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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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 Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 4:43 pm Post subject: T-Money Fun |
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July 1 rolls around and you can't buy the 11,000 won tickets. All Hail, T-Money. July 1 no one seemed to be selling T-Money cards. As it turns out, Seoul installed the system but didn't seem to test the software. "It'll work." Why should one be surprised it didn't work? They've raised the fare 100 won but if you buy a single trip ticket the fare is 200 won extra.
(I'm not really complaining about higher prices as the Seoul subway, even at 800 or 900 a trip is still a great value compared to North America or Japan.)
Anyway Day 2 I managed to buy a T-Money card. It worked the first trip. Didn't work the second trip. It seemed to work on my third trip.
Day 3 it seemed to work reliably. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: T-Money Fun |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
July 1 rolls around and you can't buy the 11,000 won tickets. All Hail, T-Money. July 1 no one seemed to be selling T-Money cards. As it turns out, Seoul installed the system but didn't seem to test the software. "It'll work." Why should one be surprised it didn't work? They've raised the fare 100 won but if you buy a single trip ticket the fare is 200 won extra.
Anyway Day 2 I managed to buy a T-Money card. It worked the first trip. Didn't work the second trip. It seemed to work on my third trip.
Day 3 it seemed to work reliably. |
The above quote makes no sense to me.
Thanks for including the bracketed part: "(...higher prices... Seoul subway...)"
I see, now. It's a concern for those living in Seoul. Are there similar problems for those who have to take subways in Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju?
As one of many living away from a big city, my concern would be with when I visit the Big Smoke.
Are "T-Money" cards used for bulk discounts? |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: T-Money Fun |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| (I'm not really complaining about higher prices as the Seoul subway, even at 800 or 900 a trip is still a great value compared to North America or Japan.) |
Considering just how many people use the subways, you honestly should be. |
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kangnamdragon
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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Q. What will happen to the discounts applied to traffic cards?
A: Passengers who pay their fare in cash will pay 100 won more than travelers using a traffic card. This means that traffic card users will continue to enjoy a marked discount advantage.
Q. How should people without a traffic card use buses or subways?
A: On the bus, every bus driver will have a ticket machine that issues a single ticket for passengers paying the fare in cash. On the subway, passengers can simply buy tickets from a ticket-issuing machine as they do now. A ticket-buying subway passenger will pay 100 won more than those using a traffic card (the actual cost of issuing a ticket comes to 146 won), and 50 won more when riding the bus (village buses included). Traffic card users are actually contributing to the effort to secure more operational transparency, reduce administrative costs and make it unnecessary to stand in line to buy tickets. Elementary school students are eligible for a 50% discount even when paying the fare in cash.
< On T-Money, a new type of traffic card >
Q. Where can T-Money be purchased and refilled?
A: Effective June 25, T-Money can be purchased and refilled at vendor kiosks selling bus tickets near most city bus stops, or any Woori Bank branch. Passengers can also use the automated refilling machines located at each subway station.
Q. What about existing traffic cards?
A: Existing traffic cards will continue to be used, along with T-Money.
Q. How much does T-Money cost?
A: T-Money will be priced at 3,000 won, or a little higher than existing traffic cards, due to the integration of an IC chip that allows for more varied applications.
Q. On what forms of mass transportation can T-Money be used?
A: Effective July 1, it can be used for all subways that serve routes linking Seoul, and on every bus (both intra-city and village) that serves routes in Seoul or local districts in Gyeonggi Province or Incheon. As of the end of 2004, it can also be used for intra-city buses in both Gyeonggi Province and Incheon.
Q. Is there a version for youth, including children?
A: Yes, there is. A version will be available that contains information on the user's age and fare status.
Q. Can T-Money be used for other ancillary purposes?
A: Effective the end of July 2004, it can be used to pay admission at amusement parks or spectator facilities, as well as pay parking fees, etc. As well, it is planned that mileage points accumulated in connection with LG-Caltex Oil, OK Cashbag and KT 1st will be transferred to T-Money.
Q. Is there any difference between using T-Money or an existing traffic card to receive fare discounts when changing mass transportation means?
A: No, there is not. Both T-Money and existing traffic cards can be used to receive fare discounts when changing mass transportation means to reach a destination. A passenger should have her T-Money or traffic card read by a machine when embarking or disembarking from a bus or a subway. However, a passenger that does not intend to transfer to another mode of transit only needs to have her traffic card checked by the machine when getting on the bus.
Q. What does the "T" stand for in T-Money?
A: It stands for top, touch, total, travel and technology.
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rickhorton44
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: T-money |
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| Quote: |
Q. What about existing traffic cards?
A: Existing traffic cards will continue to be used, along with T-Money. |
Yeah right. I have 2 prepaid cards. An older bus/subway kiosk card, and a new one from my bank (Jae-Il). The older kiosk style card didn't work on the subway, but when I took a village bus, it worked. On July 2nd they let me put money on my bank transportation card (it's brand new, got it on June 29th) just to go to the machine and not have it work.
So, I was at Express Bus Terminal when this happened, complained for a while, they took me into their office and told me that the old cards won't work (see above quote). Anyway, they told me that I'll have to go to Woori bank to get my money back off of the Kiosk card, and Jae-Il to get the money back off of my bank card. I said ok and bought a T-Money card.
Well, just prove how screwed up the system is, the T-Money worked fine on the subway scanners (July 2nd), but when I tried to use it on the bus (July 3rd), it didn't work. The bus driver started typing in something on the machine, finally after 4 tries he got the scanner to recognize the T-money card.
