-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Monday, 16 July 2018 10:49 AM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: Sat.14.7.18 daily digest

Attached.

180714Sa Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- facebook.
- train surfing.
- letters (energy, road, transport).

180714Sa 'WAToday' - new bridge.

180714Sa Metro Twitter:
- Newport.
- North Melbourne.
- South Yarra.

Roderick.

Sat.14.7.18
2.26 Minor delays (police attending to a car blocking tracks at Barry Road
level crossing, Upfield).
- 2.31 still minor delays.
4.45 Because of work at Kooyong station until approximately 7am, buses are
partly replacing Route 16 & 58 trams.
- 8.16 Have route 16 trams resumed regular service now?
- 8.20 Route 16 and Route 58 trams have resumed normal service.
7.00 St Kilda Rd trams may experience higher than usual demand, from 20.15
until the last train on Sunday 15 July (Metro work on the Sandringham line).

8.00 Route 11 and 86 trams may experience higher than usual demand until the
last train Sunday 15 July (Metro work on the Hurstbridge line).
10.49 Sandringham line: With buses replacing trains South Yarra -
Elsternwick grab a macaron (macaroon) at South Yarra, sourced from local
trader LuxBite.
10.58 Sunbury line: With buses replacing trains North Melbourne - Sunshine,
pick up a free macaron at North Melbourne, sourced from local trader Errol's
Cafe.
11.52 Minor delays Dandenong - Pakenham (an equipment fault near Officer).
13.00 Snags, bread, tomato sauce, 1st Werribee Scout Group is running a
barbecue at Newport station.
- When they're done, maybe get them to pick up all your litter?
14.40 Happy Bastille Day! Here's a photo of a passenger train ready to
depart from Stony Point, the closest station to French Island.
Oct 9 1959 Stony Point up passenger K150 . Weston Langford.
<www.westonlangford.com/images/photo/133669>.
23.35 Frankston line: Major delays (police at Edithvale).
- 23.38 That doesn't sound good. I've got a bad feeling it's either a person
hit by a train or a suspicious package.
- 23.43 Major delays extending. Services may terminate/originate at
Mordialloc.
- 0.28 There may be Minor Delays while we recover.
- 0.41 Home now after a delay of around 40 min.
- Please get PA system at Mordialloc serviced - announcements on platform 2
were a low volume mumble & several passengers suggested station staff would
be easier to hear if they just yelled across the tracks. Plenty of confusion
as a
result.
- 8.05 Was a person I think. I saw it happen, the train went only 10 m past
the crossing and stopped. No cars there.
- 10.54 Person hit by train incidents almost always result in the line being
closed for multiple hours. This person is incredibly lucky.
Green light for $500m to turn the Monash into a 10-lane mega highway 10 July
2018 61 comments.

Half a billion dollars in federal money has been unlocked to turn the Monash
Freeway into a 10-lane mega highway.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/green-light-for-500m-to-turn-the-monash
-into-a-10-lane-mega-highway-20180710-p4zqmg.html>

How naivety caused monumental power prices stuff-up 14 July 2018. 76
comments.
<www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/how-naivety-caused-monumental-power-pri
ces-stuff-up-20180713-p4zrap.html>

Optus Stadium bridge now open for footy hordes ahead of Sunday AFL game 14
July 2018.
The Matagarup Bridge is now open for the public ahead round 17 AFL fixture
between the Fremantle Dockers and Port Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
The bridge opened at 2pm today, providing a new river crossing between East
Perth at Nelson Crescent and Optus Stadium's park precinct.
Matagarup Bridge is open ahead of the AFL clash between Fremantle and Port
Adelaide. Photo: Supplied Main Roads said people heading to the football on
Sunday would need to check Transperth's website for details on how to get to
the game with the bridge in place.
Local road closures will also be in place in East Perth as part of the event
day transport plan, more information at mainroads.wa.gov.au.
Main Roads acting Managing Director Peter Woronzow said while the bridge is
now open, construction works would continue on non-event days over the
coming months.
He said bridge completion works would include applying the final 'Omnigrip'
surface on the bridge deck later this year, as this layer needs to be
applied after the concrete deck is in place for a period of time.
Other completion works over the coming weeks on non-event days include
installing seating and shelter canopies on the bridge, final tidy up work on
the bridge balustrades and some of the external cladding.
Granite rock in the river surrounding the bridge piers at Burswood and East
Perth, which formed the temporary construction causeways used to assemble
and erect the bridge arches, will also be removed over the next three
months.
Work will also continue to complete the shared-path connections in East
Perth and Burswood and to install landscaping in and around the bridge ramps
during winter 2018.
Full bridge access will be provided on event days at Optus Stadium, however,
bridge users should be aware that temporary pedestrian and cyclist
management will be in place and restrictions will apply on non-event days to
enable completion works to progress.
Additional security services will be in place on the bridge this weekend and
at night to maintain public safety and protect the ongoing construction
areas.
<www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/optus-stadium-bridge-now-open
-for-footy-hordes-ahead-of-sunday-afl-game-20180714-p4zrio.html>

