[PR] iLink - The New Integrated Bus and Rail Travelcard

munchkin_utd

ok, probably should mention that this is for Northern Ireland, not the republic!

5th October 2009:
Regular customers who use both bus and rail services are set to benefit from a new integrated Smartcard – iLink - offering users greater flexibility and convenience.

Catherine Mason, Group Chief Executive for Translink, was joined by Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland, Antoinette McKeown, to launch the new Smartcard which has been introduced today (Monday 5th October 2009).

Catherine Mason, explained, “iLink is the first integrated commercial Smartcard for Northern Ireland and is a big step forward in delivering integrated travel solutions for everyone.

“It can be purchased for unlimited day, weekly or monthly travel on Metro, N I Railways and Ulsterbus services within 3 specified zones in Northern Ireland. Available for both adults and children, it will be ideal for customers who use both bus and train services regularly. It is easy to use and can be topped up again and again at one of our designated sales outlets.

pressrelease: http://translinktours.com/20091005iLinkLaunch.asp
proper scheme homepage : http://www.translink.co.uk/ilink.asp

In Dublin, there's already the small/ medium/ large hop in place so a scheme almost exactly like this could be introduced overnight in the Greater Dublin Area.
So Metro, N I Railways and Ulsterbus equates to Dublin Bus, Iarnrod Eireann and Bus Eireann.

And thats without the arsing about with tagging on, off and the likes, and then working out complicated formulas of miles travelled and operators used so that the end operator gets their cash.
(but that would be too simple wouldn't it!!)

The only critisism I would have is that its very Belfast-centric but still and all, thats where most of the students go and thats where most of the jobs are, so again similar to the greater Dublin area.

T Corolla

Exactly it should be brought in and reduce some of the duplication and open up area of Dublin and commuter belt regions to better public transport options. It would be a large jump for CIE if this was introduced and may see the movement of people from cars back to buses. I live in the midlands and public transport is very good but could be better. I have 11 train services a day and about 25 buses from Dublin and 10 trains and 23 bus services to Dublin all public services that are in the region of 1hr 10 mins(train) and 1hr 30 mins(bus) to Dublin so no excuse not to use it

AlekSmart

It would be a large jump for CIE if this was introduced and may see the movement of people from cars back to buses.

It`s a large jump which CIE,particularly Bus Atha Cliath have been attempting to make for at least 9 years now.

The missing link here is how Translink is ALLOWED to introduce this new and forward thinking utilization of the Smart-Card (Stored Value) whilst Bus Atha Cliath is NOT Allowed to introduce any similar form of Card.

Current Dept of Transport policy is to restrict Bus Atha Cliath`s Smart-Card ticketing to direct replacements of a pre-existing Magnetic Card type.

This policy,apparently,is to allow the Dept of Transport time to get it`s own version of Smart Card enabled Integrated Ticketing up and running.
Sadly the Department appears to be no nearer that event than it was at the inception of the Integrated Ticketing Implimentation Group.

The roll-out date is now further in doubt following the Dept of Social and Family Affairs belated decision to become part of the Group which entails a further delay whilst the DFSA customer Database is integrated with the DoT`s one.

The Department of Transport lives in fear of being seen to increase or approve any move which increases Bus Atha Cliath`s pre-existing status as the "Dominant Operator" in the region,even if that move is to the benefit of the greater travelling public interest.

It`s Public Transport Policy Jim.....but not as we know it !!

munchkin_utd

actually!!
maybe they are one step ahead after all in dublin bus!

Heres a (seemingly) magnetic stripe + smart card version of the short hop Rail + Dublin Bus Card.




http://www.taxsaver.ie/Ticket-Types/Annual-Tickets/Annual-Bus--Rail-Short-Hop/

If thats the case, why isnt the Government jumping up and down with a PR campaign stating that we have integrated ticketing like they are up the north?

icdg

AlekSmart wrote: »

It`s a large jump which CIE,particularly Bus Atha Cliath have been attempting to make for at least 9 years now.

The missing link here is how Translink is ALLOWED to introduce this new and forward thinking utilization of the Smart-Card (Stored Value) whilst Bus Atha Cliath is NOT Allowed to introduce any similar form of Card.

Current Dept of Transport policy is to restrict Bus Atha Cliath`s Smart-Card ticketing to direct replacements of a pre-existing Magnetic Card type.

This policy,apparently,is to allow the Dept of Transport time to get it`s own version of Smart Card enabled Integrated Ticketing up and running.
Sadly the Department appears to be no nearer that event than it was at the inception of the Integrated Ticketing Implimentation Group.

