OV Chipkaart: perils for the logical!

On Friday evening, 16 October, I had cause to get from Rotterdam's airport to the city centre,  The airport's advice was to use the bus no. 33 for the short trip to the nearby RandstandRail line E at Meijersplein. 

Outside the terminal is a sheltered facility with two ticket machines, and translation in to English, as well as a few other languages, available.  There were two practical ticket options, either the 'return' ticket, at 6 euros, valid for an hour today to get in to the city, and an hour at some day in the future to get back, or a 2-hour ticket at 3.50 euros.  Whilst the publicity heavily promoted the former, I chose the latter, to enable a convoluted journey if I so chose.

 OV Chipkaart is the Dutch national public transport ticketing system, in it's most basic form is a stored value card which deducts fares as you travel.

Can't fault the travel advice!

The ticket machine.  With translations in to German, French and English available, it couldn't be simpler.  It offers a top up to a Chipkaart, or the opportunity to buy a single use Chipkaart (aka a ticket) for immediate travel.

To travel, there is a 'touch in' reader on the bus, in this case a Mercedes Citaro operated by the municipal undertaking, RET.

Not many people on this bus!  Even in the evening it runs every 15 minutes between Rotterdam city centre and Meijersplein via the airport

 The bus stops at a single bus stop immediately outside the station at Meijersplein.  Simple, go in to the station and catch the train.  Or is it?  My 3.50 Euro ticket wouldn't work the gates.  Using a bit of Underground logic, I tried forcing them (as you do!).  They wouldn't budge.  The easy solution was to buy another ticket: there was a ticket machine in the corner. 

Meijersplein station.  Of typical modern glass box design.

The bus stop at Meijersplein station.

Simple technology, even a non-Dutch speaker could interpret "kaart hier"!

However when I placed my card on, I got a red light and what presumably translates as "kaart was not touched out on the previous bus you got off so I don't know that you're here so go away and hang your head in shame, jolly foreigner!"

 

 

 

 So it turns out that even on a fixed fare, fixed time ticket, where 'checking out' would make absolutely no different to the fare paid or the validity of the ticket, it is still necessary.  And people call Oyster complicated!

Usefully the ticket machine at Meijersplein also offered English, German and French.  However none of the language buttons actually worked, whilst in Dutch it would not sell a single use Chipkaart: presumably along with taxes and death, ownership of a Chipkaart is a compulsory part of being Dutch!

 

In my despair I tried to 'check out' on the next no. 33 bus.  That didn't work, but I did notice what appears to be some form of under-vehicle charging facility at the bus stop.  Absolutely no idea if this is for the Citaros I saw on the 33 or not.

Meijersplein station is completely unstaffed.  So for, I think, the first time in my life I took a punt on the 'SOS' button.  I figured the presence of an emergency button below, with a note about a fine for improper use meant that that 'SOS' meant 'customer help'.  The button got through to a control room, and although I don't speak Dutch, the Dutch genrrally speak better English than most Brits so were able to remotely open a gate and let me in.

Overview of Meijersplein at platform level.  Clean, fairly modern, but short canopies not conducive to "using the full length of the platform" - though this hardy northerner didn't mind a spot of rain to bring you this picture!

 

The next challenge was getting out of the system at Rotterdam Centraal.  Needless to say, I got the same red light and "silly boy why didn't you check out of the bus" message. Pressed the SOS button again, and I believe the same voice answered, promising to send someone. Someone came, played with my ticket, and told me it was worthless.

The people in this office on the concourse at Rotterdam Centraal Metro station cannot help you.  They are for information only.  Nothing useful like resetting the ticket of a jolly foreigner who didn't 'check out' of a bus an hour ago.

So. Chipkaart. Awesome idea. Unnecessarily complicated. In fact, one could say unnecessary altogether, and the back end systems could be retained with 'wave and pay' technology deducting fares direct from a bank account or credit card.  I miss the old Strippenkaarten, not so sure I'll miss OV Chipkaart!