Re: New Tickets for Bayside Trains

[Michael <mk@netstra.com.au>]

Paul,

It has already been said that multi-modal ticketing will not be replaced 
completely. In this case, you will still be able to use your multi-modal 
Metcard on any tram train or bus. It has also been said from the start, that 
private operators would be allowed to introduce their own ticketing systems to 
run along side, but not completely replace the current multi modal ticketing 
system.

That said, National bus company have been doing this since 1990, and it has not 
posed any problems. It is probably good that you have a choice of ticketing 
systems, since you can decide which is cheaper for you. 

Example: Every day i travel both Hillside Trains and Bayside Trains. They 
Bayside-Only offpeak ticket will not work for me, so I shall continue to use my 
Zone 1 weekly, or Metcard-10. If I happened to be using a Metcard-10 for that 
week, and I choose to spend a day in the city however, I can purchase a Bayside 
Trains off peak ticket for nearly a dollar less than I would for the equivilent 
Zone 1 ticket.

I used to be against privatisation, and I still am to an extent as far as other 
utilities go. I do however see the privatisation of public transport as a long 
needed change from government control. The government do not have the first 
clue on how to operate a railway, from my point of view, and have probably done 
us a good thing by selling it off.

I do however disagree with the trams being split into two companies, and rail 
being split into four companies. There is no need for it, and it is creating 
waste. By the time Bayside Trains and Hillside Trains build their new EMU's we 
will have two sets of trains, that can only be run in their designated areas. 
For example, at Flinders Street, we see that the 12:16 down Hurstbridge is 
running very late, or better still, it got cancelled due to a defective train 
up the line somewhere. There may be a train ex. Cranbourne as an example, which 
is tabled to be terminated and stabled say, arriving at Flinders Street at 
12:14. This up cranbourne could then form the said down Hurstbridge that went 
missing up the line somewhere. It does not take a genius to work this out.

That said, it also doesnt take a genius to work out that the government and our 
so-called Wonder-Kennett(tm) doesnt have a clue as far as rail goes. I also 
knew from the very start that with the split in systems, that no one company 
would win more than two portions of the same transport operator.

i.e. the Freight Victoria consortium, no matter how much better their offer may 
have been, will not have won V/Line pass, just as National Express would not 
have won Hillside Trains, etc.

This was simply Wonder-Kennett(tm)'s measure of keeping things complicated.

All in all, privatisation is good, just not how it happened to a big extent. I 
am just glad that our ticketing will remain the same, bit while we still have 
stupid people, and sheep impersonators, we will always have our Wonder-
Kennett(tm).

Regards,
Michael "Feel free to flame me for my political opinion".



Paul Dwerryhouse said on 6/08/1999 in <MsgID-suppressed>:

>"A. Tubbs" <atubbs@mpx.com.au> writes:
>
>>There will be a new off peak train ticket availble soon and will be valid
>>for unlimited off-peak travel on Bayside trains ONLY.
>>Cost will be $3.30 for Zone 1, I don't know the prices for other zone
>>combinations. The ticket is only available for purchase from bayside Trains
>>stations. I'll keep you posted.
>
>Urk. I _knew_ this would happen.
>
>Take an integrated public transport system and break it up into useless
>fragments.
>
>I wonder how many years it will be before we all need a different ticket 
>for every different operator? Sure, they deny it now, but we all know how
>far we can believe them...
>
>Paul.   [Entering conspiracy month].
>
>--
>Paul Dwerryhouse                                        paul@xenu.ee.mu.oz.au
>"The growing use of e-mail, not to mention Web-page publishing, threatens to 
>reverse the trend towards illiteracy among the supposedly educated without at 
>the same time improving their spelling". -- Michael Swaine, Dr. Dobb's Journal
>