There’s a very interesting article on the Stuff website today which suggests that we might hear news on the integrated ticketing project this week. It seems like NZTA and the ARC have come to an agreement on the funding structure for this critical project that will replace the money that Auckland’s regional fuel tax was to provide. About six weeks ago I blogged about how an arrangement had been found to finish off a few train station developments around Auckland, but a huge question mark still hung over who would pay for this project. What was really concerning at that point was the ARC saying they were having “to try to scale back the integrated ticketing project”.
Today’s article seems to make it sound like the original deal struck between ARTA and a French company, Thales, to provide a smart-card integrated ticketing system, will go ahead after all. The alternative, which was probably cheaper, involved Auckland getting the Snapper Card system used in Wellington. The big problem with this system is that it is owned and operated by Infratil – who themselves operate about three-quarters of Auckland’s buses. The potential for a conflict of interest between operating the ticketing system and running a significant portion of the public transport services seemed quite significant – and may have been a deciding factor in ARTA prefering Thales. The other advantage of Thales is their enormous experience in implementing smart-card systems across many European cities.
What I hope for this week is to see the contract with Thales confirmed, to see a clear timeline for implementing integrated ticketing and to get some idea of what we can expect our future integrated ticketing system to be like. Hopefully in a year or two’s time we’ll have our own version of London’s Oyster Card.
Update: there’s a fantastic insight into what a smart-card integrated ticketing system for Auckland could be like on the Thales website here.
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This is an issue that even a super-city structure will have trouble with setting up, implementing and running, given the balkanised set up of public transport systems in Auckland.
Tha aim of an Auckland Oyster Card should be: all systems, all passengers, all times, all routes, all areas. And, of course, to include all Waiheke public transport.
I think that a lot of the planning work behind this has already been done – there just hasn’t been the money available to implement it until (hopefully) now. I agree on what you say is essential for a future Auckland version of the Oyster Card.
I wonder what we’ll call our new smart card?
Will people be able to buy products with the new integrated ticketing scheme? Or will it be transport services only? This would be faster than having to use eftpos and dealing with cash at convenience stores around the city if cards could be topped up on the internet. Also making them more attractive
I know in Hong Kong you can use your Octopus Card to buy many small items. Not sure what London does, although Wellington’s Snapper Card can be used for small purchases.
I think it would be likely for small purchases to be possible.
I think we should call it the Kokako Card because it’s blue hope you get what i’m saying
There seems to be a “sea” theme internationally. Octopus Card, Oyster Card, Snapper Card etc. Though I must say I like the idea of a Kokako Card.
Singapore, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Washington DC, Toronto etc all have their integrated transit cards.
More than ten years after the early RFID contactless cards were introduced in other parts of the world – there is no great wow factor in introducing a Thales card. Using transit cards for micro payments, parking etc are again no great innovation.
For a small population base like New Zealand a visionary approach would have been to create a National Transit Card (no pun on the political party. To have a card that works on buses in Tauranga or Duneidin, Palmerston North or Wellington opens up so many more possibilities than another orphan venture that will be incompatible with Wellington’s Snapper.
Even if inter-urban travel is done by plane, car, train or bus getting around your destination could be a lot simpler. And Kiwis do love to move around. Where good public transport is available people tend to use it. e.g. A good 30% of the population going to Wellington CBD use public transport.
Not sure whose call this is – but an universal transit card usable on every bus, train, coach or taxi or pay-parking location in New Zealand could certainly be a project of strategic value. It is harder to get Wellington to change than for Auckland to follow Wellington! Then the rest of the country is easier.
p.s. Jarbury – good kibitzing on the emissions chatline!
To be honest, I’m not that fussed about us being a world leader and having some “visionary” card system. I just want our ticketing system to join the 21st century, for it to be integrated and for it to work.
And thanks about the emissions chatline. There is such a disconnect between what Nick Smith talks about when it comes to reducing transport sector CO2 emissions, and what Steven Joyce’s policies actually are. I can’t see them talking to each other particularly much to be honest.
