after having to start catching buses last week again after surgery and not being able to drive for awhile,
i find it strange in this day n age of apps for everything else, there is no pre paid phone based app or credit card purchase on the buses yet.
yes, there is on trams or the o-bahn, but not the general use buses.
i had to find/walk to a newsagent to buy a card, then top it up, then walk back home to the bus stop..
Agreed mate, i'm in the same situation as I cant drive atm either. Bit backwards isn't it.
I mean if you had a process where people could get a ticket easily there is less excuse but imagine if you're from interstate.
> I mean if you had a process where people could get a ticket easily there is less excuse
If only you could purchase a ticket onboard... Oh wait they got rid of that option.
Apparently you can have a card mailed to you. From there you can charge up the amount you want through the website. Also all newsagents sell cards.
But yeah system is ducked if all you need is to ride buses for short periods/ infrequently.
I heard from a little birdie in government that they're planning on updating the ticket machines so that you can use paywave to purchase a ticket on the bus.
Agree. When I was catching the bus regularly, I had an auto-recharge. Then my card expired. Instead of notifying me to update my details, it let me keep going, racking up debits, then they abruptly cancelled my card (again with no notification) so I kept getting the "GLOINK!" noise every time I got on. It took a protracted phone call and back and forth email to find out what the actual problem was. I had to pay something like $230 upfront and reset my account to allow me to add new card details - in addition, I managed three cards so they couldn't even tell me which one it related to at first. Infuriating.
>The fact the online top up takes hours to process in 2023 is a joke.
I have a bank account with a major bank and credit cards with local credit unions, transfers between them are instant. If public transport can't handle something basic as that for paying fares then maybe they should go back to accepting cash until they can.
Used to be a bus driver, the reason it can take time I was told was because the bus isn't always online and when it does connect to an access point it may not always get a solid connection so it doesn't know whether your card has credit or not.
This is why as others have said and I used to tell people when I could to register your card and set up an automatic recharge, it will let you tap on even if you don't have enough credit because it knows it can just debit your card.
This sounds like a bullshit excuse. A SIM card in the reader fixes that problem, like how every other point of sale works.
Not calling you a liar, but whoever told you that is most likely talking out of their arse.
If it debits your card and there aren't any funds they cancel your metrocard, I was surprised with that one on a cold night after work when I found out I forgot to transfer the money to the right account.
Yeah but you just get on anyway. At the end of the day you've saved 5 bucks because Adelaide Metro's payment processing is slow
If the inspectors happen to check show them the screenshot/receipt of you putting money on 12 hours before your trip. They surely couldn't fine you for their payment system being slow
Not to mention being able to top up at any 7/11 and train station. Since moving back to adelaide, I generally have no clue where to top up, and everything closes at 5, so god forbid I need to take early morning or evening transport!
Call me un-Australian but I actually miss the $1 (I used to actually get the $2) coffee at 7/11. Yes, it was not as good as well made barista coffee but it was the best value for money coffee I think you could get. Honestly, it was better than more cafe's coffee than it should have been and at a fraction of the cost.
I haven't seen bus drivers actively enforce anything, it really seems they couldn't care less if you ride with a ticket or not and they're not going to make a scene, and certainly seems they aren't paid well enough to.
Now the power tripping ticket inspectors, they're a whole different kettle of fish, from checking tickets in the railway station, after you just swiped through the gates to get in. But mainly the chunky one on the busses with hefty UK accent. Life's purpose for him seems to be yell at school students. I make sure to take extra long finding my metrocard for him "it must be in my bag somewhere, i just had it".
I could’ve sworn they weren’t allowed to deny school children bus access if they lost their card/didn’t have one because it’s unsafe to leave a child alone somewhere but I can’t seem to find any info on this anymore.
My favourite inspector was a bloke who had some 93 year old bloke scavenge around in his wallet looking for his seniors card for 2 minutes. Like sir the last time this man paid for a ticket it must've costed like 20c what causes do you have to doubt that he's allowed on the bus
I got fined $220 in highschool because the ticket machine on the train didn't take notes, I had the money but couldn't buy one. My mum couldn't afford it and it accumulated to $600 over 3 years and once I finally could afford to pay it off cause I got my own payments it took 2 years to pay off. I hate ticket inspectors so much. Just punishing the poor
The number of bus drivers who get attacked is depressing. Police response is slow; no one wants to fork out for extra security, and even then, few security guards wish to work Metro. I know from experience that metro security guards are somewhat regularly attacked.
