BCC: Free bus travel - 10, 11, 12 and 17, 18, 19 December 2021

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/bne_lordmayor/status/1465444546142113793

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

^ here is your opportunity to travel on any routes you would like to check out   

[Cazza]

Cool, I might actually head down to Indro on the GCL on Sunday the 12th to do some shoppin... oh wait, never mind. A bus that connects pretty much all of Brisbane's biggest shopping centres does not run on retails busiest trading day. Nice

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/NewsTalk4BC/status/1465458277290897411

[#Metro]

Can we please get the data for patronage for this - it will give us a good idea of the absolute maximum patronage possible with zero fares and the sensitivity to price changes.

Also, document any overcrowding issues etc.

[ozbob]

Can we please get the data for patronage for this - it will give us a good idea of the absolute maximum patronage possible with zero fares and the sensitivity to price changes.

Also, document any overcrowding issues etc.

I don't think patronage will be that reliable.  Still in an uncertain covid environment.

[#Metro]

I don't think patronage will be that reliable.  Still in an uncertain covid environment.

What matters IMHO is the relative patronage gains or declines - they can be compared to similar weekends in November or last year (which was also COVID19).

The uncertainty will be divided out through making relative assessments. Any actual lockdown period where a stay home order was present should be excluded though.

In particular, the data from Friday 10 and 17th will give us good data to test the real-world effect of low or no fares on patronage.

This can be compared to some other long term fare elasticities worked out for SEQ/TransLink.

Elasticities are typically negative, because an increase in price results in a reduction in demand.
The larger the size of the elasticity, then the more price-sensitive demand is to changes in fares.
Price sensitivity can vary between different market segments depending on the nature of the journey
and/or the nature of the passenger.

Based on a review of the literature on urban public transport elasticities, the following conclusions may be drawn:

• The average (short run) fares elasticity is likely to be approximately -0.35. This means a 10 per cent increase in real fares will result in a 3.5 per cent reduction in patronage.

• Long run impacts are typically 15 to 50 per cent larger than the short run impact.

• There is evidence to suggest the following journeys are more price-sensitive:

• Inter-peak, evening, and weekend journeys;
• Higher-income passengers, possibly due to higher levels of vehicle ownership;
• Short journeys, possibly because fares are a larger percentage of the total journey cost;
and
• Journeys to destinations outside of the city centre.

SEQ Fares Review 2016
https://translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/resources/about-translink/projects-initiatives/fare-review/seq-fare-review-taskforce-report.pdf

[ozbob]

We can ask. But I have my doubts as to the utility.

[Arnz]

Can we please get the data for patronage for this - it will give us a good idea of the absolute maximum patronage possible with zero fares and the sensitivity to price changes.

Also, document any overcrowding issues etc.

It may (or may not) get some patronage increase on the high frequency/BUZ routes. 

However, the hourly/coverage (or less frequent) routes, (and there are plenty of those routes) rotten apples are still rotten apples.  Putting those 'rotten apple' buses as 'free' isn't exactly going to increase patronage overnight and will likely be used as a 'last resort' for most.

[ozbob]

Thinking about this ' initiative ' a little more, I am not sure if pax counts will be accurate.  Ticketing will not be in use.

[verbatim9]

To receive the free fares will people need to touch on and off. Or will they just turn off the readers?

These weekends will be a good opportunity to install the new readers, if Cubic are ready? That's if they are planning to turn the system off for BCC buses?

[verbatim9]

To receive the free fares will people need to touch on and off. Or will they just turn off the readers?

These weekends will be a good opportunity to install the new readers, if Cubic are ready? That's if they are planning to turn the system off for BCC buses?

"Stickers will be placed over Go-card readers to ensure passengers do not pay for their journey by mistake"
https://inqld.com.au/news/2021/11/30/brisbane-buses-to-be-free-for-two-weekends-before-christmas/#:~:text=Stickers%20will%20be%20placed%20over%20Go%2Dcard%20readers%20to%20ensure%20passengers%20do%20not%20pay%20for%20their%20journey%20by%20mistake

[#Metro]

Oh well, it was a good thought to get valuable data from a natural experiment.

Guess it can't happen then.

[ozbob]

Nothing on the TransLink web site re this "Free Festive Bus Fares" yet.  I wonder if this was just sprung on the them?

Ho Ho Ho! 

[verbatim9]

Oh well, it was a good thought to get valuable data from a natural experiment.

Guess it can't happen then.

The bus can press a manual button as people board the bus. They do it with fare evaders.

[ozbob]

Oh well, it was a good thought to get valuable data from a natural experiment.

Guess it can't happen then.

The bus can press a manual button as people board the bus. They do it with fare evaders.

Rear door boarding makes that a little difficult don't you think?  No, there will not be accurate pax counts. Drivers will get RSI.

There might be guestimates.  As I said we can ask.  But as far as any reliable data analysis it will not be robust.

[verbatim9]

Oh well, it was a good thought to get valuable data from a natural experiment.

Guess it can't happen then.

The bus can press a manual button as people board the bus. They do it with fare evaders.

Rear door boarding makes that a little difficult don't you think?  No, there will not be accurate pax counts. Drivers will get RSI.

There might be guestimates.  As I said we can ask.  But as far as any reliable data analysis it will not be robust.

That's true. It would be better to leave the readers on to ensure they just charge a zero amount over the specific weekends. I guess it may not be technically possible or they couldn't be bothered about the stats?

[pionsix]

Nothing on the TransLink web site re this "Free Festive Bus Fares" yet.  I wonder if this was just sprung on the them?

Ho Ho Ho! 

Not by any means well advertised but this had been up since just before 10am. https://translink.com.au/updates/68486

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[ozbob]

^ thanks.   Yes, you are right, not up on the front page ... 

[ozbob]

https://translink.com.au/updates/68486

Free travel on Brisbane City Council buses

Over two weekends (including the Fridays) before Christmas, there will be free travel on Brisbane City Council buses.

The free travel days will be:

Friday 10 December
Saturday 11 December
Sunday 12 December
Friday 17 December
Saturday 18 December
Sunday 19 December

On these days, you will not need to touch on or off with your go card or buy a paper ticket,
simply board any Brisbane City Council bus and take your seat.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1465595999460622342

[#Metro]

This would have been a good opportunity to test the notorious "Fare Free Friday" policy as well. Agree with others, charging zero fare would have been much better as we would have accurate patronage counts.

[pionsix]

As I said we can ask.  But as far as any reliable data analysis it will not be robust.

I had the thought this afternoon that rather than looking directly at BT buses, we could request patronage data for other routes/modes. I imagine that there would be more discretionary trips coming into the holidays with all the various events, so it would be interesting to see if there is clear substitution from route 555, the trains and ferries to council buses (Considering they are generally duplicating rather than complementing).

As a start we could ask for aggregated boardings from each stop/station/terminal of route 555, trains and ferries within the Brisbane City Council for each day (Friday – Sunday). You'd want at least the weekend before as a baseline and the two free weekends.
i.e. Compare Friday 3rd with Friday 10th and 17th; 4th with 11th and 18th; and 5th with 12th and 19th.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Was it free?? Could honestly not tell the difference from the first week of school holidays until today. 306, 310, 338 and 359 all empty every time I saw one. Only difference was that the drivers had a mask this weekend.