The Leap Card Thread

[James Howard]

So if Leap card doesn't work for me, why the hell did they migrate my TaxSaver on it and say that I didn't need my old leap card? Surely it doesn't take even more that the 55 million euro they've already had to be able to advise customers properly.

There are thousands of people using point-to-point TaxSaver tickets who have occasional need of the epurse so this is not a particularly tiny edge-case. Whatever about such a basic requirement being missed in the original software development plan, their customer service agents should at least be aware of the issue.

There is also the matter that I've probably been ripped off several times before for this without noticing. So they are basically making extra money from this flaw in the system.

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by James Howard

So if Leap card doesn't work for me, why the hell did they migrate my TaxSaver on it and say that I didn't need my old leap card? Surely it doesn't take even more that the 55 million euro they've already had to be able to advise customers properly.

There are thousands of people using point-to-point TaxSaver tickets who have occasional need of the epurse so this is not a particularly tiny edge-case. Whatever about such a basic requirement being missed in the original software development plan, their customer service agents should at least be aware of the issue.

There is also the matter that I've probably been ripped off several times before for this without noticing. So they are basically making extra money from this flaw in the system.

Exactly the same issue I raise a few weeks ago when the Kildare (County) - GCD service starts. The only solution is to have to 2 leap cards in the Integrated ticketing system. The real issue was the decision to migrate the point-to-point tickets to Leap which is causing these anomalies.
There is no issue at present with Heuston side as there is no overlap between point-to-point and DART/Commuter. This will change with the PPT service.

[Inniskeen]

I have a rail smart card which I believe has the same functionality as a LEAP card. I have not attempted to load any credit to avoid the type of messing and confusion descriped by previous posters. I simply use a separate LEAP card for trips not covered by the rail ticket. To be honest I wouldn't have sufficient confidence that the Irish Rail machines wouldn't attack my e-purse and I really couldn't be bothered with the hassle of attempting to get a refund.

[James Howard]

Yeah, in hindsight, I should have been equally suspicious of the system. Why do we always expect and receive such a level of cock-up in public sector projects in Ireland? It's just depressing - it is nothing to do with a lack of money. Leap had a budget of 55 million euro.

Correction - it had a budget of 27 million euro but they spend 55 million on it.

[berneyarms]

To be honest - the point-to-point season tickets should never have migrated to LEAP.

They should have remained on IE smartcards and if people wanted to use LEAP epurse they should have been informed to get a separate LEAP card.

[James Howard]

I'd have to agree. It was a very silly decision which also meant that ticket checkers on intercity trains have to be issued with Leap card readers as there is nothing on the card to say where it is valid.

I got on fine with old system of Rail smartcard and separate Leap card.

[comcor]

How does this work on the bus network, which has some form of a zonal system (at least in Cork and for Bus Eireann services in Dublin). If you want to go beyond your ticket, do you have to pay for the whole journey. e.g. If a Dublin Red Zone ticket holder wants to travel to Clane, are they liable for the whole fare or just from the edge of the Red Zone?

I think more ticket holders have an ePurse balance than you'd think, however, for most, it's for completely different services. For example, my commuter ticket covers me for all buses in Cork, but I still have an ePurse balance that I have used for Midleton Rail and on LUAS, DART and Dublin Bus. Extending outside your permitted travel area on your regular service provider is obviously more complex.

Is there any hope of a zonal system being brought in across all travel operators at any time in the foreseeable future?

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by James Howard

So if Leap card doesn't work for me, why the hell did they migrate my TaxSaver on it and say that I didn't need my old leap card? Surely it doesn't take even more that the 55 million euro they've already had to be able to advise customers properly.

There are thousands of people using point-to-point TaxSaver tickets who have occasional need of the epurse so this is not a particularly tiny edge-case. Whatever about such a basic requirement being missed in the original software development plan, their customer service agents should at least be aware of the issue.

There is also the matter that I've probably been ripped off several times before for this without noticing. So they are basically making extra money from this flaw in the system.

Frankly - oversight I would imagine. Based on previous performance, I suspect that it wasn't thought of.

You're quite right - it should have been obvious.

But while numerous people may have point-to-point tickets I do think that you would find that the vast majority of them will just use that part. The numbers who need to use the epurse on rail I would imagine would have been quite small. The vast majority of commuters just do their standard commute on public transport.