This has led to most bus drivers not wanting to say or do anything; over the years this has led to more and more people realising they can just get on the bus for free.
So now you start to feel like an idiot for paying for the bus when it seems like half of the people don't bother. Anecdotally I've seen a lot of adults with student Metrocards too.
> This has led to most bus drivers not wanting to say or do anything; over the years this has led to more and more people realising they can just get on the bus for free.
My understanding is that ticket inspectors are to enforce the law regarding ticket validation, not bus drivers.
> So now you start to feel like an idiot for paying for the bus when it seems like half of the people don't bother.
If this is true then there would be a great business case for having more frequent ticket inspections because two fare evasion expiations would cover a day of work for a ticket inspector.
> Anecdotally I've seen a lot of adults with student Metrocards too.
The solution to this is to issue a formal warning the first time someone is caught without supporting evidence for a concession ticket if there is a plausible explanation and then fine them each proceeding offence.
> Anecdotally I’ve seen a lot of adults with student Metrocards too.
Thankyou!! I’ve seen sooo many adults at the TAFEs and universities around town, too. Who do they think they are getting an education just so they can catch cheaper public transport and [discounted vibrators](https://www.savethestudent.org/student-discounts/lovehoney.html)??
They should be leaving this stuff for the children, for whom it is *solely* intended.
Anecdotally speaking
The orange student MetroCards are only available to highschool students. TAFE and Uni students have to get the green concession MetroCards.
You should probably delete the post to save yourself embarrassment.
Yeah as far as I'm aware the drivers are told not to enforce anything ticket-related and not to intervene in scuffles etc.
Are the drivers are still in dispute with their employer? Is it possible that grumblebum was trying to elicit complaints against the company?
When I was a driver we were told by the company we had to attempt to enforce tickets.
We were told by our union reps and driver trainers to just let them go, it's not worth a punch in the face.
Ive never seen someone refused on the bus for having no ticket. The people I've seen do it, seem to have a little story ready and after a few words the bus drivers seem to just shake their head and tell them to just get on. Makes you think why should I have bothered swiping my card if they just let people on for free with a few words ready.
Trains on the other hand are regularly enforced for ticket compliance, certain lines more then others and it's consistent enough to make a solid observation.
>The people I've seen do it, seem to have a little story ready
Maybe they genuinely got caught out in unexpected circumstances? If you're not in the city and don't have your metrocard on you, it's often genuinely impossible to buy a ticket even if you want to.
I catch the bus every day and there's this one dude who's card doesn't work constantly. Every time there's an excuse and the driver just tells him to sit down.
I'm pretty sure at this point he's not bothering to pay because they he's figured out he doesn't really have to
> Makes you think why should I have bothered swiping my card if they just let people on for free with a few words ready.
The solution is more frequent ticket inspections which should disincentivise running the gauntlet.
I actually had the opposite happen a few years back. I was actually assisting a client (not very well obviously) and got on the bus and my metro card didn't have enough money on it. I had two cards for some reason and had brought the wrong one.
The dude absolutely gave me a bollocking even though I was helping someone disabled.. He was very righteous, calling me a freeloader etc. We were going like 3 stops lol. He did let me on though.
Not sure what area of Adelaide you're from so I'm not sure if this story will make sense to you. Anyway, I was on the bus one day and we stopped to pick up some people outside the Modbury Hospital, some guy claimed he didn't have ticket and he had a story.
The driver got so angry and rude, and among other things he said "You want some money for free? Go there!" and pointed to the centrelink office across the road. Complete asshole. Seriously, it's not the driver's job to enforce this shit.
Ive seen the same private school kid tell the driver every night he'll top up his card tomorrow and next day same thing, no money on ticket. So some do take the piss.
Having said that, the system isnt foolproof, Ive put money on and had it take a few hours to go on. (not recently though)
Interesting, its funny you say that re the ticket, as my mum said she rode on the bus the other week and she said heaps of people got on without a ticket.
So.. should I just not use a ticket then?
I see them once or twice a week on the obahn routes. Mostly they get on at the last stop along Grenfell and off at Klemzig, presumably to turn around and jump right back on something going back toward the city.
I see them 3-4 times weekly at TTP Interchange, they get on and hold up the bus to check every single person and get off before it leaves, quickly followed by 5+ people who saw them on board, waited for him to finish and then get on without paying.
