDs are installed. However, due to the shared FPDs to multiple locations, AIFS is still working through the solution to apportion the money! Complexity in a shared Pier with multiple routes and multiple operators are not simple due to different initial fares for different ferry routes. Simplest solution was FPDs on Ferries than Pier, but anyway. This is a major piece of work for AT, Fullers and other ferry providers
2. HOP readers are in place. Especially the VRDs. Reason is simple. Contract with Transfiled is expiring and hence the installations. Dont get confused that system is ready. Its just the VRD “box” that is ready. Firmware still under test and architectural change to cater Auckland specific situations
3. User Acceptance Completed. That’s right – just the first part. Please DO understand that travel between multiple lines are not solved. Thales is still working on how to solve it !!
4. Project team working with business? Are you crazy. This is a piece that was supposed to happend 2 years ago when project started. This explains why PT Ops doesnt have any angagement with AIFS and many business units of AT doesnt have a clue on HOP. This is the right move, but 2 years late!
5. Pilot of “CORE” solution is not really a complete solution. Thales in its current shape cannot cater for some basic travel patterns. If in doubt, ask AT !
Train will go live first. Ferry second. And bus way later. No “integrated” ticketing from Go-Live date simply put.
Snapper Ticketing Machines are going to be ripped out of NZBUS Services (in Auckland) and replaced with new Ticketing equipment being replaced. with Thales equipment.
The Current Snapper equipment can-not be made to work on the Thales system, and is going to be replaced – just like the old system,, to the current.
I believe, over the course of a couple of months we are going to have a staggered start roll out on NZbus services just like the last time.
so you will probably find, some weekends youll have to have cash, or not be able to use your current hop /snapper, the same as when go-rider was phased out.