Pleas for a new Go Card terminal at Chermside, Brisbane have been rejected, with the site deemed 'not a priority'
By Sean Muir | September 26, 2012
Transport Minister Scott Emerson has rejected public pleas for a new Translink ticket officer terminal (TOT) at Chermside, Brisbane to sell more of the
three million-plus Go Cards already sold.
In response to a petition signed by 584 residents for a Go Card terminal at Nextra Express in Chermside, Emerson says installation at the site is not a priority.
“TransLink advises that there are significant costs to install and operate top-up facilities and therefore the rollout of additional devices is prioritised by a number of criteria developed with a community and service value focus,” Emerson says.
Emerson says regular, structured reviews of the existing Go Card distribution network are conducted to identify priority locations for new retail top-up facilities.
“In reviewing applications TransLink undertakes an assessment of passenger usage, public accessibility, and the existing availability of purchase and top-up facilities in the vicinity,” he says.
At Chermside Shopping Centre, commuters have access to Go Card retail facilities at the centre’s main newsagency.
“TransLink does not consider the commercial advantage of retailers requesting Go Card facilities,” Emerson says.
Nudgee MP Jason Woodforth lodged the petition with the Legislative Assembly on August 23.
The petition was tabled in Parliamaent August 28 with a response given by Emerson on Monday.
According to the petition, residents had hoped to purchase new Go Cards,
top-up existing Go Cards, and also obtain refunds from old Go Cards at the Nextra Express newsagency located close to the Chermside bus interchange.
In a release last month, TransLink Deputy Director-General Neil Scales says Go Card accounted for more than 80 percent of travel on the south east Queensland (SEQ) public transport network each day.
“The recent sale of the three-millionth Go Card is the latest in a series of milestones that indicate the maturing of our smart card system,” Scales says.
“We are using Australia’s best public smart card technology and our customers are the big winners.”