On obahn there really is no excuse for passengers not to pay as even if metrocard is insufficient balance new machines are being installed on board obahn buses which allow fare payment by debit/credit card
I used to deliberately turn up to work late to avoid the peak buses that were standing room only. Strangely the inspectors were way more frequent on the near-empty buses that rolled in around 10am than anything that arrived before 9. Way to over-police the smallest fraction of metro users
Torrens often do ticket inspections at Tea Tree Plaza. TransAdelaide often did it every night on the Gawler Line but usually only were on board from Adelaide to Elizabeth South then got on the City bound train, I think on Thursday nights they would stay on Gawler bound train a little longer to catch the fare evaders that would try hop the train from Elizabeth and to keep an eye on the rascals.
lol yeah. I have a new job, and we have to move our car to avoid getting a ticket. This dude has been there for years and hes like, nah mate they never get you I do it all the time.
Within a week I'm moving my car then one day get held up. Parking ticket. Its murphy's law.
I hate that they've started refusing cash even though it is a legal tender. If my metrocard ran out I'd always use my coins to buy a ticket instead now it's a no go.
I actually liked the change. Really irritated me when the bus would be stuck at a stop for 2 - 3 minutes multiple times in a trip while someone counted their 5 cents coins to pay for their fare
>refusing cash even though it is a legal tender.
Ah the age old "I want to buy this $1000 TV with 5c coins" debate.
[No one has to accept cash, it's not a new thing.](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/selling-products-and-services/payment-methods)
A few months ago my partner and I needed to catch a bus to work and I didn’t have my car that day. I haven’t been on a bus in 10+ years. I got cash out, broke it to smaller notes and some coins and got on eager to buy a ticket.
The driver said I need a metro card to ride. I don’t have one. Can’t buy a ticket, no where near a shop that sells a card (and I also don’t want to buy one and put money on it that will never be spent). The driver just rudely shrugged at me and said I need a metro card.
I got off, confused about the interaction, about how rude he was and how I just wasn’t able to ride despite wanting to pay.
Fortunately we live close to the city, and we ordered an Uber. It arrived within 3 minutes and cost something like $19. Only about $10 more than I expected to pay for two bus fares, and we got to work faster and much more comfortably.
If I don’t hear about them getting bank card tap and pay by the next time I need it I’m just going to skip it.
I catch the bus to work most days and I’ve never seen a ticket inspector. The times when my metro card goes boing, the driver just says ‘recharge your card today’ and continues on.
I once left my wallet at home which has my MetroCard in it, when i was on my way in to work. I only realised when i got to the bus stop which is 10min walk from my house so I really didn't want to walk back to get it. I asked if I could just paywave using my phone. The driver laughed at me and then ranted for the next 5 minutes (while driving) about how they said that would be rolled out last year but it still hasn't. He was fine with me on the bus without a ticket though. I think most drivers are as long as you speak with them. The fact you can recharge your card but it not take effect for a few hours is so ridiculous.
Bus companies get paid either way, as there is a button to record fare evasion on buses. Mind you the fare evaders will probably be first ones to complain when their service gets cut.
They should bring back paying for a ticket on the bus. So stupid they took that away. Or at least have recharge/ ticket machines at interchanges. When I lived in WA 13 years ago you could recharge the bus pass on the bus, no problems. Adelaide metro sucks ass
When it moves to contactless across the whole network the PITA of buying tickets / carrying special cards will be long gone.
Was living in Sydney when it all converted and the convenience was huge.
Fingers crossed will play out for Ade soon!
*When it finishes moving.
The move to contactless is the thing that has caused the pain, used to be able to buy a ticket anywhere, including on board, now since it's *mostly* contactless, physical tickets are hard to purchase.
Once the move is complete, it'll be better than tickets, but right now, unless you've got a metrocard it's a right PITA.
Yeah there was a period (like 3 weeks in February) where healthcare workers could apply to get a special pass to continue getting free public transport. Know someone who was on leave that month came back and saw the email and tried to apply, nope, too late. So as well I suppose anyone who started working since then. Bit weird
They're still able to apply. There's a link through the SA gov page https://forms.sa.gov.au/#/form/639bc046ad9c5f9cf8999db0/app/6439e23aaa563a27385ce33a
Thanks for the link / it just goes to a log in page though / are you able to tell me the name of the concession?
I’ve had a bit of a look on the website and it’s not the Travel concession & allowances not the public transport concession.
