Campbell Live and AT-HOP
A small break from the Unitary Plan this morning (the Karaka Meeting was a good one last night, different format but still very good) as I cover an Auckland Transport story (told you it wouldn’t take long before they caught my attention again with the Unitary Plan under way) this morning.
When one gets alerts in Facebook, Twitter, BR:AKL, and even text message when you have advertised well in advance that you are at a Unitary Plan meeting you know something major is up. And it was.
Check this Campbell Live piece last night on AT-HOP and the Penalty Fare: The HOP Card, five months on
I will say nothing on the matter. The clip is self-explanatory and I have covered this since the blog was formed (to the point it cost me dearly). But I will say this to Auckland:
Go easy on the Veolia Staff that have to deal with the tickets okay? They are not in the easiest position right now and have not been since Auckland Transport rolled out AT-HOP. Trust me I know, I was there once at Veolia both dealing with tickets and in the control room at Britomart. My former colleagues have been dealt a crap hand here and there is nothing they can do about it.
So please I do plea for once – take it easy with them. They do honestly hate the situation as much as the passenger does. If anything rally behind them and show solidarity on what a rubbish system THE CITY HAS!
As of now, I am still heading to the Auckland Council Transport Committee this afternoon – as fiery as is now going to be
Talking Southern Auckland 
It may be expensive to gate stations but the loss of revenue and, even more importantly in my view, the loss of confidence should be over riding factors. Just do it! Just delay some motorway or arterial spend.
For $5 / $6m that is being lost in nonpayment on the rail system, it would finance a manned ticket bureau on every platform ??????
Lets get this ticket business right !
CRD