Re: [Vic] Metcard - What could be done.

[James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au>]

Roderick Smith wrote:
> 
> People with periodical tickets shouldn't need to be going through barriers
> at all: either with electronic checking or with manual checking.
> 
> European (and even San Francisco) practice: it is the traveller's
> responsibility to hold a valid ticket, and this is checked by random roving
> squads (like 0.05 blood alcohol).  No barriers are needed at all.  Any
> ticket should be validated just once.
> 

As the tickets can be used over a number of different private train,
tram and bus operators, how would they split up the revenue without
recording when people board the different trains, trams or buses.
Validating tickets is the only way to do this. I would rather validate a
ticket than have to buy a seperate ticket for buses, trams and trains.
When I go to uni I have to get a bus and then a tram. Validating a
single ticket is much easier and cheaper than buying seperate tickets
for the two different operators.

These are what I think the main problems with the metcard system are:

- It is hard to get some types of tickets in some areas of Melbourne.
- The tram TVM's don't sell daily tickets.
- Many people don't bother to buy tickets, especially on the trams and
  unmanned stations.
- Many people don't validate them so how can they split up the revenue
  accurately?
- One bus company doesn't even use Metcards!
- Cardboard tickets are too flimsy for anything more than a weekly.
- Metcard TVM's are vulnerable to vandalism at unmanned stations.
- Although the instructions are fairly straightforward, some elderly
  and disabled people can't cope with the metcard machines. Although
  there is no problem with buses because the driver inputs the details,
  at unmanned stations and on trams there is no help available.



-- 
- James Brook -

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