Why have we not posted here for 11 months?

We never got our second promised meeting with Jackie Trad. In fact her staff were not prepared to provide us with any response let alone a formal refusal.

While Jackie Trad was transport minister she managed to create an even more muddied situation than when she arrived in office. She launched the current fare review that we know almost nothing about, and has included no consultation with the people. The terms of reference were not presented for discussion in any way, not via the media, not through a Translink run consultation. The fare review is essentially a 'black box' exercise ably assisted by our local media who seem to have zero interest in asking tough questions which is extremely disappointing. After former transport minister Scott Emerson's recent fare review taskforce leaks which are clearly timed to send messages during the Brisbane City Council and regional council elections the fare review outcomes are being used as a political football. New transport minister Stirling Hinchcliffe has shifted the language around the fare review emphasising the release of it's recommendations and skipping over the first phase when the taskforce will present a "detailed options paper" for community engagement. We are right to be very concerned about this situation.

While Jackie Trad might have gained a tiny bit of mileage from cancelling planned fare increases the situation remains as dire as ever. The new transport minister refuses to engage in any communication with us. This is especially saddening because Translink have embarked on some disturbing and completely uncommunicated, non-integrated ticketing options, and new, adhoc bus route reforms that have been "funded" by the BCC. Translink continues to allow council to operate outside of it's role as planning stakeholder and bus service provider.

We've included here the most recent fare table and we swear we'll be more active with content here as soon as we shake off the mud and confusion.

You can look forward to our review of Brisbane City Council election policies (profoundly disappointing) and we will be following up with Translink on their suite of new and bizarre "ticket-types" being piloted and rolled out while the fare review continues it's deliberations.

Look at the state of these zones!

Brisbane's public transport zones under Translink are a product of  a long history of manipulation and disorganised attempts to create an effective integrated ticketing system. The map we have created shows the various tentacles created by the inclusion of  transition zones or 'precincts' which make up 20% of all train stations on the Translink network. It is a band aid solution that has become part of their system which is why Translink don't provide us with good zone information, and we have to go and dig it out. 

Have a close look at Darra Station. Look near it and you will see just how ridiculous and unfair this zoning system is to people in Inala.

We used online maps, journey planner, timetables, push bikes, walking, and lots of local knowledge to plot the REAL zone boundaries for this segment of Brisbane's south. You can see how they've manipulated the boundaries along train lines a

nd the South East Busway.
We have 5 more of these to do to complete the map of Brisbane, but it takes a lot of work and local knowledge. If you would like to help, we have prepared some instructions for doing the research and plotting the zone changes. Just get in touch and we'll help get you started.

A very special service that will save you money!

Next Monday morning 09/01/12 I will be at Central Station offering a very special service. For $1 per journey I will run up 9 journeys in zone 1 during off-peak. If you live outside zone 1 and commute during peak times, that means a saving of at least $0.14 per journey for the rest of the week.
Look for the guy wearing The Translink Ripoff t-shirt. Just give me your go-card (with at least $21.96 credit) and $9 cash. Then just txt me your CBD work address and I will drop your card off before you go home. Easy!

How to get the most from the new 10 journey cap.

The cheapest and most efficient way to make 10 journeys on your go-card is to travel in one zone where service frequencies are highest. The best place in Brisbane is in Zone 1 between Mater Hill station and the Cultural Centre station. Because the go-card system does not recognise or police return journeys on  your go-card you can travel back and forth along the busway without any problems. And the very stingy 3 transfer limit means you can complete a journey by hoping from bus to bus.

When catching buses outbound from the Cultural Centre station be sure to avoid catching the 192, 196, 197, 199, City Glider, or the 202 as they travel down Melbourne St. Also avoid any bus with 3, 4, or 5 as the first number.

The new off peak fare for 1 zone is $2.44. Ten journeys is therefore $24.40 and a new go-card is $5. For the sum total of $29.40 I was able to reach the 10 journey cap and was able to sell it to a backpacker who can travel with it for free for the next 6.5 days! They could even use it for a trip to the coast then sell it on.

The Translink Ripoff on Facebook

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