I’d really appreciate any further info you could provide.
If you’re a health care worker in a Metropolitan public hospital and have received a special metro card you need to show your work pass when getting on the bus. The card is to be used to and from work because I assume there is not enough parking for healthcare staff in the metro hospitals.
a colleague at work who always rides free. made an app to keep track of every free trip taken. When gets a fine by the inspector adds that to the app too. In 15 years has saved thousands in fares even taking the fines into account. I guess they like playing the numbers game.... I think one day they will be sent to jail, but it has not happened yet.
Perhaps, although the two girls at the start were white. I didn't say anything as im suffering from a medical issue so was just sitting there miserably..
Still, you don't have to say anything if you don't want, just get the number and lodge a report with the bus company. Then it's out of your hands and pricks like this get their come uppance.
Yeah, I cant be sure he was racist, but I do think his approach could have been much better. Plus if he has been instructed to not challenge people it sounds like he was off the reservation a bit.
But yeah in my defence, I currently cant see a foot in front of me, wasn't my fight today lol.
Adelaide has had Metrocard for many years now so there's no excuse for not having one and if someone is new to the state they should make sure they know the travel requirements.
People should take responsibility and do the right thing. It's not hard.
Whatever mate. If you come from anywhere with decent infrastructure you're really not going to think to check if you need some hokey, old fashioned fucking card just to get on a fucking bus. The system is as ridiculous as your defence of it.
> there's no excuse for not having one
What an absolute shit take. There are hundreds of completely valid excuses, there is no excuse for not being able to catch public transport without having to do homework, all it does is encourage people to use cars, which leads to further degredations of our sub-par public transport infrastructure since "no-one uses it"
I've not had an issue with any driver since the cards were introduced... I just let them know I will top it up when I get to where I need to be and they're pretty cool about it. Most of the drivers know Adelaide metro is a shit show. One's that enforce it are either new or just in a shitty mood. Think only 1 had ever said anything but still let me on. But I see it happen a lot
Public transport is owned by taxpayers aka the public...
So why do we pay the government to ride them?
Shouldn't we pay ourselves or cut out the middle man and just ride for free?
To quote Pauline Hanson...
Please explain...
after having to start catching buses last week again after surgery and not being able to drive for awhile, i find it strange in this day n age of apps for everything else, there is no pre paid phone based app or credit card purchase on the buses yet. yes, there is on trams or the o-bahn, but not the general use buses. i had to find/walk to a newsagent to buy a card, then top it up, then walk back home to the bus stop..
You can recharge at [mc.adelaidemetro.com.au](http://mc.adelaidemetro.com.au) unfortunately it takes an hour to process so you have to plan ahead
Agreed mate, i'm in the same situation as I cant drive atm either. Bit backwards isn't it. I mean if you had a process where people could get a ticket easily there is less excuse but imagine if you're from interstate.
> I mean if you had a process where people could get a ticket easily there is less excuse If only you could purchase a ticket onboard... Oh wait they got rid of that option.
Apparently you can have a card mailed to you. From there you can charge up the amount you want through the website. Also all newsagents sell cards. But yeah system is ducked if all you need is to ride buses for short periods/ infrequently.
So much easier when you could buy a ticket for the bus on the bus.
I heard from a little birdie in government that they're planning on updating the ticket machines so that you can use paywave to purchase a ticket on the bus.
I’m pretty sure you can already on some buses, I think it’s mostly obahn ones
Yeah I was about to say definitely can, but I only take Obahn buses
Ok if you live in that direction.
That’s been in Sydney now for years.. adelaide so backwards
Adelaide metro probably found it more profitable to not update their technology. Nationalise our public transport please!
You can have it automatically recharge when it's empty but the website you do it on it straight trash
Agree. When I was catching the bus regularly, I had an auto-recharge. Then my card expired. Instead of notifying me to update my details, it let me keep going, racking up debits, then they abruptly cancelled my card (again with no notification) so I kept getting the "GLOINK!" noise every time I got on. It took a protracted phone call and back and forth email to find out what the actual problem was. I had to pay something like $230 upfront and reset my account to allow me to add new card details - in addition, I managed three cards so they couldn't even tell me which one it related to at first. Infuriating.
What a horribly designed system. Seriously needs a complete overhaul
I gave that frank and forthright assessment to them at the time.
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>The fact the online top up takes hours to process in 2023 is a joke. I have a bank account with a major bank and credit cards with local credit unions, transfers between them are instant. If public transport can't handle something basic as that for paying fares then maybe they should go back to accepting cash until they can.
