MyWay – Recharge early and often

It *is* a government-owned bus service. BPAY infrastructure is around, inexpensive (judging from the number of bills I can pay with them without and ancillary fee), familiar. While recharge terminals will need $, a tender, maintenance etc.

You’d imagine there could be some easily forged economies here – for instance someone obviously has a tender to maintain and clear the parking meters etc. I’d guess that could be pretty cheaply and easily extended to clearing and maintaining any MyWay AVMs that might be installed.

Having had some experience of the Myki debacle – I can say that topping up the card via a vending machine is by far the most reliable method of adding value in Melbourne, because the transaction is completed on your card as soon as the machine has accepted your money (via cash or EFTPOS). I think rolling out some recharge machines at interchanges, the smaller sets of shops and at stops along the Rapid routes would be an excellent way to make MyWay easier to use.

I think MyWay’s doing okay – rollout cost of MyWay, $8 million, compared to $1350M + for Myki. So an investment of about $23 for every Canberran, compared to $340 for every Melbournian. (Given that only about 1 million Melbournians use public transport, it’s more like $1000 per user..)

MyWay’s transition period – 1 month. Melbourne’s – 1.5 years and counting.

So not looking too bad so far, but they could certainly make some improvements.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but the machines that the bus drivers have on board look exactly the same as those at recharge agents. I’m guessing that flat bit on top is where you place the card while you punch in some numbers? If so, can you recharge on board (in a pinch I guess)?

lindilou said :

This problem would go away if there were more convenient ways of recharging i.e. recharge machines at the bus interchanges/major bus stations. I’ve suggested this to the ACT government like a couple of times by email and they haven’t gotten back to me. This is ignorance on their part and won’t make anything better. They need to start listening to people.

It *is* a government-owned bus service. BPAY infrastructure is around, inexpensive (judging from the number of bills I can pay with them without and ancillary fee), familiar. While recharge terminals will need $, a tender, maintenance etc.

Pre-paid cards should cause a revenue boost—just because users have to maintain a balance with ACTION—but I don’t think by themselves will boost public transport usage. Now, if myway were able to sell terminals to Canberra businesses to replace cash, and snare a percentage that otherwise goes to Visa/Mastercard—like in Hong Kong, there might be more users, more revenue stream, and more leeway to do these recharge stuff. Or maybe they won’t.

Compared to T-Card and Myki debacles, it’s OK so far, albeit in a smaller scale (and without trains). When Singapore first moved to their tap-and-go cards, users had to periodically line up to fill up their cards at counters as well. It was only later that they had Add-Value machines. And there is no online service. So the BPAY inconvenience is something I can live with, but hopefully not for too long.

Well, you must understand that your monies must go all the way over to Perth and back before being credited onto your card.. I’m sure it gets over there fine, like every other BPay.. just is a bit slow on the rebound from Westralia…

I think the problem isn’t BPay, but rather on the ACTION’s side to credit your MyWay once it has confirmed receipt of payment.

I’m just picturing several people working in an ACTION office transferring data from the banking system into the MyWay system… all by manually entry.

This problem would go away if there were more convenient ways of recharging i.e. recharge machines at the bus interchanges/major bus stations. I’ve suggested this to the ACT government like a couple of times by email and they haven’t gotten back to me. This is ignorance on their part and won’t make anything better. They need to start listening to people.

Any Bpays processed before 2pm are usually received the next business day. If it’s after 2pm, then it will be 48 hours. 4-5 days is a load of crap, unless they have the worlds most useless banking/accounting department

In my experience BPAY takes a couple of days. 5 seems excessive, whether it actually takes that many I don’t know, maybe they just say that for arse-covering purposes.

For BPay, my Internode Internet invoice states “allow up to 4 days for payment”. My credit card statement states “please allow 2 business days for payment to be received…”. I can pay for Qantas flights with BPay, and the e-ticket is approved in 2 days.

So 5 days seems like a long time, especially if a ticket is unusable below a certain amount. Although, Myway could just be receiving payments, and then have someone add value to individual cards manually (guessing).

Maintain a high balance (same as recharge early). Larger amounts reduce frequency of recharging, but would reflect ticket price, and usage.

I called them in regards of my BPAY recharge issue – I paid $20 in via BPAY on 4th April and I thought it wasn’t recharged as per shown to my balance online but they said it takes 4- 5 days, they checked my account for me, the $20 was sitting on my card since 6th April, so it takes around 24 – 48 hours to get through.

It will show on the balance once you tag on again, and the new amount will be shown online. So I reckon the 4-5 days is bullocks.