07-18-2024, 02:08 PM
(07-18-2024, 11:18 AM)SF22 Wrote:(07-18-2024, 01:00 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: This is not a new statement, it's the one they've been using for years and year.
It is also complete and total bullshit.
"Presto could not be selected because they did not respond to a Request for Proposals, which is a Regional requirement."
The region created a requirement (Request for Proposals) that Presto would not fill....I won't say we did it to intentionally exclude Presto...but this is not a reason not to have Presto...but it is nothing more than an excuse, we could have chosen Presto, if we'd wanted, an RFP is no required by anyone but us.
At the time, Presto was not capable of providing certain features GRT needed, such as handling a U-Pass program.
So? U-pass used to be handled by students showing their student card, the same thing could have continued.
Having our own system allows us to ensure our fare products meet our unique customer needs.
Bravado put it better than I could...we're not a special fucking flower, nothing about our transit system or it's users is in any way unique.
This was a bad decision by our region, and we should remind them this at every opportunity, and we should stop accepting their bullshit excuses.
Oh, I'm definitely not waving my hands and saying "oh, good enough then!" But I've been in this space for a few years now, and have a fair bit of interest in what GRT is doing, and I've never personally seen a statement from GRT directly that specifically says "Oh, this is the reason why we didn't go with Presto." All I've seen previously is "We won't be looking at moving to Presto at this time, end of conversation." I don't doubt that the region built their RFP to exclude them for whatever web of reasons they had.
Fair enough, and I'm sure it's a question of timing and such, I just know I've heard that exact statement before, and discussed it with folks here. But I'm always happy to do it again