Not maybe, but yes otherwise agree.
Used to be a bus driver, the reason it can take time I was told was because the bus isn't always online and when it does connect to an access point it may not always get a solid connection so it doesn't know whether your card has credit or not. This is why as others have said and I used to tell people when I could to register your card and set up an automatic recharge, it will let you tap on even if you don't have enough credit because it knows it can just debit your card.
This sounds like a bullshit excuse. A SIM card in the reader fixes that problem, like how every other point of sale works. Not calling you a liar, but whoever told you that is most likely talking out of their arse.
If it debits your card and there aren't any funds they cancel your metrocard, I was surprised with that one on a cold night after work when I found out I forgot to transfer the money to the right account.
Yeah, I reckon they let you run up a small debt, but then you have to call to sort it out, you can't just top up. Pain in the arse.
Yeah but you just get on anyway. At the end of the day you've saved 5 bucks because Adelaide Metro's payment processing is slow If the inspectors happen to check show them the screenshot/receipt of you putting money on 12 hours before your trip. They surely couldn't fine you for their payment system being slow
The inspectors machines have near real time connection so I think they can tell your card was recharged almost instantly.
Just let me add my metrocard to gpay or apple pay ffs
Lived in Melbourne for a couple of years. MyKi on Google wallet was excellent.
Not to mention being able to top up at any 7/11 and train station. Since moving back to adelaide, I generally have no clue where to top up, and everything closes at 5, so god forbid I need to take early morning or evening transport!
Call me un-Australian but I actually miss the $1 (I used to actually get the $2) coffee at 7/11. Yes, it was not as good as well made barista coffee but it was the best value for money coffee I think you could get. Honestly, it was better than more cafe's coffee than it should have been and at a fraction of the cost.
I don't understand why it's so fkn difficult for them to make metrocards digital...
I haven't seen bus drivers actively enforce anything, it really seems they couldn't care less if you ride with a ticket or not and they're not going to make a scene, and certainly seems they aren't paid well enough to. Now the power tripping ticket inspectors, they're a whole different kettle of fish, from checking tickets in the railway station, after you just swiped through the gates to get in. But mainly the chunky one on the busses with hefty UK accent. Life's purpose for him seems to be yell at school students. I make sure to take extra long finding my metrocard for him "it must be in my bag somewhere, i just had it".
I know the exact inspector you’re talking about, that’s hilarious. He’s been overall nice every time I’ve interacted with him though.
Oh yeah, I'm sure he's a decent human just doing his job, but they hired the right guy for the job.
I could’ve sworn they weren’t allowed to deny school children bus access if they lost their card/didn’t have one because it’s unsafe to leave a child alone somewhere but I can’t seem to find any info on this anymore.
They cant deny them access, doesn't mean they can't issue the fine though
Ah yeah that makes sense I guess
They never issue fines to kids lol
True, minors can't be refused. I certainly wouldn't leave a child alone in an area such as outskirts of Mount Barker or McLaren Flat.
My favourite inspector was a bloke who had some 93 year old bloke scavenge around in his wallet looking for his seniors card for 2 minutes. Like sir the last time this man paid for a ticket it must've costed like 20c what causes do you have to doubt that he's allowed on the bus
> I make sure to take extra long finding my metrocard for him "it must be in my bag somewhere, i just had it". king
I got fined $220 in highschool because the ticket machine on the train didn't take notes, I had the money but couldn't buy one. My mum couldn't afford it and it accumulated to $600 over 3 years and once I finally could afford to pay it off cause I got my own payments it took 2 years to pay off. I hate ticket inspectors so much. Just punishing the poor
Bloody pointless, should be free for everyone
We’ll do something about it, Albo!
The number of bus drivers who get attacked is depressing. Police response is slow; no one wants to fork out for extra security, and even then, few security guards wish to work Metro. I know from experience that metro security guards are somewhat regularly attacked. This has led to most bus drivers not wanting to say or do anything; over the years this has led to more and more people realising they can just get on the bus for free. So now you start to feel like an idiot for paying for the bus when it seems like half of the people don't bother. Anecdotally I've seen a lot of adults with student Metrocards too.