The roll-out date is now further in doubt following the Dept of Social and Family Affairs belated decision to become part of the Group which entails a further delay whilst the DFSA customer Database is integrated with the DoT`s one.

The Department of Transport lives in fear of being seen to increase or approve any move which increases Bus Atha Cliath`s pre-existing status as the "Dominant Operator" in the region,even if that move is to the benefit of the greater travelling public interest.

It`s Public Transport Policy Jim.....but not as we know it !!

As far as I can make out Northern Ireland's transport legislation is incredibly similar to ours, essentially for CIE read NITHC (Translink) and for Minister for Transport read Minister for Regional Development. Even the holding company - capital bus company - regional bus company - railway company structure is replicated almost exactly (although to be fair, NI did this twenty years before CIE was restructured).

From what I can, NI has even less competing bus companies licenced than we have. In fact, are there any other than those operating services from other jurisdictions?

AlekSmart

If thats the case, why isnt the Government jumping up and down with a PR campaign stating that we have integrated ticketing like they are up the north?

Becoz...in the strange spineless world inhabited by terrified Senior Civil Servants here,such a move would be regarded as supporting the dominant operator in the market....something which it appears is ILLEGAL in certain cases once that operator is a State entity....Its all VERY complex and best left alone :rolleyes:

The Card munchkin_utd shows represents incredibly good value when combined with the Taxsaver purchase method.

Taxsaver Travel Tickets represent yet another seriously efficient and worthwhile principle which our Central Government appear to resent to the extent of failing to make it compulsory for ALL employers to participate......"Ah sure ye can`t go doing things like that now can ye ?"

As far as I can make out Northern Ireland's transport legislation is incredibly similar to ours, essentially for CIE read NITHC (Translink) and for Minister for Transport read Minister for Regional Development. Even the holding company - capital bus company - regional bus company - railway company structure is replicated almost exactly (although to be fair, NI did this twenty years before CIE was restructured).

Icdg`s point is SO very opportune and deserving of some explanation I would suggest....but I would also expect very little will be forthcoming :eek:

munchkin_utd

icdg wrote: »

<snip>

From what I can, NI has even less competing bus companies licenced than we have. In fact, are there any other than those operating services from other jurisdictions?

Ulsterbus runs every town service. 20+ towns (from seeing drop down list there earlier today) in a population
ONE THIRD
that of the republic.
(bringing my question.... where are the southern town services?? there should be 60 + town services in the republic at that rate.)

And they run all rail and 99% of busses. (i remember from being at queens hearing of an odd private service but so little it may as well not exist)

I would swap northern monopoly for anything the south can offer.
(Which is shag all so no competition)

ardmacha

Er, why doesn't the 26 counties simply adopt the NI technology. End of endless discussion and the same technology all over the country. If the government can cut people's salaries surely they can prescribe a revenue sharing arrangement for transport operators.

RadioCity

The i-link card is a development on what existed already.

There are two other types of smartcard already in use for several years here:
A "Smartlink" card which you can top up by 5, 10, 20 or 40 journeys for passengers who make the same journey every day as most passengers indeed do.

There is also a smartlink card which you can get for all of the town service routes which you can top up daily for £2.30 when you board the bus. Also you can top it up twice in the one day and the second £2.30 you paid only becomes active the next day you use your card.

What the new i-link card does, is provided unlimited travel within each zone, with the maximum day top up costing £15 providing unlimited travel within NI. The maximum cost for any day return within Northern Ireland on any bus route (and possibly train) is also £15.

KC61

The principal reason that we don’t have integrated tickets like (for example the Oyster Card in London) is because the Dept of Transport (through the RPA) is trying to build an unholy monster of an integrated ticketing system, rather than keeping it simple.

In London, there is a flat fare on all bus routes, and the fare structure offered by Oyster encourages pre-purchase by rewarding regular users with large discounts. Secondly, in London the money collected is kept by the regulator (TfL), and the bus companies are then paid a fixed amount for running the bus service by TfL, so the operator gets the same money if the bus is full or empty.

In Dublin they want to share the money between all of the different bus companies for every journey made. They also want to have different fares for different journeys (or indeed bus companies), and to have most people still paying single fares. Trying to do this with an integrated ticketing system is too complex and bureaucratic, and is costing an absolute fortune to develop.

In order to have simple (London style) integrated ticketing, people need to start lobbying for a city wide flat fare, with the new regulator (DTA) keeping the money (as the RPA does with LUAS) and paying a fixed rate to bus companies for providing the services.

