That wasn't the stated reason at the time. It was just about giving away
free rides.

It also hasn't had the effect of speeding up services. Comparing timetables
then and now shows it's about the same - and some routes take a little
longer to cross the CBD. Any benefit from reduced (often slow) Myki touches
is more than cancelled out by the huge number of people trying to crowd in.

On Mon, 15 Jul 2019 at 14:01, espee8800 espee8800@...> wrote:

> I was under the impression that Melbourne's FTZ was to avoid delaying

> trams whilst passengers tapped on (and perhaps off like me). There are a

> huge number of lazy people who use the FTZ to go one block often taking

> longer than walking.

>

> On Mon, 15 Jul 2019 at 11:24, Prescott lenkaprescott@...> wrote:

>

>> Melbourne system is the longest in the world in route km but, partly

>> because of that, it is the quietest large system in the world in passengers

>> carried per route km. It has a huge lot more potential capacity if it had

>> the services to run along it.

>>

>> I wonder what you think then Roderick of the Perth FTZ? I recall I think

>> that it was introduced by a Labor government. Yes, part of it's purpose is

>> to stop people cluttering up the centre with cars and, if they really have

>> to drive, to leave them at perimeter car parks. If you can't get people to

>> leave their cars at home, then there are various strategies employed to

>> "head them off at the pass", as they use to say in the westerns. This might

>> be at park and rides out in the suburbs and what you can't scoop up there,

>> the final incentive is to scoop them up at the perimeters of the CBDs.

>> WHatever it takes, it's still cheaper than the investment necessary to

>> provide traffic capacity and carparking in centres.

>>

>> There seems to be a mindset among some in Melbourne that it's best not to

>> encourage people to use PT, but I'm afraid, as in Sydney, population growth

>> will overwhelm such resistance like a biblical flood. The best thing is to

>> invest like hell in more public transport capacity - like starting now!

>>

>> Tony P

>>

>>

>