Re: Roll Call

["Hubert Lam" <hubert@imap4.com>]

Name: Hubert Lam

Age: 19 (this year)

Location: Liberty Grove/Concord West, Sydney

Status: Passenger, train and NSW government bus

Background: From Hong Kong, arrived in 1991. Loved riding on buses and
trains since I was little, and this continues. Currently working for the BE
(Telecommunicaitons)/MBiomedE concurrent degrees at UNSW. Whilst I still
have a concession to travel on trains and buses I will make most of it as it
is relatively VERY CHEAP compared to other countries in the world.


"Al" <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
3acc0db7$0$25522$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3acc0db7$0$25522$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> Just thinking that it's about time that we had a roll call in the group to
see
> where everyone's coming from (passenger, user, employer, employee etc) and
> what their background is.
>
> I'll start.  Alex, 22, live in East Maitland, use trains to get to/from
uni at
> Warabrook, with the odd longer trip thrown in (Sydney and beyond).  I've
also
> had an interest in trains my whole life, starting with models when I was
still
> wearing nappies and progressing through to the stage where I chose my
career
> (engineering) based on doing something in transport.
>
> There also seems to be two trains of thought (pardon the pun) about
trains,
> and public transport in general, one being the users' view of "Why can't
my
> train run on time/run more often/run express/go direct to where I want
etc",
> while on the other hand is what I'd call the blinkered management view of
> "Adapt to our system if you want to use it".  OK, I agree that there are
going
> to be certain conditions placed on using a train for travel, but so there
are
> with driving (road rules), flying (try getting on a plane without a
ticket),
> and sailing/shipping (red means stop, green means go, ie you have to give
way
> to vessels on your starboard (right) side).  The point I'm trying to make
is
> that some compromise has to be reached between those providing the service
and
> those using it.  Opinions?
>
> Finally, a ticketing idea which would reduce fare evasion quite
substantially,
> but would probably cost a fair bit to implement (thinking of CityRail
here).
> Firstly, have barrier gates at all stations.  Secondly, before going
through
> the barrier, the passenger must take a blank ticket, which is then
validated
> (for want of a better term) with the start point and time.  Finally, when
the
> destination is reached, the ticket is put into the barrier again, which
> calculates the fare based on starting and finishing station.  If a token
cost
> is put on the blank ticket, say $5, then at the destination, change is
given
> or more money required to get out.  (If no money is presented within a
given
> time, say 2 minutes, then a fine is issued).  The same ticket could be
used
> for daily, weekly, or longer periods, as the amount owing is recalculated
> according to how many times a ticket is used between the stations, so it
would
> get cheaper per trip the longer you use the ticket for.  It could also be
used
> between any two stations, and if a network is used, then it works like a
> TravelPass or Zone 1-2-3 Metcard.  It would also save money by not
requiring
> as many tickets or inspectors, and reduce the litter problem caused by
tickets
> (are magnetic stripe tickets recyclable?).  Finally, throw in pre-payment
of
> credit (like a photocopy card or an E-tag) and let people go until that's
all
> used up.  Who's for and against?
>
> --
> Al Pout
>
> Men are from Earth.
>
> Women are from Earth.
>
> Deal with it.
>
>