Uh Oh, computers are more powerful than you'd think!

NickD said :

It seems reasonable to assume that Stanhope’s argument is that the government now has a new database that keeps better track of bus crashes than the old one did, and that the 2008 figure was unduly low due to problems in either reporting or recording accidents. This is actually a pretty normal thing to happen when data collections improve (for instance, the ABS recently reported a large increase in the number of suicides which was actually mainly attributable to the ABS using a better methodology of assembling these numbers).

No, really? I never would have guessed. 🙂

What I was alluding to was the fact that our Dear Jon (along with many other people in the media these days) doesn’t stop to think when he opens his mouth. Some of the statements made make me and my missus crack up. Cheap entertainment I suppose but it’s symptomatic of the general trend of saying something that, when thought about for a nanosecond, means something entirely different. But then, most people don’t think, even for a nanosecond, such is the world we now live in.

As an aside, I was on an intertown bus this afternoon which had a TV display announcing the location of the next and upcoming stops. It was pretty snazzy.

merlin bodega said :

When oh when will we get a new ticketing system that does not rely on paper tickets and the mag strip on them?

In the next year. Testing is commencing shortly.

If it only happened on one bus, I’d be less annoyed. Once getting to work, once getting home, so at least part of the fleet is miscalibrated.
The morning bus driver was apologetic and said ACTION had no facility to refund, the evening one was a wholly different view of the situation, accusing maybe five passengers of lying, and trying to get an elderly woman to pay again.

That blows, skid. I’d say try asking for a refund at an exchange office but it’s not worth the $2.40 to deal with these muppets. I’ll watch my ticket closely tomorrow.

On a bus the other day when the driver decided he’d go the wrong way and skip half his stops, including the hospital, in peak hour.

“Ehwarnwongeorfathorspl?”
“No, but there’s usually a lot of people who want to get on.”
“Fuggemaygangeanuvarunay.”

Sad thing is half the passengers thought it was hilarious and were well pleased they’d get home early. Mongas.

#1 – another fine example of ACT Govt competence! Obviously the end of daylight savings was a surprise that ACTION had no knowledge of in advance?

Re the accidents, the database excuse is a crock obviously. I’d be surprised if the number of accidents ACTION is involved in requires much more than a spreadsheet to keep track of – perhaps a small Access database at a stretch.

It seems reasonable to assume that Stanhope’s argument is that the government now has a new database that keeps better track of bus crashes than the old one did, and that the 2008 figure was unduly low due to problems in either reporting or recording accidents. This is actually a pretty normal thing to happen when data collections improve (for instance, the ABS recently reported a large increase in the number of suicides which was actually mainly attributable to the ABS using a better methodology of assembling these numbers).

Canberra buses continue to amaze. With ACTION bus routes already the longest distance between any two points in Canberra, the lack of calibration between the ticket machines on different buses shouldn’t come as any surprise. When oh when will we get a new ticketing system that does not rely on paper tickets and the mag strip on them? Its just a little bit out of date, a little bit cheap, a little bit hard to understand and a little bit like no-one is seriously running this system for the benefit of the passengers. I feel so sorry for the poor schmucks from out of town who try to follow it. A new ticketing system will allow the ACT to do the unthinkable – that is charge fares according to how far you travel and the time of day you do it.

Canberra buses continue to amaze. With ACTION bus routes already the longest distance between any two points in Canberra, the lack of calibration between the ticket machines on different buses shouldn’t come as any surprise. When oh when will we get a new ticketing system that does not rely on paper tickets and the mag strip on them? Its just a little bit out of date, a little bit cheap, a little bit hard to understand and a little bit like no-one is seriously running this system for the benefit of the passengers. I feel so sorry for the poor schmucks from out of town who try to follow it. A new ticketing system will allow the ACT to do teh unthinkable – that is charge fares according to how far you travel and the time of day you do it.

Skidbladnir said :

In other bus-computer-glitch news, transfer tickets are only valid for half an hour at the moment because the machines haven’t been daylight-savings calibrated properly.

Obviously it wouldn’t affect ALL buses, because then there wouldn’t be an issue. It sounds like it was just the second bus that hadn’t been corrected, and the first one had.