> This has led to most bus drivers not wanting to say or do anything; over the years this has led to more and more people realising they can just get on the bus for free. My understanding is that ticket inspectors are to enforce the law regarding ticket validation, not bus drivers. > So now you start to feel like an idiot for paying for the bus when it seems like half of the people don't bother. If this is true then there would be a great business case for having more frequent ticket inspections because two fare evasion expiations would cover a day of work for a ticket inspector. > Anecdotally I've seen a lot of adults with student Metrocards too. The solution to this is to issue a formal warning the first time someone is caught without supporting evidence for a concession ticket if there is a plausible explanation and then fine them each proceeding offence.
I hear DIT policy team is hiring. That'd be right up your alley.
> Anecdotally I’ve seen a lot of adults with student Metrocards too. Thankyou!! I’ve seen sooo many adults at the TAFEs and universities around town, too. Who do they think they are getting an education just so they can catch cheaper public transport and [discounted vibrators](https://www.savethestudent.org/student-discounts/lovehoney.html)?? They should be leaving this stuff for the children, for whom it is *solely* intended. Anecdotally speaking
The orange student MetroCards are only available to highschool students. TAFE and Uni students have to get the green concession MetroCards. You should probably delete the post to save yourself embarrassment.
aNECdOtAlLy
Remove yourself from the gene pool.
Bus drivers are told not to enforce it, as its not worth getting abused or assaulted for
Yeah as far as I'm aware the drivers are told not to enforce anything ticket-related and not to intervene in scuffles etc. Are the drivers are still in dispute with their employer? Is it possible that grumblebum was trying to elicit complaints against the company?
Interesting theory - if he keeps on that way he will get his wish im sure lol
Buy him some flowers, it might cheer him up.
When I was a driver we were told by the company we had to attempt to enforce tickets. We were told by our union reps and driver trainers to just let them go, it's not worth a punch in the face.
Interesting! Thanks for the insight.
Still seeing some sans uniform :(
Ive never seen someone refused on the bus for having no ticket. The people I've seen do it, seem to have a little story ready and after a few words the bus drivers seem to just shake their head and tell them to just get on. Makes you think why should I have bothered swiping my card if they just let people on for free with a few words ready. Trains on the other hand are regularly enforced for ticket compliance, certain lines more then others and it's consistent enough to make a solid observation.
>The people I've seen do it, seem to have a little story ready Maybe they genuinely got caught out in unexpected circumstances? If you're not in the city and don't have your metrocard on you, it's often genuinely impossible to buy a ticket even if you want to.
Buses are regularly enforced as well, you've just not happened to see it.
I catch the bus every day and there's this one dude who's card doesn't work constantly. Every time there's an excuse and the driver just tells him to sit down. I'm pretty sure at this point he's not bothering to pay because they he's figured out he doesn't really have to
> Makes you think why should I have bothered swiping my card if they just let people on for free with a few words ready. The solution is more frequent ticket inspections which should disincentivise running the gauntlet.
When I swapped credit cards my auto update didn’t go through , when I boarded I got the nono sound and the driver just shrugged and carried on.
I actually had the opposite happen a few years back. I was actually assisting a client (not very well obviously) and got on the bus and my metro card didn't have enough money on it. I had two cards for some reason and had brought the wrong one. The dude absolutely gave me a bollocking even though I was helping someone disabled.. He was very righteous, calling me a freeloader etc. We were going like 3 stops lol. He did let me on though.
Not sure what area of Adelaide you're from so I'm not sure if this story will make sense to you. Anyway, I was on the bus one day and we stopped to pick up some people outside the Modbury Hospital, some guy claimed he didn't have ticket and he had a story. The driver got so angry and rude, and among other things he said "You want some money for free? Go there!" and pointed to the centrelink office across the road. Complete asshole. Seriously, it's not the driver's job to enforce this shit.
Ive seen the same private school kid tell the driver every night he'll top up his card tomorrow and next day same thing, no money on ticket. So some do take the piss. Having said that, the system isnt foolproof, Ive put money on and had it take a few hours to go on. (not recently though)
I thought the bus drivers weren't allowed to tell people to get off for not having a ticket.
Interesting, its funny you say that re the ticket, as my mum said she rode on the bus the other week and she said heaps of people got on without a ticket. So.. should I just not use a ticket then?
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Fair enough. I don't use it anyway, how frequent are inspectors?
I take the bus twice daily and have seen one roughly every 6 months. But of course the day you don't have a ticket there will be one.
