Now everyone knows about MyKi and the constant debate about the system and peoples opinion about the massive amount of money that has been wasted on this project, which was not even needed. Well In my opinion MyKi is actually a good idea, in theory it is made to speed things up and it is also made to be easier to use, and much more environmentally friendly, but this system I believe is the one of the worst executed products I have ever seen. The theory of the product seems great! But in reality the product just doesn't work as well as the current system, and people prefer that!
Now the reason for this is that the MyKi follows a concept, which relies on developing technology. The technology is meant be a 'touch system' where you just touch on instead of validating your ticket. Now MyKi Was meant to be presented as a very simple system and a fast and easy to use system, but I think validating a ticket once for a trip is better than touch on and then touching off again!! This basically brings everything backwards! Very well done MyKi! The second thing is that MyKi is supposed to be cheaper by giving a cheaper fare by calculating the distance between the arrival and destination and the time it took to get there. Fair enough seems pretty simple but again, MyKi gets the math wrong! MyKi calculates the fare, but sometimes it can't judge the time or distance properly and then snatches excess money or leaves you without deducting any money! (Actually the fact that sometimes it doesn't deduct anything is pretty handy!).
MyKi has cost victoria a fortune, both to set up and to run. MyKi costs a total of around $1.35 billion. $494 million for start up and $50–55 million per year to run the system along with other associated costs. That is a lot of money! Another example of poor execution of the product. The testing should have been considered a fair bit and more research should have been put into the product to make it work.
The unsuccessful results and the demeaning opinions of people about the MyKi system tell them that it was a very poorly executed product, but had a great idea in mind which could have been made much better with a bit more thought and testing.
Even though I have criticized MyKi's design I just want to say that I actually use a MyKi myself, mainly because it's cheaper than Metcard, but MyKi still does have potential is still a good product, just not better than the current system.
Bishavjot Singh
There are so many places around the world that use similar systems to the Myki and they actually work. London's oyster card is a good example.
ReplyDeleteA problem I have with the Myki's execution is that if you walk up to the gate and present your myki it should touch on and open the gate quickly enough so that you don't break your stride. The way it is currently working is that you are always held up waiting for the thing to recognise your Myki. This means very poor flow of people through the gates which in turn equals great annoyance during peak hour.
Also, it wont recognise your myki in your wallet amongst other cards, so you have to take it out of your wallet every time.
These problems may sound petty, but if London's oyster card doesn't have these issue, or the ones Bish mentioned, why should Myki??
Sam
ReplyDeleteI agree Sam, the time the machine takes to recognise the Myki card is very annoying. I have one for either side of the fence here...
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that I can put a load of money on my card because it means that I can invest in the next few weeks of travelling. This also means that when I need to jump on the train I'm saving a lot of time not needing to buy a ticket every time.
However touching off is really my only issue with the card. It is pretty annoying getting my Myki out, shuffling around my belongs, pausing to touch off, and putting it back again.
Nicholas Avery
From the perspective of a country Victorian commuting to Melbourne I believe Myki is a great alternative to the Metcard and is a god send when you compare it to V/Line tickets. It does speed up transport, especially in regional Victoria where paper tickets are used and can only be purchased on buses, creating unnecessary wait times.
ReplyDeleteWhilst Metcards can be purchased at some milk-bars and newsagents, Myki's can be 'topped up' at home on the internet.
Additionally, all country train stations are required to be manned 24/7 because all tickets are in the form of a paper docket which must be bought over the station counter. Again, it saves time on the train because Myki's don't require to be hole punched like V/Line tickets - and when there are 600 commuters and one ticket inspector this is extremely economical. Furthermore and more specific to interface Myki is a better solution for country Victorians because it allows for state wide travel on the one system. This means not getting stuck behind the Metcard gates with your paper ticket when you reach Melbourne and having to wait for someone to let you through.
Ultimately, when the technological glitches have been fixed and the system has been introduced to every corner of Victoria the system will be no less than FANTASTIC!
Ashlee Shepherd