Travelling into town today on a Route 17 bus with the Snapper readers disabled, I listened to a Morning Report journalist saying how good this system is and how the bugs have been ironed out of it. I doubt she is a bus user.
The reporter contacted me earlier this week as a result of reading articles on this blog about Snapper, which is a smart-card system that is not only replacing the old 10-trip bus tickets, but can be used to pay for coffee, drycleaning and many other small purchases at retailers that will also have Snapper readers.
I told her that I thought the introduction of Snapper was proceeding in a disorganised way, as, for example, Route 17 buses have been Snapper-equipped for a trial since April, yet late last week users were told by email that from this week, there was no guarantee of getting a Snapper-enabled bus on this route, so we should be prepared to use other forms of payment, such as cash or a 10-trip ticket. And, of five 17s I have caught so far this week, only one has had its Snapper reader working. Just why this should be the case in the week the system was meant to have been introduced across the Go Wellington network is anyone’s guess, and is unacceptably bad customer relations for passengers on a route where every bus had been Snapper-enabled for months and the cards had been used every trip by many passengers.
I also told her I thought the Snapper system was a very good idea, that the technology had been proven overseas (London’s Oyster card and Hong Kong’s Octopus, for example), and that the problems I had noted on this blog were clearly only teething problems, but that Go Wellington seemed to be rushing into its system-wide introduction a little early.
She went to the bus company and came back and told me I was wrong, that everything was fine and working perfectly, according to the bus company, which to prove it provided her with a large number of happy Snappers from the ANZ Bank (who seemed from her report to use it to buy coffee rather than catch buses).
As I said, nothing she said gave me the impression she actually uses the buses.
13 Comments
July 18, 2008 at 9:01 am
The comments from the ANZ/National staffers seemed too good to be true. Are they doing the online fulfilment or some other financial aspect of the service?
July 18, 2008 at 9:02 am
I find Aucklands Go Rider card excellent but it would great if it worked on all public transport across Auckland
July 18, 2008 at 10:26 am
The Go Rider cards use older technology – the card has to be inserted into the machine for it to be read. But it’s hugely popular and easy to use – though, unlike Snapper, it doesn’t need to be read again when leaving the bus.
But – like Bryan says – it would be so much better if you could use it to travel on a ferry or train as well.
July 18, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I agree with the point about the Go Rider card in Auckland. It’s quite annoying that it is not an integerated ticket.
That raises an interesting question — will the Snapper card be valid only on NZ Bus services like the Go Rider card in Auckland? Or will it eventually be rolled out to other companies and TranzMetro services?
July 18, 2008 at 1:28 pm
At this stage, Mana Coach Services, Newlands Coach Services, East By West Ferries, Tranz Metro Wellington and presumably Valley Flyer are exempt from this. No consultation has yet been entered into with other operators to my knowledge.
July 18, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Christchurch uses the Metrocard across three bus companies. http://www.metroinfo.org.nz/metrocard.html
This is simply placed on the reader when boarding the bus. Cash fairs are $2.80.
Here’s what travel with the Metrocard costs:
For $2.10 you receive two hours unlimited travel*
For $4.20 you receive unlimited travel for one day*
For $21 you will receive one calendar week unlimited travel (Monday to Sunday)*. Weekends are free if you have spent $21 Monday to Friday*.
*Travel within Zone One (this includes all routes within Christchurch City.
Easy!
July 18, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Just an aside….
Snapper, oyster, octopus….
Any reason for the common seafood nature of the names?
[Poneke says: NZ Bus told me they adopted Snapper to keep the seafood theme of Octopus and Oyster. But why Octopus and Oyster, I don't know!]
July 18, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Oyster – possibly the pearl of a chip inside that holds the data?
Octopus – possibly the vice-like grip its tentacles will exert on your personal data and travel movements?
Snapper – because it’ll be incompetently implemented and bite you on the behind?
Tongue – firmly in cheek!
July 18, 2008 at 5:40 pm
After the official declaration of Snapper going public, I was finally able to use my snapper yesterday (Thursday pm) to catch a bus. And not for the want of trying. Although the announcement that all 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11 routes would be snapper enabled, I have only found one no. 2 and one no. 7 to be so. At least when I was catching a bus. Even so, my first and only experience (to date), it worked and I found it easy.
I agree with you, Poneke, this seems to be one shambles of a rollout. I hope Snapper services/Go Wellington can get their s*^t together. It is a sight quicker to snapper on than have the driver press the many buttons to process the gold card/10 trip or cash that the new terminals seem, now, to require.
Why does it seem acceptable to make the drivers life a living nightmare? Surely they could just program the terminal so only one button press is required – given the slow system response when the driver presses the virtual touch buttons.
To me it smacks of the users being made to conform to the technology, rather than the technology doing what needs to be done.
July 18, 2008 at 8:54 pm
But why Octopus and Oyster, I don’t know!
Of Oyster, Wikipedia sez:
“Oyster was chosen as a fresh approach that was not directly linked to transport, ticketing or London. Oyster was conceived and subsequently promoted because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the component meanings of the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl. Its associations with London through Thames estuary oyster beds and the popular idiom ‘the world is your oyster’ were also significant factors in its selection as was the uniqueness of the word Oyster.
Can you tell there was a Saatchi and Saatchi involved with that?
And of the Octopus card, which came first, Wikipedia sez…
The English name Octopus card was also selected from the naming competition, and coincides with the number eight in the Cantonese name, since an octopus has eight tentacles. It is also particularly appropriate since an octopus is thought to be able to grab many things at the same time and this ability is conferred to its cardholders who can use it in many different types of transactions.
July 18, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I followed a Newlands Coach Services Ansaldo type Volvo B10M with full rear end advertising for Snapper. Im not sure if this is advertising coverage only but, can one deduce what the future holds if they read between the lines??
Speculation on my part purely…
July 24, 2008 at 9:19 am
To answer my own question:
“EFTPOS New Zealand is implementing the Snapper terminal network for Snapper Agents and Merchants who take Snapper.” — snapper.co.nz
“EFTPOS New Zealand is one of a family of ANZ National Financial Group brands that includes ANZ [...]” – eftpos.co.nz
So: in order to find happy Snapper customers, Morning Report went to ANZ, who happen to be the supplier of all the credit and debit methods for Snapper.
Lame, Morning Report; laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame.
August 1, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Re dritchie
Are ANZ doing online fulfillment for Snapper? Yes, they’re Infratil’s partner in this venture.
Fortunately it seems that Infratil was foresighted or lucky enough to chose a card that hasn’t yet been hacked or found to be clonable.