Dumb-rider

Ok, I’m a commuter in Perth, Western Australia.

Everyday I catch the train to and from work – 1 zone - one stop if I catch the express, 4 stops if I don’t.

I have been catching this same train for about three years now. 

Everything was working pretty smoothly – until one day they announce a wonderful new system that would revolutionise the way we travel on public transport… Smartrider! A new smart-card system where you load credit onto your card, tag onto the system when you travel, tag off the system when you arrive and it automatically calculates your fare and deducts it from your balance.

The old Multi-riders were to be done away with – Smartrider was the way of the future. It would make all our lives sooo much better and easier. So, like a chump, I thought I’d change over (wouldn’t have mattered if I hadn’t – they eventually forced you to by getting rid of the whole multirider system).

Smartrider is marketed to the public as “new, fast and efficient. So, why wait when you can get on board today?”

Let me tell you – it may be new but it is neither fast nor efficient and waiting is what you will constantly do.

Under the old multirider system I never had to queue at a validating machine, I got my bulk purchase discount for a 40 ride card and could pay for it with a credit card, I never got charged for rides I didn’t take and I never got hit with default fares for failing to tag off the system (more on this later).

Now, with Smartrider, I have to queue every day at a validating machine when I get off my train. The machine is sometimes temperamental so some people have to swipe multiple times. And the system requires double handling – one swipe on the system – one swipe off the system. This must be half as efficient as the old system that just required one swipe.

Now the only way I can get my full discount is to hand over my bank account details to Transperth (and not a credit card either – must be a savings account) and allow them to debit my account whenever my balance falls below a certain point. You used to get a discount for bulk puchasing in advance – now it doesn’t matter if you load $10 or $10 million in advance onto your card – no full discount without handing over your bank account details.

I have been hit twice for default fares – and both times it was an error. When I queried the charge both times I was told it was a mistake caused by a double scan – I got my refund but how many people have been stung and didn’t bother complaining or simply weren’t sure?

I have a friend who tagged onto the system one day – waited 30 mins for a train then caught a ride home with a friend in his car. Tried to tag off the system at the same station – hit with a default fare! How is that right?

The new system is a big step backwards.

Anyone else have any similar problems?