ORLANDO, Fla. — 9 Investigates uncovered dozens of SunRail customers being punished for problems with the train's ticketing system.
There have been problems with the ticketing system since SunRail service began in 2014.
Traffic reporter Racquel Asa found out that some passengers' accounts have been frozen.
Melanie Lulue told Channel 9 that she's been paying close attention to her SunRail account for the last couple of months.
The SunRail team warned Lulue in May that her account would be invalidated or "hot-listed" if she didn't start tapping off at the terminals to show she got off the train.
“I am making a conscious effort to tap on and tap off effort every time, and the machine shows me I have a fare accepted,” said Lulue.
But looking at her account shows otherwise.
"So you tapped off, but this report shows..." Asa said. “I didn't. I just magically appeared,” Lulue said.
Lulue said it has happened more than once.
“Two events in two weeks for one rider. If you have every rider having the same issue then you have a bigger issue that needs to be resolved,” she said.
SunRail officials said they "hot-list" about 70 riders a month.
The commuter rail started flagging monthly accounts because they say some riders were chronically not tapping off.
Tapping off is critical to the rail. It's one of the ways they can count passengers to make sure they are paying.
SunRail officials said in an email "FDOT continues to work with our ticketing vendor to ensure consistency and reliability of reports."
In the meantime, conductors will make sure tickets on board are valid and ambassadors on the platform will make sure riders are following the rules.
But Lulue said following the rules won't make a difference if what's in place isn't working.
“If you have to worry about one little tap-on or tap-off or else they are going to kick you off the train then that's a concern,” said Lulue.
The SunRail team said they are working on a system upgrade that should hopefully be in place by the fall.
SunRail also said monthly customers who are "hot-listed" need to call customer service to clear up their accounts.
Monthly pass holders said that shouldn't be necessary since they already pay fares up front every single month.
Watch the SunRail video explaining the process for purchasing and validating tickets:
SunRail released this statement Wednesday: “Tapping on and tapping off is vital to SunRail’s reporting system. Those who chronically fail to tap off are among those hot-listed.
- We continue to work and improve customer experiences on ticket machines and ticket validators to ensure the reliability and consistency of our back office reporting system.
- We are working with our vendor to automate the process. As with any software change, it is important to test the changes before putting them into a production system. We are currently in the testing phase of the software release and should put into production later this year.
- We are looking at the possibility of reconfiguring or adding TVUs at other stations, particularly in DeBary, to align better with foot traffic. We also have the Ambassadors at the platforms and conductors on board to assist customers as needed.
- It's important to take even the extra few minutes to tap off or tap on even if there is a short wait. If you have a concern with your SunCard or account, please call SunRail customer service at 855-724-5411."
Cox Media Group
