Re: Sydney Metro Bus Changes

["Daniel Nightingale" <dnightingale@bigpond.nospam.com>]

Don Allitt wrote in message <379D83AD.94E6D053@zeta.org.au>...
>The Government buses have to adhear to the 12 year plan same as private.New
busses
>are leased. What stopped the acquisition was thank GOD as in the old days
>Governments can not just walk in and take over.Don.

I think you are referring to the Avererage Fleet Life plan. The STA has to
maintain an average fleet life of 12 years. Private operators have an
average fleet life allowance of 15 years. When STA purcahse new buses, they
buy wheelchair accessable, low floor,air conditioned natural gas powered
buses to help the average fleet life low. One unamed private operator bought
a fleet of half sized buses made from a truck chassiss. How fair is that?
The buses that STA buy are not leased, they are purchased at an average
price of $350 000.

<snip>

>> >Monolpoly my butt. The private sector is scared that $1 pension tickets,
>> >better frequency and modern buses will kill their pathetic strangle on
>> >Western Sydney. Besides, with Jim Bosnjak at the helm of the BCA, why
would
>> >he endorse STA buying a bigger stake of a market that could be his?
>> The reason State Transit has large numbers of new buses is they don't buy
them
>> themselves! Their new buses are bought by the State Government, instead
of
>> coming from State Transit's revenue. (Private companies on the other hand
>> purchase vehicles out of their own profits).

The money may come intially from the State Government, but is accoutable in
the STA Corporate Plan as capital expenditure. The State Government
recuperates that money in the long run from the STA.

Daniel