SNAPPING AT THE HEELS OF THE 10-TRIP BUS TICKET
REBECCA THOMSON
30 July 2008
Ten-trip bus tickets are to be withdrawn but passengers can now use a smart card to pay their fare.
Snapper smart cards have gone on sale at retail outlets around town and can be used to pay for GoWellington bus fares.
Passengers swipe the card in front of a card reader getting on and off a bus and the correct fare will be deducted from the card.
NZ Bus owns GoWellington and spokesperson Megan McSweeney says 10-trip tickets will not be sold after August 29 but customers will be able to use any tickets they have until December 1.
"Arrangements will be put in place to refund the unused value on these from December and communicated to customers."
Ms McSweeney also says ,contrary to some media reports, "there has been no delay in introducing the ability to pay by Snapper and commuters will be able to use the card on all buses by early August.
"Wellingtonians with Snapper cards have been advised to look by the door of the bus. "If there is a bright red "snapper it" sticker on display, they'll be able to Snapper their bus fare."
Snapper cards will cost $10 until the end of October, after which they will cost $15. Cards can be re-filled and take up to $300.
Ms McSweeney says no changes will be made to school bus passes or Gold Cards yet but there are plans to introduce child and senior Snappers next year.
Snapper cards can only be used on GoWellington buses. An integrated bus-train-ferry ticketing system is a few years off but Greater Wellington regional council public transport manager Wayne Hastie says officers are looking closely at the take-up of the Snapper debit card, and other developments nationally.
Infratil set up the subsidiary Snapper Services to market the card. Snapper marketing manager Heather Ware says the payment system will allow people to purchase everyday goods.
GoWellington is Snapper's first major client but Ms Ware says Mojo and Wishbone cafes have also signed up and card readers will be soon installed in their stores.
Wellington City Council will also be Snapper-enabled and spokesperson Trina Saffioti says the payment system will be available at council-owned recreation centres and pools.
Ms Ware says there has been a high level of interest from the retail sector, especially from video stores, dry cleaners and shoe shops; "basically anywhere the purchase price is under $100.
"The technology is not new, we're following the Hong Kong model where it [the Octopus card] can be used to pay for a number of everyday items."
Snapper is also available on USB sticks and, as with the card, they can be recharged using the internet.
© 2008 Fairfax New Zealand Limited.
The Wellingtonian
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