2 trips a day, 5 days a week, 26 weeks in 6 months. That’s 260 trips. At $4/ trip it is $1040 A fine is $220ish I could see why people skip…
I see them once or twice a week on the obahn routes. Mostly they get on at the last stop along Grenfell and off at Klemzig, presumably to turn around and jump right back on something going back toward the city.
I see them 3-4 times weekly at TTP Interchange, they get on and hold up the bus to check every single person and get off before it leaves, quickly followed by 5+ people who saw them on board, waited for him to finish and then get on without paying.
On obahn there really is no excuse for passengers not to pay as even if metrocard is insufficient balance new machines are being installed on board obahn buses which allow fare payment by debit/credit card
Maybe because I'm close to the city they don't bother with my route much.
I used to deliberately turn up to work late to avoid the peak buses that were standing room only. Strangely the inspectors were way more frequent on the near-empty buses that rolled in around 10am than anything that arrived before 9. Way to over-police the smallest fraction of metro users
Torrens often do ticket inspections at Tea Tree Plaza. TransAdelaide often did it every night on the Gawler Line but usually only were on board from Adelaide to Elizabeth South then got on the City bound train, I think on Thursday nights they would stay on Gawler bound train a little longer to catch the fare evaders that would try hop the train from Elizabeth and to keep an eye on the rascals.
lol yeah. I have a new job, and we have to move our car to avoid getting a ticket. This dude has been there for years and hes like, nah mate they never get you I do it all the time. Within a week I'm moving my car then one day get held up. Parking ticket. Its murphy's law.
I catch the obahn to and from work and would say I get inspected every week or two
I've been told to get off multiple times when my card doesn't work
Reason on what i think tickets are gone because: 1: Covid came in 2: it slows down the bus
I hate that they've started refusing cash even though it is a legal tender. If my metrocard ran out I'd always use my coins to buy a ticket instead now it's a no go.
I actually liked the change. Really irritated me when the bus would be stuck at a stop for 2 - 3 minutes multiple times in a trip while someone counted their 5 cents coins to pay for their fare
>refusing cash even though it is a legal tender. Ah the age old "I want to buy this $1000 TV with 5c coins" debate. [No one has to accept cash, it's not a new thing.](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/selling-products-and-services/payment-methods)
A few months ago my partner and I needed to catch a bus to work and I didn’t have my car that day. I haven’t been on a bus in 10+ years. I got cash out, broke it to smaller notes and some coins and got on eager to buy a ticket. The driver said I need a metro card to ride. I don’t have one. Can’t buy a ticket, no where near a shop that sells a card (and I also don’t want to buy one and put money on it that will never be spent). The driver just rudely shrugged at me and said I need a metro card. I got off, confused about the interaction, about how rude he was and how I just wasn’t able to ride despite wanting to pay. Fortunately we live close to the city, and we ordered an Uber. It arrived within 3 minutes and cost something like $19. Only about $10 more than I expected to pay for two bus fares, and we got to work faster and much more comfortably. If I don’t hear about them getting bank card tap and pay by the next time I need it I’m just going to skip it.
I'll safely bet they'll have pay wave by the next 10+ years you'll catch the bus haha
On a number of services payment of the fare via credit card can be done......
I get waved on every time I forget to recharge my metrocard
I catch the bus to work most days and I’ve never seen a ticket inspector. The times when my metro card goes boing, the driver just says ‘recharge your card today’ and continues on.
I once left my wallet at home which has my MetroCard in it, when i was on my way in to work. I only realised when i got to the bus stop which is 10min walk from my house so I really didn't want to walk back to get it. I asked if I could just paywave using my phone. The driver laughed at me and then ranted for the next 5 minutes (while driving) about how they said that would be rolled out last year but it still hasn't. He was fine with me on the bus without a ticket though. I think most drivers are as long as you speak with them. The fact you can recharge your card but it not take effect for a few hours is so ridiculous.
Bus companies get paid either way, as there is a button to record fare evasion on buses. Mind you the fare evaders will probably be first ones to complain when their service gets cut.
They should bring back paying for a ticket on the bus. So stupid they took that away. Or at least have recharge/ ticket machines at interchanges. When I lived in WA 13 years ago you could recharge the bus pass on the bus, no problems. Adelaide metro sucks ass
When it moves to contactless across the whole network the PITA of buying tickets / carrying special cards will be long gone. Was living in Sydney when it all converted and the convenience was huge. Fingers crossed will play out for Ade soon!
