Re: Yarra Trams Article in Sunday Age

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"Railvic" <railvic@primus.com.au> wrote in message
3A7689B4.79FC616C@primus.com.au">news:3A7689B4.79FC616C@primus.com.au...

> > > ...  Furthermore, the range of tickets available have not changed from
> > > the pre-automated ticketing days
> >
> > Actually, they have - you could buy daily tickets before off a
conductor,
> > you can't now.
>
> Yes, beside those machines onboard of trams, small and large TVMs at
> railway stations will issue daily tickets ...

And if one is joining a tram that is nowhere near a railway station?????

> > Just as an exercise, I took a couple of umpiring friends out for the
day -
> > one from Sydney, one from Auckland, and one from New York - and I let
them
> > try and figure out the ticket we needed to get to Puffing Billy from
North
> > Melbourne - I gave them a brochure detailing the fare system, and they
were
> > able to do so, without any assistance from me. So it is not as hard as
> > people make it out to be.
>
> Many people I have come across don't do "homework" before they leave
> home to go somewhere (including checking street directory, transport
> timetable/fare information, etc.).  I am surprised they have ventured
> out of their front door and know which way to turn next!!  Dave in the
> example above, you have done necessary "homework" with your visiting
> friends, obviously you have no trouble ... but try to tell those who
> want to be lazy and then they get angry because they have missed their
> connecting service or got off at the wrong stop ...

This then gets back to the argument that people have been using - that it is
too hard for  people who do not know the system, such as infrequent users,
visitors, etc.

I know from when I have travelled that if I do not know the system, I do the
necessary homework - and it is quite easy to do in Australia, since
transport information is generally at the front of the phone book. The
people I was travelling with are quite well travelled as well, the New
Yorker is a professional umpire, and spends 40 weeks per year on tennis
courts in 26 different cities, so is therefore clued up on hwere to look for
info.

But you raise a good point. People in a strange city do not generally go out
unarmed with regard to transport information. They know where they want to
go, and find out how to get there before they go out. The argument that
Melbourne's system is too hard to use for visitors is a furphy, and is
nothing more than an excuse used by Melburnians who do not wish to change.

I agree with half of Vaughan's argument though - the bit I disagree with is
that tickets are too hard to get (make dailies available on board trams
though) - the bit I agree with is that fare evasion is too easy and
detection is too hard - increase the RPO's - and do this Australia wide -
make the chance of a ticket inspection better than 50%, and you will see a
vast reduction in fare evasion.

Dave