At a guess I'd say it's much more expensive to put in the machines to handle
notes.
> - Vailidation of Metcards on trams is another issue that I a few
>people in this N/G have expressed their concern. Those people who
>object to validating a vailidated ticket fail to reconise the fact
>that the machine would most likly check if the ticket is vailid, but
>would also be used to form boarding stats to (hopfully) improve
>services, but also more importantly to let operators know how many
>passengers they carried so that they may claim their money. Especiialy
>important after privitisation.
Yes, from what I understand detailed stats are one of the reasons the govt
didn't just go out and buy an off the shelf system.
> - The QTY and placment of TVM's on the trams I think will cause no
>end of problems. Traveling (mainly on the 19 to Nt Coburg) it seemed
>that at least half the passengers purchased their ticket from the
>conductor, presumable the other half purchased it off board, or has a
>vailid daily, weekly ticket etc. With the number of passengers that
>board a B2, how is one machine going to cope??. Also why where the
This could be a real problem with trams leaving the city at peak times. Probably
not so bad in the morning peak (except St Kilda Road southbound, but people
there are likely to have tickets from the train).
>machines on Z class installed in a seating bay and not in the area
>once occupied by conductors consoles???
I'm guessing so the machine is near the centre of the tram, not down one end.
This seems to be the pattern.
> - Luckly the gates at the stations are better than what I imagined.
[...]
>and relise they are not as bad as they seem. As for speed I mentioned
>a few months back that the Sydney gates work almost at walking pace,
>where you walk up and going the que and walk through, not any slower
>than showing a station hand. I don't like the idea of bi-directional,
Yep, I'm getting used to them, I think people will figure out how to go through
at walking pace. They should be faster than the manual system at places like
Flinders Street, where they'll be able to open every gate, instead of having
hundreds of people squeezing through just the number they have manned. At
Spencer Street, they seem to have places for about a dozen auto gates, but at
the moment they only usually have 3-4 manned and open at a time.
> - I also noticed on the B2's at the number 1 end behind the driver
>in the passenger compartment is a counter. Anyone know what it is used
>for???
I think it's counting the distance the tram has travelled - mileage, or
kilometre-age if you prefer! If you listen carefully, they click - faster when
the tram is going faster.
Daniel
-- Daniel Bowen, Melbourne Australia. Remove the spam bait to email me personally...