Back to the earlier post, you'd think that they would test the system out before putting it into mainstream use.....but then again we are in Korea!!! |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 1:14 am Post subject: |
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| Day 4 of T-Money: the card failed to work on the light blue line/light green line in the morning but seemed to work on my return trip. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 1:22 am Post subject: Re: T-Money Fun |
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| Zyzyfer wrote: |
| mindmetoo wrote: |
| (I'm not really complaining about higher prices as the Seoul subway, even at 800 or 900 a trip is still a great value compared to North America or Japan.) |
Considering just how many people use the subways, you honestly should be. |
Why? The New York subway, the Tokyo subway, the Osaka subway, the Toronto subway (well probably fewer riders on the TTC) are all as heavily traveled but the prices are easily double what Seoul charges. 80 or 90 cents to get to the other side of one of the largest cities in the world is a deal by any stretch of the imagination. The stations are modern, clean, and have not scary bathrooms. Seoul keeps building lines and extending existing lines. Most of the cars are well air-conditioned in summer. In 6 months I've been here I've not experience one break down or even "where the fluk is that train?" moment. With the exception of this T-Money cluster fluk, Seoul's subway is a huge bargain for the price. |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 4:48 am Post subject: |
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| It's gone up 300 won in the past 2 years. It's still cheap, but it's inflating like all get-out. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 5:14 am Post subject: |
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| Zyzyfer wrote: |
| It's gone up 300 won in the past 2 years. It's still cheap, but it's inflating like all get-out. |
You're right. I'm starting to notice inflation here. There's been little inflation in North America in the last decade (with the exception of, say, rent, movies, and university tuition which seem to go up all the time) so it's kind of surprising to see prices change in half a year. It's nickle and dime stuff but it's there. The price of a newspaper went up 100 won. A dish at a sushi chain restaurant I go to went up 300 won. ATM fees went up 100 won. |
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mishlert
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: On the 3rd rock from the sun
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| Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2004 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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What the city should have done was change to a monthly card system.
Divide the transportation network into zones, and have prices for the monthly card increase per zone; zone 1= x amount, zone 1 and 2= y amount, and so on.
Most major cities use this system and everyone is happy; 1 price for 1 month of travel. Simple. |
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Gollum
Joined: 04 Sep 2003
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2004 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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I'm on my second card, and approaching my 3rd. I can't get the things to work with the buses. In most cases, the subway is OK, but not always.
I'm irate about it, because they always stick it on a machine at the subway window and it works... of course, that machine is different than the ones on the bus.
They kept giving me a stupid look like I'm an idiot then have given back the same card back 3 times. I finally lost it and got a korean friend to argue with the guy about it, and yet he was still a jerk about giving me a different card, but finally did.
It makes me more angry, because my Korean friends say that lots of people have problems with them. Also, I sit and watch many people on the bus having problems with the cards being read as well.
Dumb card system!
It's happened so many times that if the card doesnt' work, I just don't pay at all, and act like a foriegner who doesnt' understand the guy when he asks me to pay in cash. Then they just give up if I act like they don't understand me, and I ride free.
I figure enough of that, and the drivers will complain to their managers about the cards not working. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Gollum wrote: |
I'm on my second card, and approaching my 3rd. I can't get the things to work with the buses. In most cases, the subway is OK, but not always.
I'm irate about it, because they always stick it on a machine at the subway window and it works... of course, that machine is different than the ones on the bus.
They kept giving me a stupid look like I'm an idiot then have given back the same card back 3 times. I finally lost it and got a korean friend to argue with the guy about it, and yet he was still a jerk about giving me a different card, but finally did.
It makes me more angry, because my Korean friends say that lots of people have problems with them. Also, I sit and watch many people on the bus having problems with the cards being read as well.
Dumb card system!
It's happened so many times that if the card doesnt' work, I just don't pay at all, and act like a foriegner who doesnt' understand the guy when he asks me to pay in cash. Then they just give up if I act like they don't understand me, and I ride free.
I figure enough of that, and the drivers will complain to their managers about the cards not working. |
I thought they had it licked but yesterday it wasn't working at sinchon (had to vault over the turn style). And then today at Anam it wasn't working (had to push my way through the little paddle gates).
Flurck. |
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Kiddirts
Joined: 25 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| With the TMoney pass, some Korean lady with broken English told me that as long as I swipe the TMoney card on the detector along my journey, I won't get charged double for taking a route from subway to bus, etc...that it'll only be an small increment increase on the first swipe. Is this true? for instance, if I take a subway from Deachi to Sinsa (800 won) then get off and Sinsa and take blue bus to near Itaewon, the swipe on the bus won't be another 800, but rather something like 100 won...and then if I take a small green hopper bus that practically brings me to my door, the cost won't be 400, but almost nothing since it's considered the same journey. So instead of this costing a total of (800+800+400=2000 won) it will only cost maybe around 1000 won. Does anyone know for sure...sorry for the confusion. |
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Gollum
Joined: 04 Sep 2003
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Its' true. You are charged for total distance, then, and will save some money.
It's still more expensive than the old way, though.
And my T-money card barely works.
Was laughing last night at all of the people on the packed bus back to Bundang... people kept bumping against the machine with purses and setting it off! They have the better Samsung cards, etc., I'd imagine.
Now if I could just get MY card to work. |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm still using the old school cards. No problems so I think I'll use that until they get the problems with Tmoney sorted out |
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