Re: Freeride for late train/trams [Vic...where else:-)]

["John Wayman" <trecker@optusnet.com.au>]

Most bus companies are happy to receive a subsidy to operate their services.
When paid by the km for running a service they do that. No responsibility to
run buses on time, or to collect the Met's revenue.

Things change when the operators live out of the fare box, and empty buses
mean no revenue.

Melbourne's private bus companies have always been very territorial, but not
all are trying to provide a service that passengers will use.

>From a funding point of view, if you combine two poorly patronised bus
routes, you double the patronage, which looks great on paper, and may help a
service to survive the gaze of a bean counter.

The only way to get Melbourne's buses to perform is to phase out all
subsidies, and reorganise the routes, abolishing the company territories.

This was partly tried, but botched by an earlier state government.

Cheers
John Wayman

"Anthony Morton" <amorton@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au> wrote in message
news:8gsgem$kcg$1@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU...
> James C <jamesccj@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>
> >This have something to do with most buse companies aren't that interested
in
> >running a proper service, they just run what they've got now without any
> >changes and update nor user freindlyness, I guess all these bus companies
> >just want to get state government's huge public transport subsidies and
not
> >interested in putting any effort at all.
>
> Gotta love the wonderful private sector.  And now of course our trains and
> trams have been handed over to subsidised private operators as well.....
>
> TM
>