Re: Re: Melbourne's free tram zone - time to go
  TP

I didn't know that the city circle tram was still running. It's not
accessible though? Meaning people who can't use stairs have to pay for the
privilege of riding. Sounds a bit like discrimination to me. Otherwise,
well yes, wind it back to that until such time as tram capacity has reached
adequacy through acquisition of a fleet of full-sized 30 metre+ trams. That
will be in about a hundred years, knowing Melbourne!

I don't get David's concept of freeloaders. It's a horrible term, accurate
only for real fare evaders. Scores of cities around the world, including
Australia, have free central circulator services and it's for good
reasons. If the operator or agency is providing it for free, then it's not
freeloading to use it. These free services are often not paid for by
taxpayers. In Sydney and Perth for example they're funded by parking space
levies.

Tony P

On Thursday, 28 July 2022 at 15:46:15 UTC+10danie...@... wrote:

> On Thu, 28 Jul 2022 at 14:57, TP histor...@...> wrote:

>

>> The interview with Daniel has appeared on the Facebook pages of the Age

>> and the radio station and the comments on both are overwhelmingly against

>> canning the FTZ, not that we should entirely go by Facebook comments. Two

>> of the reasons given are that the free travel encourages economic activity

>> and tourism in the CBD and that it makes it easier for people from outside

>> Melbourne to move around the CBD as they typically don't ave Myki cards.

>> The latter points to a deficiency in the Myki system in that one-off users

>> can't buy a day ticket from a machine at tram and train stops, unlike in

>> other states and ACT.

>>

>

> Yes. You can buy a Myki card at most CBD tram stops, and load it with a

> day of fares, but yes it's not exactly easy for a new user.

>

> The main reason the opinion piece happened was a discussion around

> forthcoming upgrades to Myki, which will include options to pay your fare

> using an iPhone (Android is already possible) or a bank-issued card, which

> for most new users removes the issue of Myki cards.

>

>

>> For certain, there are two main ways to go. Either cancel the free travel

>> or build up the fleet to 30 metre trams and closer headways. I think

>> another interim possibility until tram capacity grows is to just run a

>> single free loop tram service around the CBD, like the free bus loops in

>> other cities.

>>

>

> Prior to 2015, that's exactly what we had: the free City Circle tram.

>

>

> Daniel

>