Nick Smith: “So Steven, what are you doing to the transport policies to help reduce CO2 emissions”
Steven Joyce: “Fuck off Nick, I’m late for lunch with the Road Transport Forum”.
I think Tram makes a good point point about the nationwide advantage of a countrywide card… I think of it kind of like rail gauges, always a problem to re-align later… The info on Holland’s nationwide system in the Thales link you provided was very interesting…
If we ever get a Minister of Transport who is serious about PT an nationwide card will be one of the seven “PT projects of national significance”…
A problem is that Wellington has already gone with the Snapper Card option. I have outlined the reasons why I am not so keen on Auckland also going down that path in my post above – which means that we may have two systems set up already. This would make it hard for alignment on a national level, but does that mean we should go for a potentially inferior option in Auckland just because Wellington has chosen to do so?
Absolutely not, Auckland should go for the best and the government should legislate that any new systems in New Zealand use Auckland’s system and when Wellington’s machines reach the end of their useful life the change happens there… One of the reasons I think it is so important we get this right..!
The problem is Wellington’s system is very new and is just being rolled out at the moment.
I was actually thinking about in 30 to 40 years time (at a guesstimate of the systems useful life if well maintained), I’m big on legacies..!
It is certainly something to consider in the longer term. Wellington have their own issues with making the Snapper Card a proper integrated ticket – it’s accepted only on some buses at the moment and not on any trains. So perhaps if Auckland’s system is a raging success, then the Greater Wellington Regional Council may look to emulating what has happened up here, rather than on expanding Snapper Card to the train system.
I think the plans we have at the moment are good and well timed and hopefully Joyce will be marginalised and here’s why;
1). Project DART and electrification have already progressed far enough and are popular enough with the public they must be completed politically.
2). The rail network after DART and electrification will be much more popular than predicted and the network will hit capacity soon after full completion say around 2014 and there is an election then after 6 years of National.
3). As soon as the network hits capacity and Aucklanders see the potential of the system the CBD rail loop will become the most important transport project in Auckland no matter what how much the transport minister is in the trucking/roading lobby pocket and hopefully it will coincide with a change to a labour/greens government and I think we’ll get commitments to at least the airport and avondale/southdown lines and possibly the north shore depending on Transit’s second crossing progression…
A successful integrated ticketing system will multiply the above factors…
I definitely see National getting at least 6 years at the helm I think it will take a disaster for them to get less (something along the lines of Key getting arrested) and even as a Socialist as long as National keeps WFF etc and doesn’t privatise anything a change from the Clark government is good (those last 3 years were a waste of time, think EFA, Winston) as long as its only 3 years…
Quite an optimistic outlook there Jezza. I hope you’re right on most counts (except for hoping you’re wrong about your 2011 election prediction). I do think that it’s likely the current proposed improvements (electrification, integrated ticketing etc.) will create a significant increase in patronage. The problem is that we can’t just sit around on our asses for the next 5 years – we need the CBD rail tunnel to be under construction by 2014.
It won’t be, it will require Government funding and that won’t happen with this Government till the public demands it, they’ll demand it after it needed… Personally I’ll settle for fully protected, planned and costed by 2014 with the public noise beginning in earnest…
Did you see my post on the other thread about a ferry thread and changing that dream rail network jpg..?
Jarbury – I did enjoy that bit about the apparent lack of communication between the Ministers of Transport and Environment in your post.
However, in developing the Government Policy Statement, the Minister of Transport is statutorily mandated to be consistent with the national energy efficiency and conservation strategy. (See Land Transport Management Act 2003 # 85 – Preparation of GPS)
In Mr Joyce’s GPS issued in May 2009 which can be found here http://www.transport.govt.nz/Documents/Final-GPS-May-09.pdf, there is modest lip service paid to energy efficiency, sustainability and consequently emissions.
Road user charges waiver for electric cars (under 3.5 tonnes) is like asprin. Why not for heavier vehicles?
Everyime I read that May 2009 GPS I want to throw something at my computer screen Tramster! LOL.
If the government really wanted to encourage the uptake of electric cars then they’d provide a reasonable subsidy on their purchasing price. Running costs aren’t really an issue for electric cars I thought.