3 Jan 2014: SEQ: Bus cost explosion - zone one paper ticket fare breaks $5 ...

[ozbob]

Media release 3 Jan 2014



SEQ: Bus cost explosion - zone one paper ticket fare breaks $5 barrier

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers highlights fares breaking the $5 barrier for one zone.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The effect of Brisbane City Council opposing the TransLink bus review has contributed to the explosive cost of public transport across all of SEQ. The result is that fares have exploded in cost to be some of the highest in the world. With an extortionate increase of 7.5% from Monday, family budgets are going to be hit and worst affected will be the vulnerable and needy in the community who rely on public transport to be affordable, such as the unemployed."

"The fare costs to travel just one zone on a paper ticket are now $5.20 one way and $10.40 return. GoCard is not much better with a return trip for one zone being just over $7. This is an embarrassment to Queensland. No wonder car park operators are out in force outside train and busway stations spruiking discount car parking deals."

"We believe that more people will exit the public transport system, leading to a loss in fare revenue and increasing subsidy - a death spiral. Go card off peak fares are around 55% the cost of a paper single ticket!

"We call for all paper ticketing to be abolished within 6 months and the removal of public transport planning responsibilities from Brisbane City Council, reversing the Queensland Government's 1925 decision to hand BCC public transport control."

"The sooner the bus network control is removed from BCC hands, the quicker the network can be re-organised to be efficient, properly mode integrated and fares lowered."

References:

1 . TransLink fares and ticketing 2014 http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/fares/fares-and-ticketing-2014

2.  SEQ Public Transport Affordability ' Death Spiral'  http://backontrack.org/images/tl/farespiral.jpg



Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10048.msg136966#msg136966

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

5th January 2014

Re: SEQ: Bus cost explosion - zone one paper ticket fare breaks $5 barrier

Greetings,

Ten years ago a South East Explorer daily paper ticket got unlimited transport within all SEQ for around $10.40. Today this will take you just ONE zone return on a paper ticket!

The public are fed up with the massive cost explosions, one result of Brisbane City Council rejecting the TransLink bus review. No transit agency in the world has made its fares more affordable or improved services by retaining waste, duplication and inefficiency. By losing control of the bus route planning, the Queensland Government has lost control of service costs and thus the ticket prices of public transport. Buying services off monopoly operators such as Brisbane Transport is another factor. There is little mention of the fact that BCC residents are also paying $400 in annual subsidies to prop up the buses in addition to the extreme fares they will be hit with on Monday.

It is time to consider these points:

1. Abolish all paper tickets within 6 months. Melbourne and Stockholm have already done so.  From tomorrow go card off peak fares are 55% of the equivalent paper single ticket!

2. New fare system is needed. Adjust pricing increments to lower or remove flagfall.  Fix zone anomalies.

3. Remove all gimmicks and replace with everyday low fares.

4. Increase the off-peak discount.

5. Reverse the Queensland Government's 1925 decision to hand public transport control to BCC.

6. Reform the bus network as was proposed by TransLink in 2013.

It doesn't matter that the LNP have halved Labor's fare increase from 15% to 7.5% - The 7.5% increase is still an obscene increase and way above inflation.

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

References:

Southeast Queensland public transport go card fares to rise from Monday http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/southeast-queensland-public-transport-go-card-fares-to-rise-from-monday/story-fnihsrf2-1226794578637

Translink fare hike to make Brisbane Australia's most expensive http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/translink-fare-hike-to-make-brisbane-australias -most-expensive-20140103-30910.html

AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
http://sl.se/en/visitor/tickets/
Tickets and travelcards are sold via our agents, at the SL Center and at commuter train stations.
You cannot purchase a ticket onboard the buses.

Media release 3 Jan 2014



SEQ: Bus cost explosion - zone one paper ticket fare breaks $5 barrier

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers highlights fares breaking the $5 barrier for one zone.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The effect of Brisbane City Council opposing the TransLink bus review has contributed to the explosive cost of public transport across all of SEQ. The result is that fares have exploded in cost to be some of the highest in the world. With an extortionate increase of 7.5% from Monday, family budgets are going to be hit and worst affected will be the vulnerable and needy in the community who rely on public transport to be affordable, such as the unemployed."

