[Karsini]

Originally Posted by AlekSmart

I'd also be concerned that,if leap becomes popular,the built-in delay before the relevant screen defaults will make Leaping a somewhat longer option than rooting.....Hard to credit but there ye go...

That's what I was thinking today, it didn't seem any faster than popping in coins so it will hardly help boarding times. It's still much faster to use a Travel 90 (or similar) card.

[Dravokivich]

Originally Posted by Posy

I still fail to see why they couldn't have used a 'scan on-scan off' system for Dublin bus. Telling the driver where you want to go makes having a card pretty pointless.

TBH, most of the time I use a bus is when I'm coming home from doing me mesages. I don't want to be holding 3/4 bags in 1 hand trying to rush off the bus and touch off at the same time.

I s'pose the same arguement could be made for parents with kids / buggies...

[cson]

Originally Posted by dublinman1990

It adds up that the Leap Card is better value for the Irish Taxpayer's.

It may prove to be but by all accounts at the moment it's cost €50m for a semi functional system which is clearly causing users, DB officials and retailers major hassle.

[Posy]

Originally Posted by Dravokivich

TBH, most of the time I use a bus is when I'm coming home from doing me mesages. I don't want to be holding 3/4 bags in 1 hand trying to rush off the bus and touch off at the same time.

I s'pose the same arguement could be made for parents with kids / buggies...

But you have to get on the bus with the shopping/buggy etc.. scanning a card on the way out can't be any trickier than having to get on at the coin side, tell the driver your destination and try and balance the card on the slanted scanner.

I just can't understand the point of a card that takes longer to use than paying cash, completely defeats the purpose for me!

[Dravokivich]

You queue up to get on, not to get off.

[bk]

Originally Posted by dublinman1990

If you are using google chrome it is a waste of time, still type or click www.leapcard.ie. Still no problems when I typed that in. Are you using Safari, IE9 or Firefox?

If you drop the www it doesn't work on any browser including Chrome.

This is due to a lack of a simple one line DNS entry. Very unprofessional.

The Google Translate thing is a good idea, as only a quarter of people use Chrome, however it seems to be inconsistently implemented on this site.

[Shelli2]

I've been using Leap for since the 'launch' Monday last week, purely Dublin bus with driver interaction. While I think a tag on and tag off system would be better, I have had no problems with drivers. All transactions went very smoothly. I did get one free journey where the driver pressed the wrong button and issued a cash ticket, and one driver took about 3 seconds max looking at the screed, and then smiled at me and said 'first one!", but all in all I'm delighted with my leap. My bus fare is €1.65, so I'll save money come January, but the main bonus for me is that I don't have to carry change and I'm not left with a box full of change reciepts to be cashed in.

My one gripe is that my local shop doesn't sell or top-up Leap cards yet, altough they are listed on the payzone website. But I've topped up in 3 different shops in the city center with no hassle at all.

[vienne86]

I mostly use a 30 day smart card for Dublin Bus as my regular fare is 2.30 each way. But I decided to buy a Leap card for occasional Luas journeys and short bus journeys. I tried to buy it in one shop, but they couldn't get their Payzone gadget to work. Today I managed to buy one, but only after two shop assistants had had a long discussion! When I asked, just for interest, if I could top it up on line, they said that they did not know (or care, I suspect). It's a pity buying the card is not always straight forward. I intend using it for the first time on Christmas Eve but am hopeful that the bus drivers will be up to speed on it.

[Karsini]

Originally Posted by vienne86

I mostly use a 30 day smart card for Dublin Bus as my regular fare is 2.30 each way. But I decided to buy a Leap card for occasional Luas journeys and short bus journeys. I tried to buy it in one shop, but they couldn't get their Payzone gadget to work. Today I managed to buy one, but only after two shop assistants had had a long discussion! When I asked, just for interest, if I could top it up on line, they said that they did not know (or care, I suspect). It's a pity buying the card is not always straight forward. I intend using it for the first time on Christmas Eve but am hopeful that the bus drivers will be up to speed on it.

I used mine last night on a 29A and 123, on both occasions the drivers knew what to do.

[Posy]

Originally Posted by Dravokivich

You queue up to get on, not to get off.

Well, each to their own I guess. I just don't see having to tag off the bus being too problematic to be honest since I pass the scanner on the way out anyway. Just my opinion though.

[hmmm]

How do I know whether my new card has the credit I bought (when I ordered the card) activated on it or whether I have to do something else?

If I choose "payzone" online (I think), I'm supposed to stroll up to the counter and say, errrr, what?

[AlekSmart]

Originally Posted by hmmm

How do I know whether my new card has the credit I bought (when I ordered the card) activated on it or whether I have to do something else?

If I choose "payzone" online (I think), I'm supposed to stroll up to the counter and say, errrr, what?

One of the hidden gems of the entire Leap Card introduction was the invitation to Top-Up Online...(I traded in my Luas Smart-Card)...

Off I went and topped up online,and was quite pleased at being able to put my ten-spot on it.....

However,when I next opened my mailbox,I find a missive from Leapcard telling me they've refunded me the money "due to problems with the process"....

I now discover that ALL initial top-up's of new Leapcards must be done at a terminal or Luas Validator.....pity they did'nt make that clear from the get-go then innit

The entire Leap roll-out,soft as it is reputed to be,has a shambolic air about it,and most certainly does NOT reflect €55 MILLION of investment.

I'm concerned,but not actually surprised,at the low level of knowledge displayed by my pasengers...only a handful have bothered to actually get one and few even bother to listen as I attempt to stoke the flames of Leapery....This does not bode well....

[cson]

On that last point; there's been little if any advertising of Leap - the first I heard of it [albeit 6 months ago] was here on boards. I haven't come across any Leap promotion anywhere outside of the new stickers on the wayfayers.

I'd imagine a majority of passengers are pretty 'wtf?' about it.

[AlekSmart]

Originally Posted by cson

On that last point; there's been little if any advertising of Leap - the first I heard of it [albeit 6 months ago] was here on boards. I haven't come across any Leap promotion anywhere outside of the new stickers on the wayfayers.

I'd imagine a majority of passengers are pretty 'wtf?' about it.

wtf...Wtf...WTF...is about the strength of it alright.

For something with such far reaching consequences for Dublin and it's citizens,and eventually,aspirationally the entire country,the Leap card almost appears apologetic in its introduction ?

Leap really did need a bit of chutzpah and serious marketing effort,a lá TfL and it's "Launch" of the New Bus for London....plenty of lead in,lead up and media foreplay to tease the punters and get them interested....

It seems as if the ITS people believe the far blunter 15% Fare Hike will do the marketing for them.....I remain unconvinced that this will be the case .

[Posy]

Originally Posted by cson

On that last point; there's been little if any advertising of Leap - the first I heard of it [albeit 6 months ago] was here on boards. I haven't come across any Leap promotion anywhere outside of the new stickers on the wayfayers.

I don't think I would know of it's existence either if it wasn't for boards. Nobody I know, that I've spoken to about the upcoming fare hike, has had a clue what I'm talking about when I say they're only going up 5c if you have a Leap card. It's like Dublin bus, at least, are hoping people don't know about it so they can charge the higher cash fares.