Re: Cityrail fare rises suck

[craigd@lios.apana.org.au (C. Dewick)]

In <37ac3060.5636172@news.ozemail.com.au> kingpin1@ozemail.com.au (Derek Woodlands) writes:

>The latest fare rises have pushed me off public transport and back to the car.

>For a short trip (like Pennant Hills to Epping - about 4km), the single fare has
>gone from $1.80 to $2.20.  Yet the return fare to the city (off peak - around
>30km) is only $3.60.  This sucks.

And how much in a *real* sense does the equivalent car trip cost you? Much,
much more when you take road taxes, fuel taxes, wear and tear on the car,
mainenance and repair costs, licence and rego costs, etc.... Trains are
still *much* cheaper, but most people never consider the *total* cost of a
car journey - they only look at the fuel usage and forget to factor in the
other things.

To be equal to the *real* cost of an equivalent car journey, my estimate is
that trains fares would need to triple (at least) to come close...

>It seems to me that Shityrail want to get rid of the short journey passengers.

Depends what you define as a short journey, but you're probably right.
That's what taxi flag-fall charges are so high too - discourages really
short trips since the cost is astronomical, and is about what you're paying
for the same trip in hidden costs if you drive your own car...

>This *WILL* result in more drink driving.

Only if you're stupid enough to think you're better off going by car. 8-)

Regards,

Craig.

-- 
            Craig Ian Dewick            |       Stand clear - jaws closing
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