----- Forwarded message -----

To:australiantransportnews@... australiantransportnews@...>
Sent: Friday, 23 April 2021, 08:10:31 pm AEST
Subject: Thurs.14.1.20 daily digest

The two new trains being tested on the Belgrave line were to return:
* Ringwood 10.04; Pakenham East 11.48.
* Upper Ferntree Gully dep. 12.36 .
The of the two was deferred to next day.

Roderick

 "210114Th-'CanberraTimes-tram-ss.jpg"

 "210114Th-MetroTwitter-Glenroy.demolition-ss.jpg"
 "210114Th-MetroTwitter-tram-flying.fox-a-ss.jpg" 

Thurs.14.1.21 Metro Twitter
Bridge Road tram-track renewal works, 11pm Sunday 3 January to 5am Saturday 16 January.
Craigieburn line: Buses replace trains on sections of the Craigieburn line from 9pm Thu 7 Jan to 10pm Sat 16 Jan, while levelcrossings works take place.
6.20 Buses to replace trains Reservoir - Mernda (equipment faults in the Epping - South Morang area). Buses have been ordered, but may take over 60 minutes to arrive. Consider alternatives.
- 6.34 Alternatives are listed at our website [link given]
- 7.04  Buses have begun operating Epping - Mernda, with more en route. Trains are running to Epping.
- 7.20 Journey time extended by ~45min.
- 7.50 & 9.10 Journey time extended by ~ 35min.
- 19.08 Trains resuming.  First trains: 18.17 ex Flinders St; 19.25 ex Mernda.
Major construction has begun at Glenroy with the demolition of the old station building. We’ve started piling work for the retaining walls and the new station concourse, and installed a temporary pedestrian overpass.
In June, Percy the flying fox took a ride on tram route 3. After being rescued by  Wildlife Vic., he's been recovering well at a registered shelter, and is ready to be released soon around Yarra Bend.
22.31 Pakenham line: Citybound delays (police near Westall).
- 22.50 clearing.

Jan 14 2021 Travel skills: 10 things you can learn while waiting for international travel to resume. Ben Groundwater
<www.traveller.com.au/travel-skills-10-things-you-can-learn-while-waiting-for-international-travel-to-resume-h1tcry>

JANUARY 14 2021 MyWay ticketing negotiations fall through, deemed too expensive. Daniella White.
The government's plans to introduce a new public transport ticketing system that would allow people to tap on and off with their credit cards have fallen through after it failed to come to an agreement with a chosen provider.
Negotiations to replace the MyWay ticketing system have fallen through. Picture: Karleen Minney 
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7085474/myway-ticketing-negotiations-fall-through-deemed-too-expensive>
* Do we really need a new system at all? I am quite happy with MyWay and auto top-up.
* Why do we need such a system? Why is this government looking for ways to spend more money on unnecessary things when there are urgent needs not being met? We have privileged entitled able-bodied people seeking to make names for themselves, when those who have significant disadvantage cannot get their basic needs met, like decent public transport near their homes (if they have homes), decent healthcare, good education. We have self-funded retirees who're now unable to afford their exorbitant rates whilst trying to also meet basic needs. They're not yet on pensions because they've saved throughout their working lives, but are now struggling due to the constantly rising costs of unnecessary government spending, deprivation of public facilities, services and discounts along with total disregard for their needs. In Canberra people are punished for getting old, for being poor or disabled, as those running the show have no concept of the lives others lead. Public money is spent according to the whims of those who have no value for basic services on which many rely.
* Have they actually asked members of the community what they want? I do not want to be forced to use my credit cards in this way, and I know many others who feel the same way.
* It doesn't matter what the public says or wants, these guys do what they want. Public consultation wanted Stage 2 of the tram to go to the hospital. How did that work out.
* I'm sure it wasn't going to be the only option, just one option.
* There is little or nothing to be calm about when our hard earned cash becomes even more vulnerable to theft. Of course, the people making these bad decisions on spending other people's money are, as always, calm and without a care in the world.
* The move was informed by a study tour of USA and Canada taken by then transport minister Meegan Fitzharris Well that was a bit of a waste wasn't it? Maybe next time just ring up a bank in Civic and get them to send a rep around. Maybe ask the Canadian Ambassador to come around and join in.
* A pity she didn't bring back some useful ideas, like their system of traffic lights at pedestrian crossings. They actually count down the time you have left to cross the road before they change, so you know if you have time to get across or not. They also change often, so cars are not stuck at the lights for a long time and pedestrians don't get stuck for long periods of time unable to cross the road. Their system is more predictable, enhancing safety for pedestrians and keeping traffic flowing in an organised way. Walking around in Canada is much safer and less stressful than walking around Canberra.
It is of practical benefit to all, unlike an alternative ticketing system.
* I agree. In some old parts of bayside melbourne they used to have (might still) analogue clock-like signs that did the count down thing and showed red-amber-green on the dial. They were driven by the pedestrian button press. The trouble with traffic engineering in Australia is the emphasis is on cars and pedestrians are a secondary nuisance. Take any controlled intersection in Canberra and pedestrians wait for all the various lanes and cycles to be gone through so cars aren't delayed. The priority should be for the pedestrian 'request' a simple software modification. The interference to traffic flow that would cause is negligible. But no, somebody in a car is far too important because the people who design the roads never walk anywhere.
* Brisbane CBD has this system in place.
* No it wasn't a waste - Meegan got a nice little jaunt out of it so it had massive value - except, of course, for those downtrodden tax/rate-payers that funded it. Will MEegan be giving us a refund? Nah - didn't think so.
* Meegan Fitzharris is NO LONGER transport minster it is STUPID CHRIS STEEL!
* There is nothing wrong with the current system.
* "The Canberra Times previously revealed the project was facing significant delays, with Mr Steel at the time blaming the COVID-19 pandemic for stalling negotiations"  Now it's because "it was determined the proposal was too expensive." even though the previous Minister, who didn't even last the full term of the previous government" thought it was ok after a little jaunt OS. Was Mr Gentleman consulted? Because if my memory serves me correctly, also had a nice little taxpayer funded trip to the US to investigate tram systems...  Ticketing must be one of the most complicated systems EVER although all the states (NSW - OPAL; VIC - MYKI, etc...) don't seem to think so!
* We were promised a new ticketing system. The government has failed to deliver a better one. When will we see a better ticketing system in Canberra?
* Who cares? It's not important.
* GET RID OF THE STUPID BLUE BUSES! I mean bus tech and precision buses!
* You like throwing your money away do you? Barr may as well have had a bonfire in Garema Sq fueled by $50 notes.
* Opposition transport spokesman Mark Parton said it was the "latest addition to a growing list of broken promises". "The government started talking about this new ticketing system during the 2016 election and set funding aside in the 2017 budget, promising to replace the outdated MyWay system," he said. "Labor and the Greens say they want to get more people using the network, but this tells me they really don't care." And what, apart from put an axe through the public transport system because it's a public service and they're still Tony Abbott wannabes, would the Canberra Liberals do?
* Improving actual transportation times, routes and increasing closeness of bus stops would increase use of the system. A new ticketing system will not change the frustration of people who can't rely on transport that does not meet their needs. Mark Parton missed the point, as has the government!