Snapper card becomes city-wide on Go Wellington buses from Monday, but doesn’t seem properly planned

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The Snapper smart cards that have been trialled on Go Wellington’s Route 17 buses since April are being introduced across the Go Wellington system from Monday, but it doesn’t seem to have been that well thought-through.

As one of the regular No 17 users given the chance to trial Snapper, I have received an email saying that the dedicated buses with Snapper readers used on the route are being merged back into the wider bus fleet from Monday and that not all No 17s will now have Snapper readers.

“What that means for you is that the bus that picks you up on Route 17 may or may not be Snapper enabled. To ensure that you are not inconvenienced, please ensure that you have an alternative method of payment available to you,” the email says.

This is not something likely to generate enthusiasm for the new payment system. It means that trial commuters used to using Snapper cards (who were, very generously, given cards with $60 already loaded into them) will now need to again make sure they have cash or a cardboard 10-trip ticket in case the bus that turns up doesn’t have a Snapper reader.

From my general observation, Snapper readers have been installed at the front and rear doors of most of Go Wellington’s trolley and diesel buses, so most passengers will get a Snapper-enabled bus most times.

But my reading of the email suggests not all drivers have yet been properly trained in the use of the new system, so the Snapper readers may not be working on all buses.

There also seem clearly still to be technical issues. Twice last week, the drivers of Route 17 buses I was on had to pull over and stop because the Snapper system had stopped and needed rebooting. This caused such a delay with one bus that the next one caught up with it despite the 15 minute timetabled frequency between the two services. And my observation indicates that some Snapper users still have problems getting the reader to accept their card. I gave up trying to use mine and now use still only my Gold Pass because of this problem.

Such a change should not have been made until all buses and drivers were ready for this system, which will soon replace the 10-trip tickets.

Snapper cardholders can also use their cards to buy coffees and other small purchases in various places round town. You put money onto these smart cards either at the retail outlets that sell bus tickets or over the Net, and readers on the bus or in a café or other store deduct the bus trip, coffee or whatever from the balance on the card.

At present, on bus trips, the cards give a 20 per cent discount off the cash fare, which is the same as with a 10-trip ticket. The email I got said there would be a 25 per cent discount once all buses were Snapper-enabled, which seems good. The savings being made by the bus company are being shared with customers.

I am astonished that many regular bus users still pay cash despite the big savings to be gained from a 10-trip ticket (and now Snapper) and the monthly $95 Gold Pass (which is likely to be incorporated into Snapper later this year; a smart card can handle such a transaction easily by charging for all bus rides up to the $95 maximum in a month and then allowing free rides).

On the No 17 I often catch, I see a woman get on each day and pay the driver in cash (the fare is $3.50) when the 10-trip ticket would save her 70c a ride or $7 a week and a Gold Pass would save her around $60 a month. She stands out because she invariably pays with a $10 or $20 note, too, and delays the bus for precious peak-hour minutes while the driver gets her change together. Grrr.

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Filed under Consumer issues, Transport, Wellington

Tags: Go Wellington, Snapper card