The go card readers on Brisbane buses and City Cats appear to be playing up a bit lately, taking their time to get ready to read your card, and I’ve heard chatter (or did I read it in mX?) that there are black spots in Brisbane where they completely lose the signal that operates them.  Tonight I witnessed this very problem, as the go card reader on the 444 Moggill bus lost its signal half way along Coronation Drive and stopped working.

Obviously, this can be annoying to commuters.  If you touch your go card to a scanner at the start of the journey but can’t touch off at the end, then you end up paying a $5 penalty rather than the $2 something fare.  I know you can call TransLink to get a refund, but many commuters would wonder whether it’s worth the bother.

TransLink really needs to sort this issue with go card readers out soon, so some people don’t start wondering whether public transport is worth the hassle and reconsider driving their cars to work.