The individual bus operators do not want this approach, because it takes away their independence, despite the fact that it is most definitely the best for the customer, the bus user.

ardmacha

The individual bus operators do not want this approach, because it takes away their independence, despite the fact that it is most definitely the best for the customer, the bus user.

Of course they don't, but in these times a lot of people aren't getting what they want. People have decreasing patience with the government sitting around discussing things when the answer is clear. We need a flat Dublin fare of €2 cash and €1.80 electronic or something similar and zones for longer journeys.

KC61

ardmacha wrote: »

Of course they don't, but in these times a lot of people aren't getting what they want. People have decreasing patience with the government sitting around discussing things when the answer is clear. We need a flat Dublin fare of €2 cash and €1.80 electronic or something similar and zones for longer journeys.

Correct.

A flat fare for "Cityzone" journeys as you suggest and a higher fare for longer bus journeys that go outside the zone such as the 33, 44, 65, 66, etc.

icdg

AlekSmart wrote: »

Icdg`s point is SO very opportune and deserving of some explanation I would suggest....but I would also expect very little will be forthcoming :eek:

I'm not sure what you're getting at here but since I never quite did get to the point I was trying to make...

The point is that NI and ROI share very similar legislation, in terms of the fact that there is a state transport organisation which operates most services, no independent regulator, and third party bus services need a licence from the Minister. Yet NI and ROI seem to have different implementations of this...

In NI, NITHC and its subsidaries work together and on an integrated basis, sharing facilities, etc. This wasn't always the case but since the Translink branding came in 1995 it has defnitely so. Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, Ulsterbus Limited, and Citybus Limited are legally seperate entities yet the group operates as a single body, sharing branding, technology, etc. On the other hannd CIE's subsidaries have looked upon each other as the competition from time to time and there is strictly seperate operation and very little operational control seemingly excercised by Hueston Station over the subsidaries. CIE should never have allowed Dublin Bus and Irish Rail to develop seperate smart cards, (a) it was against government policy, but (b) (and more importantly from CIE's point of view, you would think) it was a duplication of company resources.

Another thing is that DOT seems to be afraid of the private operators. DRDNI on the other hand seems to get away with not licencing any. I personally wouldn't be a fan of either approach. My own approach would be:

(a) create a Dublin Transport Authority (which we're not getting any more). It would have charge of the bus network in Dublin and other major cities, in terms of branding, route planning, ticketing policy, etc. It would not operate services but would procure them via open tendering from CIÉ and private operators.
(b) City Councils outside Dublin would manage the networks on a similar basis in their own areas. In situations like Limerick and Waterford where the city is split accross various councils they would be required to co-operate in tendering for bus services with the Minister for Transport having a reserve power to run tendering accross council areas if councils fail to do so.
(c) Town and county councils to have powers to procure rural transport services outside the big cities and towns, again by open tendering.
(d) Allow completely open competition in interurban services. Charge operators a licence fee to fund the provision of the regulated bus services through counties they operate. No other restrictions in how they operate (other than perhaps a provision that an interurban service be at least a certain lenght and would not be allowed pick-up within their destination's urban area). Licences would be issued on demand to any operator willing to pay the licence fees.

AlekSmart

In NI, NITHC and its subsidaries work together and on an integrated basis, sharing facilities, etc. This wasn't always the case but since the Translink branding came in 1995 it has defnitely so. Northern Ireland Railways Company Limited, Ulsterbus Limited, and Citybus Limited are legally seperate entities yet the group operates as a single body, sharing branding, technology, etc. On the other hannd CIE's subsidaries have looked upon each other as the competition from time to time and there is strictly seperate operation and very little operational control seemingly excercised by Hueston Station over the subsidaries. CIE should never have allowed Dublin Bus and Irish Rail to develop seperate smart cards, (a) it was against government policy, but (b) (and more importantly from CIE's point of view, you would think) it was a duplication of company resources.

Excellent summation of the case icdg !

One could argue that the "Old" CIE was far more integrated than what developed after the "Split"into 3 subsidiaries.

The real problem however lies with a).....We do not now,nor ever have we had a coherent Irish Government Public Transport Policy.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the current "Integrated Ticketing" fiasco...just watch and see how this is going to pan out....allowing all operators to develop and implement their own systems before at a future date "Integrating" them...:o Bullshyte of the absolute highest quality !!!

Yet all dressed up as "Government Policy" :eek: