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

[Michael Kurkowski <mk@netstra.com.au>]

Dave Proctor wrote:
> 
> But the point that I was making is that if fare evasion was not seen as a
> victimless crime, and everyone validated, then fare evaders would stand out
> (they would be the ones not validating).

Failure to validate initially can be considered fare evasion. Failure to
constantly revaldate is not fare evasion, since the ticket is already
valid to expire at a certain time/date. This means, that for no reason
other than bureaucratic convenience, people are forced to continually
revalidate against their will. 
 
> But you still have to go and get the E-tag, removing the spontaneity of the
> trip. I cannot just go and use Citylink, I have to go and get the device
> first.

You are also required to buy a ticket before travelling. What you are
implying is, it's okay to have to buy an etag, and never have to
inconveniently stop to revalidate the etag every time you hit a toll
point, but it's not okay to be able to purchase a train/tram/bus ticket,
and not have to inconveniently stop to revalidate the ticket every time
you hit a point of validation. Double standards? Keep digging.
 
> Security risks in people mugging bus and tram drivers to get the money.
> 
> So why are they fitting security cameras to buses then? It was mainly a
> union demand.

Bus drivers still handle money even if people are encouraged to
pre-purchase their Metcards. No member of parliament in their right mind
would create a repeat of the scratch ticket fiasco whereby bus drivers
did not require to handle money. Keep digging.
 
> It doesn't encourage fare evasion, it is the community attitudes that allow
> it. The system in Adelaide (same system, buy on trains, validate on every
> boarding) works perfectly well (or at least, everyone seems to validate when
> I am travelling).

It may not encourage fare evasion, but it encourages less people to use
public transport. If people see public transport as a chore, they will
drive instead. A person should be able to purchase their fare, and be
able to travel on it, using any reasonable means to get into the station
(i.e. if there is a barrier, THEN have a need to poke a ticket) without
being pushed into being counted, or with the threat of being fined for
doing something wrong. 
 
> It has not benefitted passengers because the system is not working as
> designed. If everyone validated, then we would be able to argue the issue,
> but because so many people are refusing to validate as required, it is
> impossible to argue either way.

Most people do validate. Most also don't revalidate. Other than
beancounting issues, as pointed out above, there is no logical reason
for revalidating.
 
> And you need to use it as a regular commuter does, i.e. 5 or 6 times a day,
> every day, using weekly or longer tickets. I have done this, without any
> dramas.

Monthly tickets for me, generally died within 2-3 weeks. Did you ever
use a monthly? Nope. Keep digging.
 
> Inferior only to Melburnians. The rest of the country manages to get by
> perfectly well with tickets that require validation.

Since when did Sydneys train system require you to constantly revalidate
your ticket at each station? Sydney's system requries you to poke a
ticket in the gate to get in and out, at gated stations only. I, like
many people have no problem with this. What most-all of us do have a
problem with is the need to poke a validated ticket in at each and every
station, tram, bus to be counted.

Why can't the fare allocation be worked out from the point of sale
takings rather than journeys travelled? For retail tickets, and tickets
not purchased directly from a
Bayside/Hillside/Swanston/Yarra/[Buscompany of choice], THEN allocate
the takings from the INITIAL validation.

The current system of continual revalidation is also flawed in such,
that a private operator can send a person out with 5 or so tickets to
revalidate them at each station all day long. The money made is
incentive to do so. So based on this logic alone, it seems pretty
impossible that REvalidation plays any part in fare allocation.

Regards

Michael