I Got Reported by Public Transport Victoria

MFD16 on 07/10/2018 - 22:06
Last edited 08/10/2018 - 09:23 by 1 other user

The PTV bois caught me with a negative balance while getting home.

I admit it is my fault for not topping up and accept the consequences. However, they said that I would get a letter determining if I will get a fine or warning. I'm going overseas soon for a couple of months so if I were to not get the letter before I leave and it comes while I'm overseas, what do I do if the letter will be about a fine? I don't want to get an additional fee for being late to pay up.

Also, this is my first time getting reported, what are the chances they just give me a warning?

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Comments

  • Quantumcat on 08/10/2018 - 01:00

    ?

  • ms_caz on 08/10/2018 - 06:00
    +1

    Will there be somebody at your home address who can open the letter when it comes, and let you know what the consequences are?

    I believe you will be fined - I was travelling with a group of school kids, one of whom had not touched on properly. The young student I was with had never been reported before, but she still was fined. The PTV officer told us the same as you were told, (but also advised us to contest it as unlike your situation it was an error) and indeed a fine was issued. It did take a few weeks for the letter to arrive.

    • MFD16 on 08/10/2018 - 12:04

      Unfortunately there won't be someone. I think i'll go to one of the stations and ask them what to do. Hopefully i'll get the letter before i leave.

      • BertieBrown on 09/10/2018 - 00:43
        +2

        I’d suggest contacting them and perhaps seeing if you can at least redirect your mail to a friend or relative just until you get back, so you have some idea and a fine doesn’t accrue or anything. But not sure if that’s a possibility for you, just a thought.

        • MFD16 on 09/10/2018 - 11:57

          yea, i'll figure out something and try get a friend to check for the letter and let me know of the details. Thanks

  • knobbs on 08/10/2018 - 07:41
    +1

    You get fined for having a negative balance? Not sure if that is the same here with TransLink. You can never touch on without having a positive balance but can go into negative as they charge max fare when touching on and refund for where you get off.

    • Craze on 08/10/2018 - 09:45
      +1

      I'd thought the same- myki wouldn't allow you to touch on with a negative balance so you'd have had some money on your card when you'd touch on; just not enough to cover the whole fare.

      If you have someone at home that can look out for your letters in the meantime that'd be handy. And also appeal nicely to have the fine waived (if you do end up receiving a fine instead of warning).

      • shanakatak on 08/10/2018 - 10:54
        +1

        For V/line you aren't allowed to board if you don't have enough money on your myki to cover the whole journey.

    • MFD16 on 08/10/2018 - 12:03
      +1

      Yes sorry, i did not touch on because it was on a negative balance. It would get declined since it's on negative balance. I'll try appeal if i do get a fine and hope for the best.

  • JimmyF on 08/10/2018 - 09:56
    +6

    The PTV bois caught me with a negative balance while getting home.

    This doesn't make sense….

    I think you meant to say you hadn't tapped on in the first place as it was in negative balance and wouldn't allow you to, so you chose to continue your trip anyhow and got caught?

    • MFD16 on 08/10/2018 - 12:03

      Yep you're right. I didn't touch on cause it was on a negative balance.

      • JimmyF on 08/10/2018 - 12:31
        +6

        So you didn't have a valid ticket to be on PTV, so yes you will get a fine for fare evasion.

  • SnoozeAndLose on 08/10/2018 - 10:18
    +1

    You should move to NSW as our Opal is free and can go negative. But you need to have at least some money to get into the gate

    • JimmyF on 08/10/2018 - 12:32

      Just like the Opal card, the PTV version can go negative as well for ONE trip. ie balance of $1 on card, and you take a $5 fare, it will let it go to minus $4. It won't let you tap on though when you are in negative balance.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 08/10/2018 - 13:27
        -2

        I think the OP tap on with negative fare and got caught. if it is the case i think it is a trap for people to get fine.

        • JimmyF on 08/10/2018 - 15:48
          +1

          Fare are deducted at the END of the trip. You just need to meet the minimum fare/balance to start a trip.

          Read the comment above yours, OP said

          I didn't touch on cause it was on a negative balance.

          Card was ALREADY in negative balance before they started the trip, so didn't allow them to touch on, they took PT anyhow and got caught.

          Its a simple 101 fare evasion. Didn't have a valid ticket, took PT anyhow and got caught.

      • pennypincher98 on 09/10/2018 - 05:35

        I have one major gripe about the Opal card (that auto top up solves) - rushing from a bus to a train.

        You tap on with low balance on the bus, and tap off with a negative balance off the bus but can't transfer with a negative balance.. Hence unable to tap on. Funnily enough you can transfer with 1c on your card though.
        Extremely frustrating. I now auto top up because this seemed to happen a fair bit.

    • dust on 08/10/2018 - 13:28

      The difference is that the Myki costs money so they're not taking a huge loss like NSW are!

