Re: Daily Telegraph (Sydney) today (5 July)

["Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au>]

It is a most unfortunate assumption that tickets should be checked: a
legacy of 19th century thinking.  Modern practice is proof of payment, even
in the rules-conscious USA.
It is cheaper and more efficient, and makes travel for passengers faster
and more convenient.

There should be no need for barriers at all.  Not only cheaper to build,
maintain and operate, but allowing less impeded access for passengers
(customers in 1990s parlance).

Such methods are common in Europe, the home of good railway services.

-- 
Regards
Roderick Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

DaveP
> Today's Daily Telegraph has a full front-page story on fare evasion in
> Sydney, focussing mainly on the way that some barrier attendants (the
> article calls them "guards") are letting people through the barriers -
even
> opening the gates to let them out - without even asking for a ticket.
> According to the article, the reporter made ten trips, purchasing a
ticket
> on each occasion. They were only asked to show that ticket twice. Some of
> the journeys involved major stations, such as Central, Circular Quay,
> Parramatta, Fairfield, Liverpool and Campbelltown.
> The PTU spokesperson claims that station staff have been instructed by
> CityRail not to check/collect tickets, in an attempt to downgrade the
> positions prior to the abolition of the positions.