2-Hour x 10 Tickets

Page last modified/checked: Wednesday, 18 January, 2006

It had long been suggested that some type of multi-trip ticket be provided which would be aimed at the less regular traveller. Without some form of magnetic strip technology, such a ticket could not practically be devised. Provision was made for these tickets on the fascia of the 018 type station vending machines and was originally called "Metcard 10". The 2 hour x 10 Metcard was (quoting the staff circular) "made available for sale as from Thursday 6th August 1998". The official launch was made by the Transport Minister at the Met Shop the following day. The change in name was to better emphasize what the new ticket was, and appropriate labels were quickly applied to the 018 machines around this time. However, before any of this happened, a used example (issued from Brunswick), was found; thus it can never be established exactly when vending machines (at least) commenced selling these tickets or why this was done in advance of the retail system launch.

2 Hour x 10 Flyer (front)

2-hour x 10 Flyer (back).

The "original" 2 Hour x 10
issued at Brunswick

A typical 2-hour x 10 Concession ticket.

A typical 2-hour x 10 Full Fare ticket.

From the original staff circular (printed on ochre-coloured paper) is a sample of what the pre-encoded issues might have looked like had the original "METCARD10" name been retained.
Other illustrations on that circular reveal that the testing stage for these tickets had been as early as April 1998.
BUT THEN.....ROD FOUND THIS!

The discovery of this discarded ticket during mid-September 2001 only exacerbates the uncertainty as to the exact sequence of events behind what we otherwise know as the 2-Hour x 10 metcard!!

As from Saturday the 1st of January 2005, the prices for the 2-Hour x 10, 5 x Daily, Daily 5 pack and Weekly tickets were standardised. These tickets still provide a saving when compared to individual purchases of 2-Hour or daily tickets.

As from Monday the 4th of April 2005, the conditions of the 2-Hour x 10 metcard were altered so that the second trip deducted on the ticket during one day will have an expiry time of 2am. This means there will only ever be two trips deducted from a single 2-Hour x 10 metcard on the same day.

Trips 6, 7 and 8 on the left hand ticket indicate three journies undertaken on the same day. With the changed conditions now applying, the second journey on the same day always shows an expiry time of 2am, as illustrated for trips 2, 4, 6 and 10 on right.

This previously unknown Metcard 10 Full Fare Zone 2 has recently been discovered. The first validation date was 4th December 2005, so who knows where these tickets have been hiding, and why they are appearing some 5 years after the first in this style were found??!!

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