@trimet further disenfranchising poor, elderly riders. Stored value card systems are FAIR and EQUITABLE pic.twitter.com/hOZw72LznW
— Erik Halstead (@sp_redelectric) August 31, 2013
Trimess
Friday, August 30, 2013
ERIK MAKES A VALID POINT
The smart phone Sherpa app will definitely be useless to the elderly and the poorest among us since neither segment of that populaton will be using smart phones with 3g access
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15 comments:
One can argue about spending the money to make those ads if TriMet is indeed not obligated to run them (even if they're not giving up any revenue, it takes money to create and print them), but TriMet would not be embarking on electronic fares (which can be used by everyone) if it thought fares by phone was a complete solution.
Disenfranchisement infers being worse off and not getting some special benefit. Given that the phone fares cost the same and provide the same amount of riding time, etc that's just not true.
Your wrong Jason and we are right end of discussion!
How so? Non-phone users aren't worse off, and TriMet isn't the one that's really spending the money on this. It's just another way to buy the same exact tickets and passes.
Wrong Jason, just wrong
Again, how so?
Because I'm smarter than you
That's not an answer
It's a very good answer.
Jason, it's simple. Erik made it simple. Elderly and broke people don't have smartphones. Simple. Even bus drivers don't have smart phones
Yes, that may be true. But how are non-users worse off? As I said in my first comment, the fare apps don't provide anything special (e.g. exclusive free transfers). They're just another way to buy the same tickets and passes that's being implemented by a third party.
At most, they allow people to use credit cards to pay when not near a TVM. But it's highly doubtful that it would be feasible to equip buses with credit/debit card-only processors. Plus, TriMet is not considering phone apps the end solution and is still working on general-purpose electronic fares.
Plus, they may help remaining riders by reducing the use of ticket machines and time spent paying fares, which may lead to a net savings for TriMet.
pay when not near a TVM
That should actually be "TVM or a ticket-selling business".
And to put this another way, why should every option be required to be made accessible to everyone, even if there's low or no cost to implement it?
I agree with Jason, I don't see the harm in having another option available, especially if it doesn't cost TriMet money.
Also, Erik's quote paints this as an "either" "or" question, but the reality is that TriMet is still moving towards a smart card system in addition to this. Of course Erik knows this.
Actually, if it were me I'd probably just call the phone app "good enough". Most people will use it, and those who don't can just continue to do what they do today. If TriMet went with that plan, then in 5-10 years most everyone would just be using the phone app.
... of course, then you wouldn't be able to do the fare gates - so maybe that's the reason to forge ahead with electronic fares.
I don't see the harm in having another option available either.
But it does leave out a segment of the population as Erik pointed out
But it does leave out a segment of the population as Erik pointed out
And I don't see why that's a big issue.
It's an issue who said its a big issue?
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