GO Train Fares To Increase

[ShonTron]

So the lady who called me from GO after my comment lied to me. Nice.

 

[DavidH]

Increase approved....got my email on GO Alerts at 11:18....apparantly, though, the elevator at Bramalea is still out of service.....stay tuned

And for those wanting the official spin, the press release is here:

http://cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/March2009/13/c8328.html

 

[ShonTron]

So we know that:
a) The Board is nothing but a rubber stamp.
b) There's no desire for public input or debate at GO.
c) There's not even enough respect for the public for proper notice (less than one day's official notice).

 

[DavidH]

So we know that:
c) There's not even enough respect for the public for proper notice (less than one day's official notice).

In all fairness, why is more notice needed?

Let's compare to the TTC:

* TTC fares (other than tokens) require top up when new fares are introduced, GO fares don't. There is no need to organize tradein periods or encourage riders to use up their fares before they expire.
* TTC fares are sold at a huge number of locations; GO only from stations, bus drivers and a very limited of terminals. In all cases, GO passengers buying fares are buying from someone who will tell them the correct fare. The communications issues are vastly less.
* GO does not require exact fares. Even on buses, change is provided. Nobody is going to get caught not being able to board for lack of exact change.
* GO very actively encourages regular riders to buy monthly passes which provide a substantial discount over single rides. These people aren't affected for another two weeks.

Add all this up and a GO fare increase is a much simpler event than a TTC fare increase. Sure, it's a rude surprise for some, and I would have preferred a week or two of notice, but it's hard to see a reason why they NEED to provide more notice - and there is at least one reason (prevention of hoarding) to minimize the time period between the announcement and the implementation.

So I'm willing to argue it would have been good to have more notice; I'm less willing to argue that they are doing something nefarious by not providing that notice.

 

[ShonTron]

It has been GO's previous practice to provide a few weeks notice. Less than 24 hours notice is rather skimpy. The midday Friday notice is a little unfair because that's typically a time when companies and governments like announcing bad news as it minimizes media coverage. I was also told by GO this week that if a fare increase was approved, it likely wouldn't happen without more notice because of negative public feedback.

The TTC always had a few weeks, and as the date of the fare increase got closer, the token rationing would kick in.

 

[DavidH]

It has been GO's previous practice to provide a few weeks notice. Less than 24 hours notice is rather skimpy. The midday Friday notice is a little unfair because that's typically a time when companies and governments like announcing bad news as it minimizes media coverage.

True, and I assume that there is a reason for the change in practice, even if it hasn't been announced. But is there a real impact on users, other than the hoarding issue? After all, if I go to the station Monday to take a ride, I'll be informed of the correct fare - either by staff or the Ticket Vending Machine.

Again, I would prefer more notice, but I have a hard time seeing an ethical problem here. The service station on the corner doesn't provide me with advance notice of their price changes, and neither does the grocery store.

I was also told by GO this week that if a fare increase was approved, it likely wouldn't happen without more notice because of negative public feedback.

This may have been someone with incorrect information, though. Without understanding the full story, we don't know whether it was a deliberate attempt to mislead (which seems unlikely) or simple organizational confusion.

 

[DavidH]

For what it's worth, the fare calculator on the GO site now shows both the current and new fares.

 

[TOareaFan]

For what it's worth, the fare calculator on the GO site now shows both the current and new fares.

They got that up in a hurry!!! IT must have cancelled all Friday lunches as soon as the board approved the fare increase (just stirring it up a bit!)

 

[DavidH]

They got that up in a hurry!!! IT must have cancelled all Friday lunches as soon as the board approved the fare increase (just stirring it up a bit!)

I've been told that there is a single master fare table in a database, and I'm presuming that they had a new version of this prepared in advance with the expectation of board approval. They would have had to, given the short timeline here. Then, once they got word, they would simply have had to load the new version. Alternatively, they might just have had to change a flag value (e.g. from inactive to active) on the new set of fare values.

Given advance prep, it shouldn't take hardly any time at all.

 

[ShonTron]

Again, I would prefer more notice, but I have a hard time seeing an ethical problem here. The service station on the corner doesn't provide me with advance notice of their price changes, and neither does the grocery store.

This may have been someone with incorrect information, though. Without understanding the full story, we don't know whether it was a deliberate attempt to mislead (which seems unlikely) or simple organizational confusion.

I never said it was unethical, I thought it was implemented so quickly, without public input. (compare secretive GO with the TTC, which holds public meetings, posts meeting agendas and staff reports, and at least has better public relations.) This is more an issue of very poor public relations.

Also a problem is the poor justification of the higher-than-usual fare increase - it has been pointed out that this increase is greater than inflation for many, if not most, fares, and the implementation - an across-the-board, rather than a percentage-based increase (disproportionately affecting shorter trips), and ignoring fare zone pairs that are also disporportionally expensive.

Had there been better communications and more notice, I would be there would be less organizational confusion (which I will admit is the likely cause of the misinformation I received).

 

[DavidH]

I never said it was unethical, I thought it was implemented so quickly, without public input. (compare secretive GO with the TTC, which holds public meetings, posts meeting agendas and staff reports, and at least has better public relations.) This is very poor public relations.

I wasn't quoting you; "unethical" was my word.

I agree that it should have been more open, but in the end, I don't see this as being "wrong". It's just not desirable.

 

[nfitz]

So what happens to the currently issued 10-trip ride tickets with the fare increase - never had one before when they increased fares.

Good grief, it's a 6.5% increase for my station! And passes are up 7.9%!

 

[TOareaFan]

So what happens to the currently issued 10-trip ride tickets with the fare increase - never had one before when they increased fares.

Good grief, it's a 6.5% increase for my station! And passes are up 7.9%!

In the past, they have simply honoured the 10-ride passes (as they will with existing monthly passes). The 10-rides are probably why this (and likely all future GO fare increases) are so rushed.....you can stockpile a lot of these with enough notice and save the increase for quite some time.

And, since we seem to be doing this....from my station (not that I own it):

Adult single-ride ticket *3.91%
Adult day pass ** *3.91%
Adult two-ride ticket *3.91%
Adult 10-ride ticket *4.27%
Adult monthly pass ** 4.81%

 

[TOareaFan]

Good News from GO Alerts!!!!

Increase approved....got my email on GO Alerts at 11:18....apparantly, though, the elevator at Bramalea is still out of service.....stay tuned

The fares are still going up....but that elevator is back in service!!!!!

 

[drum118]

I saw no less than 15 people filling out application forms or dropping off their resume at GO office today while at GO meeting. One was a Brampton driver.

Was told, GO is getting a huge amount of people applying for any type of job with GO.

It was stated that the farebox only covers 20% of GO total cost if Capital cost was added to operation cost.

It was stated, ridership is been forecast at 1.7% for the 2009-10 budget year. Cost recovery will increase to 84% from 82%.

A GO rider who use Cummer station made a presentation by said his fare cost has gone up 27% over the last 5 years while Hamilton went up 10%. He felt it was unfair that he subsidizing long haulers as well some of the 905 riders. There was to be a 2nd presentation, but they did not show. Only one letter surface on the fare issue.

It was further stated that if GO charge all the stations at true cost, the long haul station would be market out of the market.

Only 2 BOD members said anything on the fare increase and they were in favour of the increase.

I did say to the Chair and GM I'm tire of waiting 2 hours for a train and paying taxi fare to get to where I have to go to be on time.

GM said you would have to do that if you were in an accident. Too many accidents like GO cancellation would mean I would not have a driver license and huge insurance bills.

Where is the Rubber Stamp to Stamp approval on GO reports.

Rubber Stamp