Re: Cityrail fare rises suck

["Michael McDonald" <michael.and.colleen.mcdonald@xtra.co.nz>]

As ine corresponspondent has already quoted ... "it's hard to get people out
of their iron cages".

I worked for a company that provided free bus transport (nobody had to walk
much more than a few hundred metres) to the mill site, approximately 10km
from the town.  The buses were timed to arrive at the site 10 minutes before
the start of work, and leave 10 minutes following the end of work.  Nothing
could be more convenient or cost effective than that.  In the earlier years
some people had to stand occasionally, but later the company bowed to
pressure to ensure that everybody was seated on the bus - I've seen workers
refuse to get on when they found no seats were available, and they went back
home to phone the company to send more transport.

Did everybody go by bus?  Not on your life!  I can't provide an estimate of
the percentage going by company provided transport, but I suspect it would
have been in the 60-80% range for day workers.

We can argue until we are blue in the face about the cost of running a car
and of using public transport.  Just remember that businesses have to take
into account _all_ costs when justifying the purchase and use of equipment.
The argument that "we have it already" and "these are costs which have to
paid anyway" and then justifying trips on marginal costing only means that
the other trips you are making are at a far higher cost - in effect they are
subsidising your trips to work or wherever.

In spite of all I've argued, I'll admit there will be plenty of situations
in which it makes good sense to use private transport.  There's no economic
sense in me taking a bus to work (would cost $14/week) when I can walk,
cycle, or use an apology for a motorcycle (a 50cc job), or even my car.  I
usually take the bus once a week to go and pick up a rental car to be used
for work.

Ticketing has been a major talking point for both Sydney and Melbourne.
I'll throw in an idea, though it may be a bit to "big brotherish" for some
people.

If only the transport companies could get their act together and use a
common smart card - either of the swipe variety or using proximity sensors
(or both).

The FULL fare for the journey could be deducted when making the trip.
Transport operators could accept money to top up the card (this is done now
in Wellington NZ by the buses to Newlands etc), or they could be topped up
at ATM's by transfer from your bank account.  The ATM's, or special
terminals if need be, could transfer details and costings of your travels
back down the line - and here's the important bit - and work out discounts
etc and credit these to your bank account, or back to your card, as well as
transferring the appropriate funds to the transport operators.  That way you
wouldn't need weekly or monthly tickets as the system would know and give
you an appropriate discount.

Hamilton NZ used to have a free bus doing a loop of the central business
district.  The powers that be decided there were too many yobos
free-loading, so decided to make a fare payable instead.  Result, as
expected, was that patronage fell, and because of that the service was
cancelled as insufficient money was being collected.

Cheers
Michael

David & Sharon wrote in message
<8%Wq3.16489$ha4.134351@amsnews.chello.com>...
>Yeah but if you already have the car and are paying costs for it then only
>the cost of the petrol and pro-rata wear & tear comes into the equation.
Car
>travel is also much safer, and faster, and more convenient than public
>transport. I know for sure that my wife and kids would be much safer in
>private transport, especially at night, not taking into account the 80% of
>Sydney car drivers who don't know how to drive or need to prove the length
>of thier penis by the way they drive. But defensive driving normally takes
>care of that aspect.