Luas ticketing system

Z

zag

Guest
I got the luas into town on Sunday and while coming back out of town again and sitting comfortably on the tram I couldn't help but watch the confused and befuddled look on the customers faces as they tried to buy their tickets.

You could see a pattern develop - first of all people would approach the machine and touch the screen thinking this is going to be easy. Then their eyes would start scanning the screen (and their heads would move up and down, left and right) as more and more apparently useless information came up on screen. It takes a while to work out which bits of text are relevant and which bits are not.

I just can't see why the machines can't operate like those on many other transport systems. There are 3 key pieces of information required - where are you going, what fare basis, are you coming back ? Being presented with these three questions on a touch screen display would speed up the process significantly. If the answers to these 3 questions don't result in a fare being calculated *then* start asking all the other tricky questions like . . . well there aren't many. I guess they could ask if you want a 10 journey ticket and so on, but those 3 questions are enough for most transactions.

The thing is as I sat there I saw 3 or 4 groups of people left behind (I know the wait isn't long) for want of a valid ticket, all because the people at the machines had to spend so long working out exactly which buttons to push.

z
 
Try standing at the busiest stop - Jervis and see the queue forming at the one machine! Most people don't think of going across the road to the incoming route and using the machine there. Thank God for yearly tickets.
 
I just can't see why the machines can't operate like those on many other transport systems.
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WELCOME TO IRELAND. Nothing here works like in other countries.

I know, I know, I've been banging this drum for a while now.
It helps me get through the day.

-Rd
 
But surely if you buy a ticket once, the experience won't be so daunting the next time.

Are all these people first-time customers?
 
I have only taken the Luas a few times and each time I end up having to learn the process from scratch.

Frequent users may well remember the relevant steps, but infrequent ones don't.

z
 
And in any case the point is that it's possible to design a system that you don't have to "Learn".

The Luas has two lines that don't even intersect. The Tube in london has what??? 8 lines, or more. All intersecting. It has a very simple interface for buying tickets.

There is absolutely no excuse for needing to Learn even once how to use the ticket machines, much less learn them again and again.

It's simple bad user interface design. I presume the whole project ran so much over budget they just skimped on this essential part.

Either that or the designers of the software were trying to automate Dublin's less than perfect customer service experience.

-Rd
 
Am I the only one who finds the Luas ticket system simple enough to use? I would agree that it does take a bit long to execute the purchase though. Probably around 10-20 seconds for somebody who knows what they're doing which is a bit long.
 
It is *reasonably* simple to use, but observation indicates that many people who were trying to use the machine found the experience exasperating. I could see from the look on their faces that they seemed to be confused and even some of them appeared to be getting self conscious as the queue of people build up behind them.

The particular case that caught my eye involved people who took well over a minute to complete the transaction (and they hadn't completed it by the time the tram left) with a trail of people behind them also missing the tram.

The process could be a lot simpler and faster.

z
 
Keep in mind also that anyone who uses computers for a living is likely to have no problem other than the actual time taken, but when it comes to public transport you can't assume computer literacy.

In fact you shouldn't even assume literacy, or sight, or hearing which may in fact be part of the reason it takes so long.

Perhaps they need a system like the Tube where the majority of machines are very simple straightforward, with a smaller number of more elaborate machines for more unusual situations.

-Rd
 
Slightly off topic but they have installed two stands with a blue box at all of the stops over the past while. They have now erected posters to-day referring to the boxes and showing a question mark over them. Does anyone know what they are for and why the publicity?
 
I think they are for electronic purse transactions - presumably you mosey past the machine before getting on and then again when you get off and the relevant amount is deducted from your card.

How it would deal with the pricing for returns or 1 day tickets I don't know.

z
 
New Boxes

They had some message on the Stephens Green stop saying something like "Validate Ticket".

Are we going to be able to buy 10 journey tickets we validate now? But if so - how will the inspectors know they have been validated since there doesnt seem to be a print facility on the boxes
 
..

I don't think there's any system in any city (London, Brussels) that you can simply walk up to and use for the first time without spending a bit of time having to figure it out - which becomes less daunting the more you use it.

I think in this country, we expect a moron-proof level of convenience without taking the responsibility to figure things out for ourselves.

The Luas is an excellent facility that has surpassed all expectations. Some of the difficulties encountered in the ticketing system are being addressed by the validation option being introduced shortly.

It's simple bad user interface design.
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Yeah, that's exactly what all the old dears are saying!
 
Hi Biggles,

"The Luas is an excellent facility that has surpassed all expectations."

Don't know if I would quite agree with you there. It is good but the teethings problems on the red line are on-going.

To be fair to Connex they cannot be held accountable for bad drivers constantly hitting the trams but I do feel there are too many 'technical problems' which have led to many delays of late.

The 5 minute interval that we were led to believe originally would come about at peak times has still not materialised and if anything this regularly moves back to 10 mins. from the standard 7.5.

Having said all of the above I would not be without it and it would be a strong plus point in any house move that I might consider in the future. :)
 
I for one am embarassed by the lack of support for other languages. How hard would it have been to support German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and possibly Polish? If Deutsche Bahn kiosks can, so should the 'clever and IT-savvy Irish' be capable.
 
Keep in mind also that anyone who uses computers for a living is likely to have no problem other than the actual time taken, but when it comes to public transport you can't assume computer literacy.

I'd be in the "uses computers for a living" category while my wife has never used a computer in her life. The first time I used the ticket system it took me a minute or two to familiarise myself with the user interface. She, on the other hand, had her ticket in her hand almost immediately and was laughing at my prevarication. She found it simple first time. I found it simple second time onwards. Although it was only after a few goes that I discovered the "add more tickets" option to buy multiple tickets in one go rather than one by one (something that I've seen several people do unaware of the possibility of executing multiple purchases in one go). Since first using the system both she and I have assisted other first timers and tourists to buy their tickets in the most efficient manner possible. Standing at the Luas stop last night I noticed the prominently displayed information about how to use the ticket machines. I'm not sure what else could be done to improve matters to be honest. I suppose that people can also always buy prepaid tickets from shops or whatever if the ticket machines confuse them.

I for one am embarassed by the lack of support for other languages.

Good point! I never thought of that.
 
Another thing that was wrong with the user interface was the zone boundaries went through the stops- ie I didn't know whether Charlemont was in the central zone or zone 1 (its in zone 1 btw).

The fixed it on the touchscreen but the actual maps still have the boundaries going through the stops I think
 
I find the ticket machines are quite user friendly.

People are just apprehensive using them for the first time.

The same problem I'm sure we all had using ATMs, paying for parking, and using 24 hour banking etc.

Don't knock it for the sake of it.
 
My original point wasn't to knock it for the sake of it - I was just commenting on what I had observed.

I accept that some people will have trouble with a system no matter how well designed it is, but I do honestly think that the ticketing system for the Luas is poor from a time and motion point of view and also based on my limited observation of the progress of the queue.

I will endeavour to bring myself up to speed on the system, but given that the stops only have 2 machines per side I may cause some delay to potential travellers.

I agree that the entire Luas system as a whole is a good thing.

z
 
"the stops only have 2 machines per side "

I don't think that's right - a lot of the stops only have 1 machine per side. Jervis outgoing definitely only has one.
 
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