Myki concession is leading to crowd chaos at stations

COMMUTERS at city stations will pour through opened fence gates to avoid crowd build-up caused by the slow myki system. 

Extra myki readers are being installed beside fence gates to avoid a backlog of commuters slowed down by the card-operated gates that allow only one person through at a time.
Free-flowing entry into the station was also expected to be introduced at the Elizabeth St end of Flinders St Station during busy times.
The move is a major concession by transport chiefs that myki in its current form is unable to cope with large numbers of people using it. Metro staff will be able to unlock fence gates and allow commuters to pour out, without the need to go through myki-operated gates.
Transport Ticketing Authority chief executive Bernie Carolan said additional myki readers and myki-only gates were being installed to help with passenger flow.
"The readers will be located near fenced areas that will be opened at the discretion of Metro staff to assist passengers with exiting safely and as quickly as possible," Mr Carolan said.
This will happen in the morning peak, and at the Elizabeth St entrance at Flinders St in the evening.
"Patronage on Melbourne's train network has increased significantly over the past few years," he said. "The installation of these readers will provide passengers with an additional 27 places to touch on and off.
"The TTA is hoping to have most of the additional readers in service by mid May, with myki-only gates to follow by the end of that month. In addition, TTA is increasing face-to-face customer support at the busiest locations and additional signs and announcements at stations advising passengers to touch and hold their myki still when touching on and off."
Mr Carolan said an additional 150 myki readers had been installed at some metropolitan stations, with another 160 on the way.
"At more than 50 locations it has been necessary to create additional entry and exit points, while at others it has been necessary to widen existing entry and exit points," he said.

heraldsun.com.au 27 Apr 2012

Another project failure on behalf of the planners and government for accpeting second rate products in a 'money for mates' scam that the corporate media has chosen not to report on.

Since the MYKI system is to be the sole public transport 'ticketing' system, were the planners and/or organisers were not aware of the 'congestion', suggesting the blame on the herd, rather than the shepherds.

The people who approved this system for public use should be fired, and blacklisted.