After weeks of testing, the first stage of Auckland's new public transport ticket system, the AT HOP card, will go live on city trains this weekend.

One hundred and forty five AT HOP card readers, 60 ticket and top-up machines and 29 gates are now spread across Auckland's rail network.

The re-usable smart card stores value, either as money or as a rail monthly pass, and operates via a tag on, tag off system.  

The card can be topped up at machines and ticket offices around the network as well as online.

The system has been trialled by 400 people over the past three weeks.

"It's been really simple," said Hayden Eastmond-Mein, an Auckland Transport employee who was part of the trial.

"I found it very similar to the Oyster system in London. You just tag in and tag off."

He topped his card up on the platform by using Eftpos.

"It's really fast to use and to top up. It is going to be much easier for people to use the system."

The AT HOP card will eventually be used for travel on all forms of Auckland public transport.

AT HOP cards will be ferry friendly by the end of November and on buses next year.
The AT HOP card will be used in conjunction with the old HOP/Snapper card on Auckland's buses until the old system is phased out.

The system replaced a card being supplied by Snapper Services, which was dumped in August after it failed to upgrade its system by a council-set deadline.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Comments