Re: Re: {nsw} When to change trains

["Peter Parker" <parkerp@alphalink.com.au>]

David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
news:tv34ht0952rqt88jmh3cpft75ek5h11pn3@4ax.com...

> Where you pay the same amount to go 5 kms through 2 zones as you do to
> go 50 kilometres through 2 zones?   Sounds a bit unfair.

Where abouts does this occur?  On the Melbourne rail system, you need a Zone
123 for
trips like E. Camberwell - Ringwood, Murrumbeena - Noble Park & Glenhuntly -
Seaford.
These are all distances of considerably more than 5km.

Of greater unfairness are local trips like Murrumbeena to Moorabbin, which
need a Zone 12
ticket, whereas to travel all the way to Williamstown or Glenroy can be done
on a Zone 1.

The only way to iron out these inconsistencies is to have a greater number
of narrower zones
(like Perth, which has 8!), and more gradual increments between each fare
level.  However
this can be confusing and adds to the proliferation of tickets which do less
and less (though
this is still not as bad as cities without multimode fare systems).  So a
compromise needs to
 be struck between simplicity and fairness.

However way this compromise is achieved, penalties for transfers (whether
same mode or same
company or not) are a no-no.  This is because without transfers passengers
may only be able to
complete 10% of their trips by public transport.  With one transfer this
might rise to 50% and with
 two transfers it may approach 100%.  So if you're serious about increasing
the capabilities of public
 transport to satisfy  more of the public's travel needs (and therefore get
a reasonable modal share
for PT), transfers are essential.

So let's make transfers as easy and convenient as possible.  A single fare
and ticketing system, co-ordinated
timetabling, and convenient interchange points throughout the network are
all required to make it happen.