Teens continue to risk their lives for train surfing cheap thrills as
authorities crack down.
Herald Sun July 14, 2018.
video: Teens risking their lives train surfing.
TEEN hooligans are continuing to risk their lives for cheap thrills despite
a crackdown by authorities on train surfing.
Video obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun shows teen train surfer Scarlett,
who declined to give her last name, climbing between two moving carriages
before holding herself up.
Scarlett said she had been train surfing for two years and doesn't worry
about the risks involved.
Teenage train surfer Scarlett has been risking her life for two years.
Picture: Wayne Taylor.
The teenager says she isn't worried about the dangers.
"I don't worry about risking my life," she told the Sunday Herald Sun.
"Everyone dies at some point so may as well die having fun."
It's understood Scarlett is linked to Melbourne's train surfing gang known
as "CityRisk".
"I've been doing it for two years pretty much for the adrenaline rush,"
Scarlett said.
But Victoria Police is determined to hold those breaking the law to account.
Superintendent Alison Boyes said police had seen the "horrific injuries"
resulting from failed attempts to train surf.
Scarlett snaps a selfie while train surfing.
People train surfing in Melbourne.
"As well as risking their safety, these individuals are also breaching the
law and can be fined up to $403 for adult offenders and $81 for child
offenders," Supt Boyes said.
"However, a fine is a small price to pay compared to the loss of life or
serious injury which can occur in these situations."
Metro Trains general manager of safety and security Anthony Fewster said
Melbourne's rail network was not a playground.
"Those who treat it like one only put themselves at risk of serious injury
or even death," he said.
One of three teenage boys falls off after riding on the back of a train at
Mordialloc in 2014.
A man was electrocuted in 2014 after stripping off while train surfing.
Picture: Josie Hayden "This is stupidity of the highest order - and no
stunt, thrill or social media post is worth a life."
Mr Fewster said through joint operations with Victoria Police, Metro are
seeing a reduction in this sort of offending.
"We urge our passengers to report any irresponsible behaviour by calling
triple-0 or pressing the emergency buttons in train carriages and on
platforms."
Anyone with information on this behaviour is urged to contact police or
Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
NEW DANGEROUS 'TRAIN SURFING' TREND.
TRAIN SURFERS ON 'BREAK' AFTER ACCIDENT.
TRAIN SURFER RECORDS DANGEROUS STUNT.
CLAMP DOWN ON TRAIN SURFERS.
TRAIN SURFER MAY HAVE BEEN FILMED BY MATES.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/teens-continue-to-risk-their-lives-for-
train-surfing-cheap-thrills-as-authorities-crack-down/news-story/0e583ab7dc9
b4600d15e911ba75fd000>

Katie Bice: We all pay for government's faulty power play. with tdu.
Herald Sun July 14, 2018.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/katie-bice-we-all-pay-for-governments-fau
lty-power-play/news-story/c12c4bc06c2cc0ffb223d50c668c6dc0>

ACCC blasts conditional energy discount 'penalties'. with tdu.
Herald Sun July 14, 2018.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/accc-blasts-conditional-energy-discount-
penalties/news-story/480deddcfc76296ac9a8a32c7727b01e>

