Re: Melbourne - improved train/tram services

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

>Astute observation... but your not really expecting that the Government to
>pump dollars into fixed rail just before privatisation?, indeed the cynical
>side is slightly surprised the 'improvements' wern't delayed until just
>after the sale.
>
I suspect and guess the reason for this is (from what I have heard/read or
interpretation thereof correct or otherwise) that the new operators have to
operate as a minimum the frequency of services that pre-exist. So if the
services change just before, they are stuck with that level of service as a
mimimum. If the services were to be intorduced just after, the new operators
could argue they were being tied to a level of service that didn't pre-exist
and therefore take it back to what it was. I also suspect along the same
line of thinking that the reason the government didn't beef up the services
more is that there would be complaints about being shafted.

Of course, a more simplistic view would be the fact that there is an
upcoming election, the paper during the week had Alan Stockdale going on
about loosening the purse strings and reducing the budget surplus. Loosened
purse strings will include encouraging high tech jobs, hospitals, education
amongst others...including transport obviously.


>· $7 million for a pilot program called 'Smart Bus'. This program will test
>25 selected cross-town bus
>routes. It will call upon best practices in service planning, route design,
>traffic engineering and information
>technologies.
>
>"This program will encourage more people to use buses in Melbourne,
>especially when travelling from one
>side of the city to another," Mr Cooper said. "Better planning and
>integration of services will mean
>reduced travel times and reduced waiting time at stops. This is evidence
>that the goverment has a
>commitment to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Melbourne's
>buses."
>
>Hmm.... sounds like a wizzo system, which I may ask "How do I get from A to
>B", and it spits out "Travel on Bus A and change to Bus B ....... and
Change
>to Bus D"  Betchya it ignores Trams and Trains though, we wouldn't want to
>encourage cross mode transfers now would we?
>

No, probably more the GPS based system like Perths CATs. Am surprised it
doesn't include trams as most of the infrastructure is already set up for
this with tram transponders and the like for the automated system they have
now unlike buses except for maybe some NB assuming all the equipment wasn't
ripped out during the changeover.

However, given election (see above), will believe it when I see one and not
before.

>"With the continued growth of Melbourne's suburbs, it is important that new
>areas have access to
>transport services that meet their needs," Mr Cooper said. "These
>metropolitan areas will receive new
>weekday evening services and new weekend services. Similarly, country bus
>services will be improved
>with new and expanded service levels."
>
This answers the person who posted no bus improvements, again will believe
it when I see it. This is the same government that got rid of a lot of
Sunday / evening / Saturday afternoon services when it came in, despite then
introducing Sunday shopping. Will believe it when I see it. I would suspect
though given the positive improvements that have occurred during the Liberal
governments term as a basis for guessing, most improvements should occur in
Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. Could just be because it's a growth
area that services have improved slightly there and I'm sure the fact that
our esteemed transport minister is the Member for Mornington is just a
coincidence...

>"All new school buses, new metropolitan buses and new country buses will
>have air conditioning," Mr
>Cooper said. "They will provide a much better level of comfort for
>passengers during the summer months.
>This will also encourage new patronage of public transport."
>
>Gee, in 1999 the government has to pay for this?  When was the last
>Train/Tram in Aust. delivered sans A/C?
>
Last of the Hitachis was delivered in 1981 I believe, just before or around
the delivery of the first Comeng (could be wrong - used to think it was 78
but have seen posts indicating otherwise).
Last tram was the last Z3, I think they only had fans, not air con. Having
posted incorrect info on trams before, maybe a tram gunzel could confirm or
deny (just the facts - no self congratulatory BS on how some poor schmuck
got it wrong thanks - this carry on does nothing to encourage people to
share your interest - you guys were once amateurs too)?

>Also worth noting, the buzzes got $19.4M for improved weekend services, how
>much did Yarra/Swanston/Hillside/Bayside get for the improved weekend
>services?
>
Given the government at present stills pays to run the trains and trams
until taken over, they would have to fork out something.

Ironic that buses got paid to run extra services given they are supposedly
paid to run services on the number of passengers nowadays, not the number of
Kms their buses run (leading of course to being paid per number of services
run). Wonder how Jeff's bus mates are going...