Very touching

Friday, 31 December 2010 11:29 pm

There's a lot to like about Myki, and many travellers who've been willing to persevere with some of its early foibles have been rewarded with a (mostly) functional and certainly convenient tool. However for public confidence, a thorough review by a new incoming government is essential.

If I were to name one feature most critical to Myki's longterm viability, it would be the touch-off. Touching on is rarely a problem; touching off is another matter. Two practical examples will suffice ...

  • Tram confusion: Travellers must remember to touch off on trains and buses but not on trams - unless travelling entirely in Zone 2 (requiring intimate knowledge of zone boundaries);
  • Sports crush: Picture the scene of mayhem at Richmond station on the day of a major fixture at the 'G in sport-obsessed Melbourne. A surging mass of adrenalin-pumped fans, one exit tunnel, ten Myki readers if that ... (Dare I say more?)