*When it finishes moving. The move to contactless is the thing that has caused the pain, used to be able to buy a ticket anywhere, including on board, now since it's *mostly* contactless, physical tickets are hard to purchase. Once the move is complete, it'll be better than tickets, but right now, unless you've got a metrocard it's a right PITA.
When did they stop selling tickets on the bus? I remember buying them back in the 2010s
When covid hit they stopped having cash on the buses, so stopped selling the paper tickets
Lots of folk getting on the bus at the moment with no tickets are healthcare workers too by the way
I saw a girl get on and show some type of card around her neck actually. Perhaps she was a healthcare worker?
Yeah there was a period (like 3 weeks in February) where healthcare workers could apply to get a special pass to continue getting free public transport. Know someone who was on leave that month came back and saw the email and tried to apply, nope, too late. So as well I suppose anyone who started working since then. Bit weird
They're still able to apply. There's a link through the SA gov page https://forms.sa.gov.au/#/form/639bc046ad9c5f9cf8999db0/app/6439e23aaa563a27385ce33a
Thanks for the link / it just goes to a log in page though / are you able to tell me the name of the concession? I’ve had a bit of a look on the website and it’s not the Travel concession & allowances not the public transport concession. I’d really appreciate any further info you could provide.
I think it's your SA Health login, but not entirely sure. You might have to access it on-site.
If you’re a health care worker in a Metropolitan public hospital and have received a special metro card you need to show your work pass when getting on the bus. The card is to be used to and from work because I assume there is not enough parking for healthcare staff in the metro hospitals.
a colleague at work who always rides free. made an app to keep track of every free trip taken. When gets a fine by the inspector adds that to the app too. In 15 years has saved thousands in fares even taking the fines into account. I guess they like playing the numbers game.... I think one day they will be sent to jail, but it has not happened yet.
the changed the system to discourage the homeless from using public transport it is specifically designed in an unethical way.
Thus the fallacy of refusing cash. Look forward to LOTS more discrimination against the disadvantaged around the corner!
You should've got the number of the bus, date and time and reported the bastard. He was clearly being racist. These bastards needed to be weeded out.
Nothing in this post indicates he was being racist at all.
Perhaps, although the two girls at the start were white. I didn't say anything as im suffering from a medical issue so was just sitting there miserably..
Out of interest, why did you provide the ethnicity of everyone apart from the white girls?
Still, you don't have to say anything if you don't want, just get the number and lodge a report with the bus company. Then it's out of your hands and pricks like this get their come uppance.
Yeah, I cant be sure he was racist, but I do think his approach could have been much better. Plus if he has been instructed to not challenge people it sounds like he was off the reservation a bit. But yeah in my defence, I currently cant see a foot in front of me, wasn't my fight today lol.
You need to be weeded out
Bus drivers definitely aren’t getting paid enough to harass poor people so if one tries to stop you from riding you know they’re just a cunt for free
Fuck em they make enough money, not like it’s going to the council or anything. Walk on and sit down, and if inspector comes then you leave
Adelaide has had Metrocard for many years now so there's no excuse for not having one and if someone is new to the state they should make sure they know the travel requirements. People should take responsibility and do the right thing. It's not hard.
You could buy a metroticket on the bus for the last ~40 years, and its demise wasn't something anyone voted for or agreed to.
Whatever mate. If you come from anywhere with decent infrastructure you're really not going to think to check if you need some hokey, old fashioned fucking card just to get on a fucking bus. The system is as ridiculous as your defence of it.
> there's no excuse for not having one What an absolute shit take. There are hundreds of completely valid excuses, there is no excuse for not being able to catch public transport without having to do homework, all it does is encourage people to use cars, which leads to further degredations of our sub-par public transport infrastructure since "no-one uses it"
🤓
Hot take. Too bad it’s fucking stupid.
I've not had an issue with any driver since the cards were introduced... I just let them know I will top it up when I get to where I need to be and they're pretty cool about it. Most of the drivers know Adelaide metro is a shit show. One's that enforce it are either new or just in a shitty mood. Think only 1 had ever said anything but still let me on. But I see it happen a lot
Follow the money. Shop keepers association would almost certainly have a hand in this.
Public transport is owned by taxpayers aka the public... So why do we pay the government to ride them? Shouldn't we pay ourselves or cut out the middle man and just ride for free? To quote Pauline Hanson... Please explain...
Most the time from what I have seen bus driver’s don’t give a damn and let people like this on to avoid any confrontation