Re: Victoria - new fares

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

>:>Daily and 2 hours tickets seem to have gone up by about 10 or 20
>cents
>:>in general.
>:
>:>The obvious exception is the 'Short Trip Card'  (for tram trips of
>two
>:>sections or less) - no price increase!
>:
>:So, do we get any benefits from these fare increases?
>:
>:...Paul
>:
Err...in a word - "no"

Must be lots of annoyed commuters given the quietness with which the price
increases were introduced. I was on several buses today going from Reservoir
to Watsonia and back and nobody seemed to know of the price rise. Most
people just grumbled and forked over the extra 10c but one bloke proffered a
$20 which the bus driver didn't have change for of course so he got to ride
for free.

Several points:
1. Typical lack of customer service in Melbourne. In the past the price
chart has gone up in the week before on the private buses. This time
around - nothing (although I haven't seen a price chart on a bus since the
last increase. I suppose the charts stuck haphazardly on top of one another
were looking messy with all the other collections of stickers that buses
acquire as they get older). Given the PTC want people to plan ahead and have
exact change or in the case of Metcard loose change full stop, not telling
people they need more money to ride the bus is a poor way to encourage this
ie   it doesn't.

2. Given the old $20 or $50 trick is still so common (offer the bus driver a
note they can't possibly give change for), why don't they sell Metcard 10 on
buses as well? This would fix those who offer the $20 anyway.