"The fare costs to travel just one zone on a paper ticket are now $5.20 one way and $10.40 return. GoCard is not much better with a return trip for one zone being just over $7. This is an embarrassment to Queensland. No wonder car park operators are out in force outside train and busway stations spruiking discount car parking deals."

"We believe that more people will exit the public transport system, leading to a loss in fare revenue and increasing subsidy - a death spiral. Go card off peak fares are around 55% the cost of a paper single ticket!

"We call for all paper ticketing to be abolished within 6 months and the removal of public transport planning responsibilities from Brisbane City Council, reversing the Queensland Government's 1925 decision to hand BCC public transport control."

"The sooner the bus network control is removed from BCC hands, the quicker the network can be re-organised to be efficient, properly mode integrated and fares lowered."

References:

1 . TransLink fares and ticketing 2014 http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/fares/fares-and-ticketing-2014

2.  SEQ Public Transport Affordability ' Death Spiral'  http://backontrack.org/images/tl/farespiral.jpg



Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

6th January 2014

Go! - Avoid single paper ticket ripoff - FARE-mageddon Monday is here!

Greetings,

From today, fares on the TransLink public transport network increase 7.5%.  This is many times inflation/CPI and will only make the already unaffordable fares even more so. Since 2010 go card fares have now increased in real terms around 83%, paper tickets 114%. Today is FARE-mageddon Monday!

The cost of single paper ticket fares relative to the go card is very excessive.  It is in  the best interests of all public transport users to move to a go card, even if they are not doing 9 journeys or more a week.  By moving to a go card they also assist in improving considerably running times for buses as well.

Paper tickets are at least 30% dearer for the equivalent peak go card trip. Off peak go card fares are only 55% the cost of paper single tickets.  There is a time limit on paper single tickets.  For passengers travelling through 10 zones or less this time period is 2 hours from time of purchase,  travelling 11 zones or more 3 hours 30 minutes ( http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/other-tickets/paper-tickets ).  The fact there are time limits on the paper tickets is not well understood by many users and could lead to a fare evasion offence in ignorance.

Off peak discounts (presently 20%) are only available to go card users. A small improvement is that off peak touch on time is now 8.30am from today (was 9am).

Go card users can transfer up three times within one hour for each transfer, this can make travel even more affordable. Go card users can take short journeys early in the week to offset other high cost journeys.

The online facilities for management of a go card - e.g. auto top up, transaction history is good.  Users should be encouraged to register go cards, by doing that should the card be lost any funds on the go card can be recovered.

We have compiled some tips for go card users.  See  the 'Smart GO CARD User Guide' --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5149.0

Official go card information at TransLink -->  http://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/go-card

Best wishes
Robert

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

3rd January 2014

TransLink's 2014 Fares - The Awful Facts



http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/translinks-2014-fares-awful-facts.html

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

8th January 2014

Fare fail SEQ

Greetings,

More reports of go card rorting ... yes, the fare system is in meltdown ...

For your information ...

Doing the go card rort!

--> http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/doing-go-card-rort.html

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

7th January 2014

Greetings,

The fare system in SEQ is in serious trouble.  As we expected there are numerous reports of go card users doing one stop bus trips yesterday and the like to reach the 9 journey cap.  Clearly the fare increase this week has pushed many to the point where they will now actively use the gaping gaps in the fare system to extract free travel.

The fare system needs urgent action to stop significant fare box leakage and frank fare evasion, which if not quickly addressed will lead to further significant fare increases.

It is time to consider these points:

1. Abolish all paper tickets within 6 months. Melbourne and Stockholm have already done so.  go card off peak fares are 55% of the equivalent paper single ticket!

2. New fare system is needed. Adjust pricing increments to lower or remove flagfall.  Fix zone anomalies.

3. Remove all gimmicks and replace with everyday low fares.

4. Increase the off-peak discount.

5. Reverse the Queensland Government's 1925 decision to hand public transport control to BCC.

6. Reform the bus network as was proposed by TransLink in 2013.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org