Easilink system in buses

iamgoondu

26 Jan 04, 09:37

I had boarded a TIBS 106 and observed that the bus disallow commuters to tap their cards while the bus is on the move. That is the easylink system was set to 'No Entry' .

Because of that, the bus captain has to ensure that all commuters had tapped their cards before he start the engine.

The experience was rather bad when the bus was packed like sardines, and commuters searching for their cards, and some commuters realised that their cards no longer valid, and had to start looking for coins. And some commuters not knowing what went wrong in their cards, continue tapping it on the machine.

I boarded a TIBS 106 from Somerset Station heading Holland V. Unfortunately it was a single cabin (not the long bendy Mercs) bus. The bus was packed when it arrived. Anyway I still boarded the bus. During the journey, I had observed that the bus captain had spent unneccessarily long time in most bustops. And the worst was while the bus had arrived at Holland V (where I alight, luckily). I alighted from the bus, crossed the road to Holland Village, buy a Sunday Times, waited at the traffic light to cross Holland Ave again, crossed the traffic light, walk along Holland Avenue to Blk 2. Zoomed.... the same TIBS 106 had just overtaken me. Imagine the bus had spent more than 10minutes at Holland V bus stop.

I can't figure out what had went wrong at that bus stop, but my guesses are:

a. the bus was sardine packed.
b. someone not able to tap his card. and that someone had more than a card to tap.
c. more than one person unable to tap his card.
d. bus captain refused to continue till all had settled their fare.
e. .....

The most obvious fault I think shall be: THE EASILINK SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE DISABLED WHILE THE BUS WAS ON THE MOVE. That would allow bus captain to continue his journey while commuters trying their ways to tap on the system.

Superbus

26 Jan 04, 10:44

Originally posted by iamgoondu:
I had boarded a TIBS 106 and observed that the bus disallow commuters to tap their cards while the bus is on the move. That is the easylink system was set to 'No Entry' .

Because of that, the bus captain has to ensure that all commuters had tapped their cards before he start the engine.

The experience was rather bad when the bus was packed like sardines, and commuters searching for their cards, and some commuters realised that their cards no longer valid, and had to start looking for coins. And some commuters not knowing what went wrong in their cards, continue tapping it on the machine.

I boarded a TIBS 106 from Somerset Station heading Holland V. Unfortunately it was a single cabin (not the long bendy Mercs) bus. The bus was packed when it arrived. Anyway I still boarded the bus. During the journey, I had observed that the bus captain had spent unneccessarily long time in most bustops. And the worst was while the bus had arrived at Holland V (where I alight, luckily). I alighted from the bus, crossed the road to Holland Village, buy a Sunday Times, waited at the traffic light to cross Holland Ave again, crossed the traffic light, walk along Holland Avenue to Blk 2. Zoomed.... the same TIBS 106 had just overtaken me. Imagine the bus had spent more than 10minutes at Holland V bus stop.

I can't figure out what had went wrong at that bus stop, but my guesses are:

a. the bus was sardine packed.
b. someone not able to tap his card. and that someone had more than a card to tap.
c. more than one person unable to tap his card.
d. bus captain refused to continue till all had settled their fare.
e. .....

The most obvious fault I think shall be: THE EASILINK SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE DISABLED WHILE THE BUS WAS ON THE MOVE. That would allow bus captain to continue his journey while commuters trying their ways to tap on the system.

This enhanced feature on the EZLink system was introduced early last year. Main reason: To prevent passengers from tapping their cards way ahead of their exit point a k a underpaying.

Cheers and warm regards

iamgoondu

26 Jan 04, 10:58

I am aware of the reason for making such changes.

No one may have predicted that by implementing such change, it could have caused more inconveniences to commuters. Are there any evaluations if the enhanced change had cut down the number of cheats? If the new system does not cut down the number of cheats, won't the non-enhanced system better than enhanced system?

Moreover, if there are real cheats, the cheats may still tapped their cards while the buses stopped at bus stops.

Perhaps a more enhanced system, would be to always have the system at exit doors nearer to the bus captains always 'ON'. At least bus captain may still drive on, while commuters still forray into their means to pay the fare.

xin1jun2

26 Jan 04, 11:30

haiz if u held your card long enough at the reader u can tap in AND out at the same time...paying 63 cents only...EZ link never gets it.....

hahahah

ZYX

iamgoondu

26 Jan 04, 11:47

Originally posted by xin1jun2:
haiz if u held your card long enough at the reader u can tap in AND out at the same time...paying 63 cents only...EZ link never gets it.....

hahahah

ZYX

I doubt that's possible. There should have a system check that disallow a second tap on the same tag-reader at the same bus stop.

If it is really so....

SBS9818A

26 Jan 04, 15:30

It's due to the yet-to-be-introduced VLS system, more of such inconvieniences will happen once its implemented.

^tamago^

28 Jan 04, 14:46

Originally posted by xin1jun2:
haiz if u held your card long enough at the reader u can tap in AND out at the same time...paying 63 cents only...EZ link never gets it.....

hahahah

ZYX

There's a discussion called "Vehicle Location System (VLS)".. try locating it...

the 106 bus in question is most likely to be TIB558R..

regarding entry and exiting at the BEP, it is impossible since it shld display "ENTRY OK" if you had re-tapped your card at the BEP when the fare stage is still that of your boarding stop..

iamgoondu

30 Jan 04, 22:15

It seems like the previous 2 days have been backed to normal. Commuters are able to tap at any time. 'Bravo'. Earlier besides TIBS 106, TIBS 61 had the enhanced system too.

iamgoondu

30 Jan 04, 22:16

It seems like the previous 2 days have been backed to normal. Commuters are able to tap at any time. 'Bravo'. Earlier besides TIBS 106, TIBS 61 had the enhanced system too.