Bid to upgrade and combine Public Transport Victoria and myki websites over
budget and late Herald Sun July 14, 2018.
video: Phone and bank card payment options set to replace Victoria's Myki.
TROUBLE-plagued myki has suffered another cost blowout with a bid to merge
its website with Public Transport Victoria delayed by more than a year.
The overhaul of Melbourne's key public transport websites was originally
budgeted to cost $3.83 million but has crept up to $4.5 million.
And the project's timeline has also gone off the rails with an expected
delay of more than 12 months.
THE NEW WAY YOU'LL PAY FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT $700M MYKI CONTRACT RENEWED
BEFORE REVIEW MYKI FARE INCREASE: HOW MUCH WILL IT COST YOU?
myki's website is set to be integrated with the PTV website. Picture:
Supplied The "website integration and development" promised to combine the
PTV and myki websites, introduce maps to the "journey planner" and allow
passengers to more easily check and top up their mykis.
The Sunday Herald Sun understands the delay has been caused by extensive
testing and the difficulty of adding ticketing information to show
passengers exactly how much a trip will cost, to the "journey planner".
Daniel Bowen, of the Public Transport Users Association, was not surprised
by the cost and delivery blowouts.
"Unfortunately myki in particular does have a track record of being delayed
and having cost blowouts," he said.
Public Transport Users Association's Daniel Bowen. Picture: Supplied "It
would be lovely to see some of these upgrades on time and on budget but it
seems its just not to be."
But Mr Bowen said a new website was desperately needed to replace the
"clunky" one currently on offer.
"A new myki and PTV website can't come soon enough," he said.
"It is important to make sure that this information is not just accurate,
but that it is easy to find.
"The new website is not completed yet but it shows promise."
PTV launched a "beta" - or test - website with the new map journey planner
in May.
The new website will make topping up online easier. Picture: Valeriu Campan
The website is expected to be launched later this year but the myki
component will not be added until mid-next year.
PTV spokesman Tim Clare said the new site would "transform passengers'
online experience".
"Integrating myki into the PTV website and journey planner will make topping
up online easier and help passengers know exactly how much their journey
will cost," he said.
"Passengers have been central to the design of the new website, and we have
worked closely with them to build the functionality."
THOSE MOST LIKELY TO BE HURT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMPLAINTS ABOUT OUR PUBLIC
TRANSPORT SYSTEM SURGE BUS DRIVERS TO WALK OFF JOB AGAIN
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/bid-to-upgrade-and-combine-public-transp
ort-victoria-and-myki-websites-over-budget-and-late/news-story/05346aeac32ef
06d331067a7e6e38bf2>
* Just another infrastructure project under a Labor government.
* They need to hire some trucks and go round all the railway stations and
load the infrastructure of this garbage system in and then go the the tip.
Then stick the morons who run transport in a plane and go see how London do
it, or Singapore or Hong Kong. It's so easy in these cities and yes it
allows other modes of transport as well, buses, trams (Hong Kong) etc.
They said we needed Myki because we had trams and buses - which is garbage
they just did not try hard enough.
Labor = can't add up, poor decisions, do not know what a specification is
when costing works.
Can't wait for November
* Surely there is a simple solution, the moment anything is announced and
costed give the owners eg myki, transurban, etc the time and cost they say
with say 6 months for time blowouts and 20% for cost blowouts then if they
don't make it by the extended time / cost they have to stop charging the
public until it is fully operational. No more funds from the government (ie
taxpayer) and if they can't do it within say 20% of the original timeframe
it reverts to the government at repayment of money spent.
* Under consumer laws, a purchaser is entitled to a refund if a product is
faulty . As the myki system is obviously faulty and has not been able to be
rectified, it is now time to return to the manufacturer and receive a full
refund
* Cost blowouts? Delays? Malfunctions? Difficulties for visitors and
tourists?
No, not in Singapore, not in Tokyo, not in Zurich, not in Paris, not in
Bangkok ... wait a minute ... oh yes ... we're in Dan Andrews' Melbourne
where a train that's three or four minutes late is considered "on time".
* Anyone who thinks the cost blowout with Labor running things will only be
$4.5 million is out of their mind.
* What is it with these so called "expert" advisors. Why, time after time,
do we have these cost blow-outs? Of course that's why they aren't employed
in private industry.
* Labor has been taking the myki out of Victorians since they bought this
rubbish system in.
And the Victorian taxpayer has been paying for this stuff up since!
* Agree. Time to kick them out.
* And never let them back in.
* What a laughable system. Charging infrequent users, tourists or regional
Victorians $10 just to buy a card, and then have to load it with more money,
is ludicrous.
London do it brilliantly. Yet Melbourne's Myki is such a clunky, costly and
cumbersome system for infrequent users, it's unbelievable to think it cost
so much to implement.
* When I went to Brisbane I had to pay $10 for their MyKi equivalent the Go
Card, however when you are about to leave and don't need the card anymore,
you can return it and get your $10 back
* Thank you Bracks and Brumby for foisting this $1.3 billion dud on us.