Re: [Melb] Tram Conductors

[taliesin@chariot.net.au (Taliesin Walker)]

Sounds like they've created a problem for themselve. If the people who
check tickets are going sell them as well, your average fare evader
will wait and see if a conductor will come along. If they don't then
they ride free, if they do then they act innocent an say they got on
at the last stop and couldn't understand the ticket machine, and could
I please buy a ticket from you?

Tali


>The following article is published in today's (Wednesday's)
>edition of the Melbourne Age.
>
>http://www.theage.com.au/news/20001011/A43505-2000Oct10.html
>
>Roving conductors to attend to fines
>
>By MEAGHAN SHAW
>Wednesday 11 October 2000
>
>The State Government's calling them "roving conductors"; the
>tram companies will call them "tram attendants". But Melburnians
>will probably call them the "Clayton's connies" - the conductors
>you have when you don't have conductors.
>
>For a start, they will sell daily tickets at inflated prices to
>discourage commuters from buying tickets on trams.
>
>Second, there's only 100, so the chances are that few passengers
>will see them.
>
>And, third, they will issue fines to fare evaders, leading to
>suggestions that they are ticket inspectors in disguise.
>
>Premier Steve Bracks and Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said
>yesterday the conductors would sell daily zone one tickets at
>$5, instead of $4.60, when they were introduced next year.
>
>Mr Batchelor said the 10 per cent premium would cover the costs
>of reintroducing the daily ticket to the tram system, with
>surplus revenue to go towards the future conversion of tram
>ticketing machines to sell daily tickets.
>
>But Swanston Trams communications manager Dean Souter said the
>premium was to encourage people to buy their tickets at the
>retail outlets stocking Met cards, which are set to increase by
>25 per cent.
>
>"We didn't want the travelling public to inadvertently become
>fare evaders by sitting on a tram and thinking, 'I'll wait for
>the tram conductor to come along'," Mr Souter said.
>
>Mr Batchelor and Mr Souter said the new conductors would issue
>fines to fare evaders - something the old conductors were not
>able to do - but only as a last resort to people who
>consistently refused to buy a ticket.
>
>The conductors will rove between trams, concentrating on peak
>periods, busy lines, tourist routes and major events.
>
>Public Transport Users Association president Paul Mees said
>there was no need to add a premium to daily tickets as the cost
>of reintroducing conductors was included in this year's budget.
>
>Opposition transport spokesman Geoff Leigh called it a
>"half-baked system".
>
>"Frankly you've got as much chance of finding one of these guys
>as winning Tattslotto," he said.
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>Regards,
>David Lindstrom
>
>