Using myki: Update  #
Thursday, 12 Aug 2010 11:47AM
Update: The touch-on/off machines at stations and on buses do actually show when my myki-pass expires, it just happens so fast I missed it. I've modified this post as a result. End-Update

Physically using the myki card has been fine the last few days, but I have one gripe...

When you "touch-on" a little message flashes up telling you how much money you have left on your card and when your ticket expires. This message appears so quickly you rarely have time to take it in to read it. At let Metcards had the expiry printed on them...

Arguably though, when people start using the system, they'll move toward yearly tickets, in which case expiry is less important.

The other gripe I have is not my problem...

Anyone who uses the system by buying a Zone 1 + 2 daily pass (ie. me) will not have any problems with myki.

Anyone else (ie. someone wanting to travel only one Zone) will hate it.

If you do not touch-off on a bus or train, the default fare is the assumption you have travelled "to the end of the service". For buses this might be both zones, for the train it always is. As almost all Tram services are in Zone 1 the default fair on the tram is Zone 1.

When it becomes the passenger's responsibility to touch-off, the machines must work. So far I've failed to touch-off on my bus because the machine on the door has been broken. myki has assumed I've stayed on the bus and given me a default fare... except that within five minutes of me getting on the bus I got on a train. Surely the system can be smart enough to assume that as I'm on a train in Zone 2, perhaps I got off the bus in Zone 2?

No.