      • SnoozeAndLose on 08/10/2018 - 13:38
        -1

        i think NSW charge more fare and everyone is paying for the tourist who buy and dump the card.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/10/2018 - 12:33
    +1

    In NSW, it used to basically be you always got a warning, provided you sent a form away asking for warning, and providing you have had no other fare evasion fines/tickets in the last few years .
    Maybe because it is too much hassle for them to go to court, and then at court the magistrate would maybe just give you a warning anyway. In NSW it would be almost assured you would get warning. Im guessing it is likely the same in other states.
    You could tell a white lie, ie. Tell them that you tapped when you got on, and did not realise it was not charged and/or had a negative balance . Obviously don't lie in court or on a stat dec… But for appeal of fine letter, it wont be helpful if you just say, its my fault, I knew i was fare evading and I couldn't be bothered paying or topping up, so I just got on. You want to have some plausible reason/excuse to allow them to write it off as a 1 time thing with warning.
    Whom ever looks at your letter probably couldn't care less, but if they are checked up on, they want to have something to show and explain why they let you off.

    • MFD16 on 08/10/2018 - 16:32

      ye honestly appealing for a warning looks like a hassle. I'll just pay the fine and be more cautious next time.

  • redforever on 08/10/2018 - 13:29
    +1

    When did your balance first go into negative. Were you continuing your journey after it went into negative?

    or have you been travelling on a negative balance myki?

    • MFD16 on 08/10/2018 - 16:30

      i had been travelling with a negative balance. I accept that i have to pay the fine but just wondering what to do if the letter comes after i leave. Don't wanna be paying a late fee for the fine ahah

  • Illian on 08/10/2018 - 16:13
    +1

    First registration in another topic, now this? Why is NSW so backwards compared to QLD? We have automatic direct debit top-up here when the balance goes below a certain amount, that way you never run out.

  • bobbified on 08/10/2018 - 19:50
    +2

    I've been caught out a few times in Melbourne with a negative balance before.

    I rarely use PT outside of the CBD where it's free. One day I might tap on and it says that I have $7 or so and then on the way back, I might go on the tram and it tells me I'm in negative. (Admittedly, being the infrequent traveler, I haven't bothered to read to on how it actually works).
    In the suburbs, there's often nowhere close by to top up the mykis and no option to top up instantaneously by card/phone, so I just end up staying on. The tram or bus driver has been helpful on some occasions and they'll tell me not to bother swiping.

    Having said that, expect a fine. The wanna-be cops are ruthless with fines and they get taught to say those sorts of things to you in an attempt to prevent the situation from escalating on the spot.

    • MFD16 on 08/10/2018 - 20:57

      yea fair enough

  • [Deactivated] on 09/10/2018 - 10:56
    Merged from I Got Reported by PTV

    So I recently got reported by an authorized officer on a PTV bus. I knew I had a negative amount on my card and couldn't top up because bus drivers dont accept card payments and there was no other way to top up. I figured I'd top up at the nearest station but I was caught before we got there.

    I usually carry a myki pass with me but it was stolen and i applied for a new one and was waiting for it to arrive. I only had the one myki which was in the negative.

    Not sure if I'll get a fine and whether or not I'll be able to contest it.

    Any advice ?

    • John Kimble on 09/10/2018 - 10:58

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/407551

      If you had good history on your other card they might be lenient perhaps?

      • [Deactivated] on 09/10/2018 - 11:13

        Yeah I do actually. It's a yearly pass.

        • John Kimble on 09/10/2018 - 11:17

          So if you get the fine, I would contest by providing the history and proof it was stolen (a police report or the request for a new one).

    • AdamFury on 09/10/2018 - 10:59

      If you get a fine I don't believe you will be able to contest it successfully. Without testing the truthfulness of what you said you have to think of it from the other side of things and it can be read as a lot of excuses.

      • [Deactivated] on 09/10/2018 - 11:02

        But there's no way to get to the station without a public bus. I couldn't have topped up.

        • John Kimble on 09/10/2018 - 11:03

          You're not meant to have a negative balance in the first place technically. I know it happens every now and then in reality.

        • HighAndDry on 09/10/2018 - 11:08

          Could've topped up last time you used it before it went into negative?

    • [Deactivated] on 09/10/2018 - 11:08
      +1

      When have buses ever accepted card payments?
      Oh, right, NEVER.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/10/2018 - 11:11

      I just had no way to pay for it. I usually top up at the kiosks at the station. It just so happened to go lower than 0 when I touched off the night before.

      • John Kimble on 09/10/2018 - 11:13

        You're unlikely to get any sympathy here.

        • [Deactivated] on 09/10/2018 - 11:15

          Alrighty. Thanks for the info :)

    • altomic on 09/10/2018 - 12:12

      can't you top up online?

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