Re: Yarra Trams Article in Sunday Age

["Steve" <stephensmith@octa4.net.au>]

How about improving the visibility and info on where to purchase tickets. As
a recent visitor from the NT I boarded a tram and as I did not see a
conductor I did not know what to do about purchasing tickets and the driver
was not very helpful.

"Railvic" <railvic@primus.com.au> wrote in message
3A700340.EB5B4916@primus.com.au">news:3A700340.EB5B4916@primus.com.au...
> A very good response ... If you don't want to pay because of various
> reasons, don't use the service.  Afterall, why should public transport
> be any different to airlines?  If you don't pay, you simply don't board
> the plane and fly!!
>
> Morphet wrote:
> >
> > Sunday Age
> > 21/1/2001
> > Page 14
> >
> > A Fare question
> >
> > I ask Mr Kevin Murray (Letters, 14/1) and his fellow fare-evaders on
> > our trams, if they would please explain what makes them so speical.
> > Why is it that the majority of customers who pay for their fares must
> > subsidise your free travel?  Why should you have a seat for free when
> > the man standing beside you has taken responsibility for his actions
> > and paid for the service he is using?
> >
> > Trams are not a free service and they do not cost peanuts to operate.
> > Would you expect to take a taxi and not pay your fare simply because
> > yiou didn't agree with the way management ran their business?
> >
> > Blaming the lack of conductors may be a convenient excuse but it does
> > not juistify your behavior.  We are not in the business of providing
> > conductors, if this was the case you could refuse to pay for
> > non-delivery of service.  We are in the business of transporting
> > people.  You choose to be transported, so please pay for the service.
> >
> > I offer you a simple choice, Mr Murray: either pay for the service you
> > are using or stop using it.  If as you say, you do not wish to support
> > our shareholders (half of whom are Australian) please find some other
> > way to travel.  Let me assume you that there are many paying
> > passengers who would appreciate your giving up the tram seat you
> > occupy.
> >
> > Yarra Trams has invested, and will continue to invest a substantial
> > amount of money in improving its trams and its network.  We are in
> > this business for the long term and we know that the only way to be
> > profitable will be by delivering an excellent service.   In the next
> > few years, we have a lot of work to do to achive this objective.  The
> > State Government subsidises the cost of running our tram business in
> > recognition of the fact that they were not profitable when they were
> > offered for privatisation.  This contribution will dry up
> > progressively  over the next few years.
> >
> > Consequently, with these facts in mind, we have introduced a series of
> > improvements to timetables to improve frequency and reliability.  We
> > aare improving and fefurbishing our existing fleet of 200 trams and
> > later this year we will bring more that 30 brand-new, low floor trams
> > to Melbourne.
> >
> > These trams will provide greater access for the elderly and disabled
> > and will lead the way for the city to have the best tram service in
> > the world.
> >
> > Mr Murry, think again before you next choose to fare evade.  If you do
> > not elect to buy a fare, be aware that you are breaking the law and
> > will be fined.   Also, you can be assured that you are not welcome on
> > Yarra Trams.
> >
> > Hubert Goyot
> > C.E.O. Yarra Trams