[LINK] more myki pain

[Jan Whitaker]

At 09:28 AM 11/04/2010, Tom Worthington you wrote:
> >
> > 
> http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-tram-plan-could-get-myki-back-on-track-20100409-rysb.html
>
>No. According to the article in the Age, the problem is that the
>Melbourne fare structure is distance based.

Yes. They can't make it work TECHNICALLY because the comms break too 
often on board and between the tram and the central data hub. As long 
as they need some sort of determination of fare on the account in 
real-time, this won't work or will have points of failure, which was 
my main point.

The system is NOT distance based. It's zone based. That is a two 
point determination: Zone 1 or Zone 2, and not many of those either. 
I think only 3-4 tram lines cross into Zone 2. That means that once 
you cross into the second zone when you swipe off, across a single 
boarder, the charge would be for a different amount. That could 
presumably be recorded on the card itself and not require any central 
access at all. These are supposed to be Smart CARDS, not Networked 
cards. Heck, magstripe cards can do that with value storage on them. 
Distance, or at least the station designation, is how the Washington 
DC metcard system worked 20 years ago. No 'smart' cards in sight, 
similar to the current Melbourne metcard, which also has a value 
storage on them. Why a supposed "smart" card can't do the same thing 
points to problems with the overall network design that requires 
comms. There is NO need for comms if the information is stored on the 
card itself.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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