-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 21 March 2017 8:01 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: snippets, Tues.21.3.17

For the older members, outstanding Chuck Berry obituary compilation:
<www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuPzNHs5-Bo>

Hitler discovers internet posts which he doesn't want to read:
<www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR5q0ajW8Ko>. I am still working on the script to
beat 'Hitler gets booked onto Ryanair' and 'Hitler discovers that his
model-railway club has gone dcc'.
The map scene: 'Mein fuhrer, we have tracked the location of the poster'.
The female scene: Never mind, there is still transportdownunder@... and facebook TramsDownUnder.

Attached:

170321Tu Melbourne 'Age':
- Heyfield timber protest. with tdu: did this affect trams?
- E6003 & revised E.

170321Tu Melbourne 'Herald Sun' - letters, power & taxis & uber. with tdu.

Roderick.

Metro Twitter-Mon.20.3
A flashback to the morning peak in March '65 during quadruplication works
near East Richmond! Weston Langford photo.
PTV: Try Before You Ride at Maryborough, Wed.22.3.
http://ow.ly/cLJM30a3Nwn. [one good action from PTV, held before at Box Hill
and at Geelong].
<www.westonlangford.com/images/photo/105873>

Melbourne Express: Tuesday, March 21, 2017.
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-express-tuesday-march-21-2017-20170320
-gv1uei.html>
E tram pic.twitter.com/SHyMITXm0y

Melbourne Express: Tuesday, March 21, 2017. with tdu: any effect on trams?
Trucks roll in to protest the closure of the Heyfield Timber Mill. Photo:
Justin McManus.
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-express-tuesday-march-21-2017-20170320
-gv1uei.html>

March 20 2017 Safer, sleeker trams ready to roll in wake of sharp rise in
injuries.
Trams on three of Melbourne's busiest routes are being revamped to improve
passenger safety.
The E-Class tram, the city's newest and largest tram type, has been
redesigned following an explosion in use since the free tram zone was
introduced in 2015 and a recent sharp rise in serious injuries on trams.
Melbourne trams to run on solar power.
Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D'Ambrosio says
Melbourne's more than 400 trams will be powered by Victoria's first
large-scale solar plant, set to be built by the end of 2018.
The new version, dubbed the E2-class, has also been given a sleek new look.
It is expected to be unveiled at Bombardier's Dandenong factory on Tuesday.
The Age 20/3/2017 Impression of new design tram. ?Taken from Good Design
Week web page.?
The new E-2-class tram is set to be unveiled. Photo: Good Design Week.
It will include extra handholds and grab rails, reducing the risk of
passenger falls, and much wider and less glary driver-side windows to give
the driver a better view of road traffic.
Internal cameras will be fitted to the trams so drivers can more easily see
passengers moving between the tram and platforms.
The changes follow a fivefold increase in the number of injuries among
passengers getting on and off trams, a 50 per cent rise in falls on trams
and a doubling in serious injuries in two years.
The rise in injuries has followed a shift towards mostly standing-room tram
interiors, with fewer seats available on all but the oldest trams.
An E-Class tram on Flinders Street.
Bombardier has already made 50 E-Class trams, the last of which is
scheduled to enter service in May. These will be retrofitted with many of
the new safety features, the company said.
Bombardier's managing director, Andrew Dudgeon, said the design changes
followed discussions with passengers, and were developed with virtual
reality technology at Swinburne University.
"From design all the way through to the build, our team in Dandenong manages
the entire process and could not be more proud of these vehicles," Mr
Dudgeon said. "We look forward to working with the Victorian government and
Public Transport Victoria to continue delivering more of the best trams for
Melbourne."
The new-look tram is among the nominees for the 2017 Australian Good Design
Awards.
According to its awards entry: "The design has enhanced the overall vehicle
quality by utilising the latest in virtual reality technology from Swinburne
University to optimise driver sight-lines and enhance driver and passenger
safety."
Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton said E-Class trams
were not perfect but had been "a pretty good addition" to Melbourne's tram
fleet.
"They do tend to reflect the way that we've been designing and fitting out
our trams in recent years to have fewer seats and more standing room, on the
basis that that is the cheapest way to accommodate more people on the
system," he said.
Dr Morton said it was no surprise an increase in slips and falls had
followed the reduction of seating.
Annual tram patronage soared above 200 million trips in 2015-16.
E-Class trams run on routes 96, 11 and 86, three of the most heavily used in
Melbourne.
The 20 E2-Class trams are expected to cost $274 million.
Related Content
There has been an increase in the number of serious injuries on Melbourne's
trams.
Serious injuries on trams hits eight-year high .
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/safer-sleeker-trams-ready-to-roll-in-wake-of-sha
rp-rise-in-injuries-20170320-gv2aup.html>

Myki users get refunds for touching on in Melbourne free tram zone.
Herald Sun March 21, 2017.
TRAM passengers are swiping away money in Free Tram Zones with almost 800
people asking for refunds.
But the Public Transport Users Association says many passengers didn't know
they could get a refund for touching on in the Free Tram Zone and fear the
real number is much higher.
Almost $3000 has been clawed back from savvy passengers once they realised
their mistake.
PTUA President Tony Morton said anyone with accidentally touched on in the
Free Tram Zone was entitled to a refund and that policy should be pointed
out prominently.
"I guess the potential for confusion is always there and we don't always
send out clear messages on when to touch on and off," Mr Morton said.
"I know there is still some confusion among regular travellers let alone
visitors.
"There is now luminous signage advising people of the Free Tram Zone but
people can still miss it.
Almost $3000 has been clawed back from savvy passengers once they realised
their mistake. Picture: Supplied.
"The refund policy for accidentally touching on could be better pointed out
but I expect it's in lots of people interests not to offer too many refunds
if possible."
Since the introduction of the Free Tram Zone at the start of 2015, Public
Transport Victoria has processed 787 refunds totalling $2998 to passengers
who accidentally touched on.
PTV says the number of refunds has decreased each year as passengers have
become more familiar with the Free Tram Zone.
PTV spokesman Nicholas White said research shows that awareness of the Free
Tram Zone is very high among visitors with 72 per cent of domestic and 78
per cent of international visitors understanding the policy.
"We're pleased to see so many locals and visitors using Melbourne's iconic
trams in the Free Tram Zone to explore the city," Mr White said.
PTV says it is continuing to educate passengers about the Free Tram Zone
through driver announcements, signage at tram stops both within and outside
the zone, information at myki machines, customer service officers, and
special products for tourists at information centres and hotels.
The boundaries of the Free Tram Zone are Spring St, Flinders St and La Trobe
St.
Additionally, the tram routes along Victoria St, William St and Elizabeth St
that surround Victoria Market are also included, as well as the Docklands
area.
Related content:
.. Myki price rise: Public transport users slugged extra from January 1.
.. Scratch your own: the 80s train ticket that was a Melbourne fare evaders
dream.
.. Myki upgrade to slug taxpayers $50m.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/myki-users-get-refunds-for-touching-on-i
n-melbourne-free-tram-zone/news-story/6b3d6304b45f7e43d4dc7e504e4381c5>

New gas project for Queensland. with tdu.
Australian Associated Press, Tues.21.3.17.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/new-gas-project-for-queensland/news
-story/42b82c7c20bd0b5753fdb5894688639b>