8841 replies to this topic

[Matt R.]

3 things.

#1 it’s harder for the system to have fare groups (ie. discount, monthly)

#2 with no stored value it’s hard for the system to understand where and when a card has already been used. ie. if you tap on with your credit card but then transfer it can’t know you paid your fare at last tap

#3. Transit doesn’t get enough valuable customer usage data


The key with the transit specific card is that it keeps data right onboard.

Oh it’s the last one then. I only ever use a credit card on the mainland, tap on and tap off when required.

[Matt R.]

It also takes 5 seconds with a landline or wifi connection to a high speed router.
 
Every passenger would be taking 10 or more seconds to tap their Visa from a terminal on a bus. That's a no-go.

Have you never taken public transit in Vancouver? There’s no delay. I am sure it doesn’t charge the card until end of day, or whatever.

[Victoria Watcher]

Delay to process/authorize the payment. Tap systems do not require every bus to be linked to the cloud. Your stored value card instantly interacts with the reader.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 January 2022 - 05:03 PM.

[Matt R.]

Didn’t I just say there is no delay?

[Nparker]

If I can't tap with a debit or credit card, this new system is a non-starter for me. Fortunately, I almost never ride the bus.

Edited by Nparker, 26 January 2022 - 05:40 PM.

[Mike K.]

Have you never taken public transit in Vancouver? There’s no delay. I am sure it doesn’t charge the card until end of day, or whatever.

Yeah, I buy the compass day pass or whatnot at kiosks.

Granted that was years ago. You can now pay with your MasterCard on a bus?

[Victoria Watcher]

Have you never taken public transit in Vancouver? There’s no delay. I am sure it doesn’t charge the card until end of day, or whatever.

 

But you pay the adult, cash fare.  You cannot use your credit card for a discount (senior, student) or monthly pass fare etc.   Most people that take transit very regularly take advantage of some type of discount.

 

 

 

https://buzzer.trans...hing-on-may-22/

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 January 2022 - 05:56 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Didn’t I just say there is no delay?

 

Sorry.

[Cats4Hire]

If I can't tap with a debit or credit card, this new system is a non-starter for me. Fortunately, I almost never ride the bus.

Good thing as I already posted, you can. Not sure why everyone is acting as if they aren't an option.

[Matt R.]

Yeah, I buy the compass day pass or whatnot at kiosks.

Granted that was years ago. You can now pay with your MasterCard on a bus?

The whole network. I’ve never bought a compass pass ever in my life. I see all the people lining up at the kiosk in Tsawassen while I’m sitting on the bus. If you leave a fare zone you tap out so it knows how far you went and what to charge, same as a compass card.

[Matt R.]

But you pay the adult, cash fare.  You cannot use your credit card for a discount (senior, student) or monthly pass fare etc.   Most people that take transit very regularly take advantage of some type of discount.
 
 
 
https://buzzer.trans...hing-on-may-22/
 
screenshot-buzzer.translink.ca-2022.01.26-20_55_16.png

Yes someone mentioned that already. There surely are other ways to do it for monthly passes and what not. For the normal, casual user tap is easy. Anyways…

[FogPub]

Wonder how much they'll have to raise the fares to a) cover the cost of the new equipment and b) make back the small-but-not-zero slice the banks take for each credit or debit transaction?

 

I'll keep on using cash, if it's all the same.

[vortoozo]

Wonder how much they'll have to raise the fares to a) cover the cost of the new equipment and b) make back the small-but-not-zero slice the banks take for each credit or debit transaction?

 

I'll keep on using cash, if it's all the same.

 

The capital is being covered by 3 levels of government:

 

 

 

This project is being cost-shared with the Government of Canada contributing 50 per cent of eligible costs, the Province of British Columbia contributing 40 per cent, and the project’s local government partners contributing the remaining 10 per cent. The total cost for this project is $23,200,000.

 

I doubt the variable cost of accepting electronic payments is much different than the cost of accepting cash. Someone has to oversee counting, sorting, accounting, having the cash transported to the bank, etc.

[Mike K.]

From the province:

Transit users travelling through the peninsula communities will soon enjoy a faster commute as work begins on new lanes so buses can jump the queue at Mount Newton Cross Road and the Pat Bay Highway (Highway 17).

“Our government is committed to providing convenient and affordable public transit alternatives to travelling by car,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “These enhancements will make travel easier and faster for transit users and provide more safe, active transportation options for people walking and cycling along the Highway 17 corridor, benefiting businesses and connecting communities for years to come.”

