Re: [Melb] Prizes for Validating Metcards

[Vaughan Williams <ender2000@my-deja.com>]

> At this point of time, it is not an option. A ticket requiring
machine
> validation must be revalidated upon entry to transport property where
a
> working validator is provided.

I don't think its actually an offence not to validate. I had a look at
the legislation the other day and from what I can see, if the ticket
has an expiry date on it, its valid.

Add to that the fact that the revalidation rule is absolutely
impossible to enforce - I'm yet to see the much-talked-about electronic
devices they use to check if you've validated.

I refuse to constantly validate my ticket for the convenience of the
bean counters running the system.

> * It allows the private rail and tram companies to cut down on
services
> where they see fit. If the val/revalidation rates are low for a given
> service, it is then not needed, thus saving money.

No it doesn't.
They can't just add and remove services "as they see fit". They need
government approval, and approval from the passengers charter
committee. Since everyone knows that the validation stats have no
credibility when it comes to patronage analysis, they'd have to put up
a better argument than that to reduce the service.

> * It cuts out more employment, where in the past, and even up to
these
> days, people were/are hired to collect statistics of when people
board a
> train or tram, thus saving money.

People are still hired to do this. The validation stats (even if theyre
accurate which theyre not) don't tell anyone anything about, for
example, which tram stops are being used, or which train people are
catching after entering parliament station.

> This is purely speculation on my part, however I believe that the
tram
> stops that have been planned to be removed are for the reasons stated
> above. Not enough people have utilised these stops or validated their
> Metcards, hence brought them to be the least used stop.

Sorry, no cigar.
The stops chosen for elimination seem to have been chosen on an almost
random basis in some places, and in others they've just gone along a
section of the route and earmarked every second stop for removal. In
Smith St, for example, they want to remove the stop outside the Safeway
which is the busiest stop in Smith St!

And anyway, the validation stats don't tell them which stop you got on
at with any accuracy.

Vaughan


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