snapped? (rua)
Posted by Alan on Tuesday, 15 Jul 2008
So we can confirm that yes, the new Snapper cards do work pretty well in the buses (based on the small sample of one attempt earlier today using our trial USB snapper pictured). One would expect so, given that the technology comes from the giant T-Money install in Seoul, where their mega-city sized public transport operation will have smoothed all the rough-edges out of it long ago.
But WTF is happening with Snapper?
First, the Dom Post reports that the rollout, due for Monday 14th, has been delayed again (originally the rollout was supposed to be in June). Then we find that at least some buses are running with live, lit-up and useable Snapper readers anyway - such was the one we caught this morning. And to confuse the matter further, no retailers appear able to sell commuters the cards until the end of the month... well, those retailers that actually have agreed to sell the things in the first place, that is.
But... we wants it!
So what might have caused this Clayton's delay? In the absence of anything useful from Snapper themselves we can, of course, indulge in wild speculation (after the jump):
But WTF is happening with Snapper?
First, the Dom Post reports that the rollout, due for Monday 14th, has been delayed again (originally the rollout was supposed to be in June). Then we find that at least some buses are running with live, lit-up and useable Snapper readers anyway - such was the one we caught this morning. And to confuse the matter further, no retailers appear able to sell commuters the cards until the end of the month... well, those retailers that actually have agreed to sell the things in the first place, that is.
But... we wants it!
So what might have caused this Clayton's delay? In the absence of anything useful from Snapper themselves we can, of course, indulge in wild speculation (after the jump):
- Poneke has mentioned some problems using their card; so much so that they have returned to using their Gold Card. Perhaps there's still some technical issues outstanding with the Snapper implementation.
- It appears that there's a different change till on the Snapper enabled buses; and while most buses have the card readers, one may observe that most of these buses don't have the fancy new tills. Perhaps they're behind schedule on installing these.
- Perhaps Snapper are putting the squeeze on those retailers that have chosen not to sell the card because of the pronounced lack of ping in it (like at least some or all of the StarMarts). Two weeks of punters enquiring if they can buy a Snapper card could force the retailer to think again about not participating. Although after a strange little episode that played out in the media last month the holdout bus ticket sellers may not fall for it.
- And then there's the talk about the Mifare Chip Crack in Europe, and the possibility that security considerations have caused the delay.
Well, it was chaos last night on the Kingston bus leaving the railway station at around 6.50. This bus is almost always late anyway and didn't make it to the Old Public Trust building on Lambton Quay until some time after 7. The Snapper machine was up and running (and making its infuriating bleeping sounds), but of course no one had a Snapper card. Most of us paid by ten-trip ticket. I'm fairly certain that the bus drivers used to only have to push one button to register that a ten trip had been used to pay a fare. With Snapper they seem to have to push several buttons. This slowed things down enormously and the driver was (understandably) in a very foul mood. The next bus (they run every 20 minutes at that time of night) passed us on Victoria Street and when I got off in Mornington the bus AFTER that bus was right behind us. It took nearly an hour to get home.
Yesterday I made a comment to my bus driver about the fact that the cards are not being sold anywhere. He got on the radio to the office and the reply was that they can be purchased on line now and at retailers in a couple of weeks.
I have checked and the on-line site still has no purchase option - so even the bus company doesn't know what is going on.
Every bus I have been on this week has the reader enabled, but the drivers seem to be struggling with their new machines.
I suspect that the holdup is due to the number of retailers that are refusing to sell the cards.
The bus I caught this morning from Courtenay Place to the train station had a Snapper reader, as well as a new ticket machine for the driver.
He had a little trouble inputting my city-zone ticket purchase. The new consoles have a touch screen, rather than individual buttons, so I think he was hitting the screen too hard and clocked up a couple more zones or passengers than was needed, so he had to start again.
I don't like the recorded voice that says "Please take your ticket". (Auckland bus passengers take their tickets with out a voice reminding them. It can be done!)
But having said all this, I am still excited (in theory, at least) about Snapper. It would just be nice to be able to actually use it.
This is The Future, so I really hope they don't stuff up its introduction.
This morning's bus driver had no trouble punching in my ticket details, though there did seem to be a little sadness in him when I took the ticket myself.
Now, bring on the fishie cards!
Exactly. Bring on the fishie cards!
It really is a much better way to deal with the morning commute, although we'll all still have to remember to thank the driver, something that's harder now when one is trying to tag off the bus with an impatient queue behind...
So what retailers /are/ selling these at the moment? I guess someone must be if some people are using them?
~~~
Eagles may soar, but rats don't get sucked into jet engines. <:3)--
As far as I know, the only people using it are just those on the two trials - the No.17 bus users with the credit card format Snapper, and the ANZNational Group staff with the USB key format Snapper.
Ahh, gotcha. Cheers, I'll sit tight and wait for them to sort their s**t out then. ;)
~~~
Eagles may soar, but rats don't get sucked into jet engines. <:3)--
How close do you have to stand next to a bus sensor to set it off?
I'm just thinking about those crowded buses when people have to stand in the doorway, will they get a cheap ride by accidentally "snapping off"?
You have to be basically touching the reader to tag on or off. They only work when the doors are open.
The Snapper card is not a mifare chip, its a Tmoney microprocesser card that has 128 bit encryption, so is very robust as far as security goes and has not been cracked.
Snapper is definitely not a Mifare card.. Its a Java Card. Tmoney did start on Mifare, but "t money on mifare" was discontinued 3 years ago. The "128 bit" is in relation to the length of the cipher keys used to encrypt the data communicated between the card and the Reader
Cool. Thanks for the explanation!
Regarding security, there is no doubt that all of these systems eventually end up cracked. So long as the card is trusted, there will always be a way. It can be made more and more difficult, but its pretty much impossible for there not to be a theoretical way.
The thing about Wellington is its less profitable to do so, sure its a fun hobby for some smart people, and there may be a small black market in them, but the city just isn't big enough to hide a major black market in them like a city such as NYC with its metrocards. You'd just get caught too quickly. So while cracking them is fun, it'd remain niche in NZ.
More of a concern, and this has pinged me twice now, forgetting to tap off and seeing you get charged a full $8+ fare at the next tap on seriously sucks (when you were only doing a $1.35 fare in the first place). Easy to remember on busses, but on trains it's all too easy to walk right by the post without tapping it if they're not in your line of sight.
Reply I received from Snapper.co.nz this morning :
Hi Dave
Snapper cards are available from today.
You will be able to purchase one from
Kirks or Mall Drycleaners.
USB’s are not available yet.
Good news, Dave.
I wouldn't suggest buying them from Kirks until after the sale
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