These improvements will support enhancements to transit services along the Highway 17 corridor, including new stops that service Indigenous communities. The bus queue lanes will start before the intersection and will allow transit buses to bypass congestion. The lane will continue after the intersection at Highway 17, where buses will merge back into the traffic flow.

“Through CleanBC, we’re providing better clean transportation options for people by improving public transit and active transportation,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “This new project will mean faster, more convenient transit trips along an important travel corridor in the capital region, which will help reduce congestion and climate pollution.”

The project will also reconfigure the intersection to improve safety and sight lines by rebuilding traffic islands, as well as adding new signals, signage and road markings. Crews will make enhancements to existing pathways and add new sidewalks.

Some highway lane closures will be required during night work, enabling crews to undertake work without causing daytime disruptions to the extensive vehicle traffic on Highway 17. Existing cyclist and pedestrian facilities will remain open during construction.

The project is a priority identified in the South Island Transportation Strategy, an integrated approach to travel options by increasing the infrastructure needed to build connections and capacity, improve safety, and expand choices for sustainable travel. This project also supports government’s CleanBC Roadmap 2030 climate goals and Move.Commute.Connect, B.C.’s active transportation strategy.

The total project budget for this work is $7.6 million. Nanaimo-based Milestone Equipment Contracting Inc. will complete the installation of the new bus stops and transit queue jumpers near the intersection.

[FogPub]

^Fine for transit, but why in the frak aren't they making that Mt. Newton intersection into a full interchange while they're at it?

[CriticalMass]

What a waste of 7.6 million. This 70/71 buses are the only ones to pass through this intersection.  What will we see a 30-60 seconds time saving?
 

This money would be better spent on attaining and retaining drivers so that the ridiculous amount of cancellations are rectified. 
 

It’s all BC Transit smoke and mirrors blaming cancellations on sick drivers.

 

I’m sure that there is always a certain % of drivers off sick and this should be accommodated in regular staffing levels and if there is an increase in these times hire more people. It’s been two years of pandemic now. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. 
 

Talking to drivers and I’m told they have been short drivers well before the pandemic because of the 5 years it takes to reach full wages. 
 

Im told the new normal is cancellations where in the past the company would attempt to get drivers to work extra. 
 

But as the company says they are working diligently to fix this. 
 

What a joke. 

Edited by CriticalMass, 29 January 2022 - 06:48 AM.

[Cats4Hire]

anecdotally I have been seeing more training buses lately. At UVic yesterday there was 3 sitting at the exchange while usually I see 1 at most.

 

The pay thing is weird. After training you make $21.77 an hour. Decent amount for starting wage but the start is the worst. You're doing things like driving out to Swartz Bay to be the first 72 of the day and then back to the depot until PM rush so you only actually worked 2 hours in the morning then have to hang around until like 3 to work another 2 or 3 hours (I assume right now they're trying to get all drivers as close to 8 hours as possible though). That would be $108.85 for the day (assuming 5 hours). Working an 8 hour day at Walmart is $121.60. We've already talked about split shifts being nearly impossible to remove but I think having the $21.77 be the after 6 months rate ($23.71, now $118.55 for 5 hours) and just shifting each pay increase forward might help.

 

Comparing to Translink (I know Vancouver is more expensive to live in than Victoria so pay is likely to be more, just looking at the timing) here you get a raise at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years. Translink it's every 8 months with the final coming only 32 months after training ($35.64) which in about double the time BC Transit never reaches ($32.18 after 5 years). I don't think a pay increase is needed (Vancouver cost of living is higher than Victoria) but quicker time to get your pay increases so when you're working the crummy short split shifts you don't make less in a day than a minimum wage employee would.

[Mike K.]

I agree, that they should have built a small overpass.

[Victoria Watcher]

What a waste of 7.6 million. This 70/71 buses are the only ones to pass through this intersection.  What will we see a 30-60 seconds time saving?

 

Seems odd.

[vortoozo]

What a waste of 7.6 million. This 70/71 buses are the only ones to pass through this intersection.  What will we see a 30-60 seconds time saving?

 

I suspect the major part of this work is to add the stops, in order to provide better connectivity to the services & first nation there.

Since that will already require the extra pullout lane, the incidental cost to add the queue jump is probably minimal.