Free public transport for Christmas and New Year’s Eve

[ozbob]

Free public transport for Christmas and New Year's Eve

Passengers can travel free on Victoria's public transport network on Christmas Day (25 December) and New Year's Eve (31 December 2010).

New Year's Eve travel is free from 6pm until the first normal scheduled service on New Year's Day (1 January 2011).

Trains, trams and NightRider buses will run all night to get you home.

On V/Line, there will be free travel on services that arrive in Melbourne after 6pm on New Year's Eve, and free travel on the first service departing on each line on New Year's Day.

On free travel days metropolitan ticket barriers will be open at all stations for you, so there's no need to validate your Metcard or touch on or off your myki.

Metropolitan passengers and regional town bus passengers who accidentally buy or validate tickets, or touch on your myki are not entitled to a refund. V/Line passengers who accidentally buy tickets can apply for a refund. See vline.com.au (link opens in a new window) for refund information. Weekly or monthly tickets will not be extended.

For public transport information about other days during this period, see Public transport over the festive season

http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/news/news-promotions/free-public-transport-for-christmas-and-new-year-s-eve

[nocost]

Its time transport starts offering free services on other occasions too. New Years Eve / Day would be a great start.
Police wouldn't have their excuse to hassle people as well. Even though they don't have the right to check tickets anyway

[Mozz]

Don't know about Victoria but in Queensland, Police have the legislated authority to "check tickets" and take any subsequent necessary action and they can and do this regularly, primarily through the uniform Railway squad unit.

[ButFli]

Fare evasion is a crime, right? Police officers investigate crimes. Surely they need no special power to check tickets if they are "investigating" the crime of fare evasion.

I suppose you could argue that a police officer would need a reasonable suspicion before they could "search" someone by asking for their ticket. This might prevent them from randomly asking people for tickets or asking everyone for tickets. They could still "search" someone who they observed boarding a vehicle without buying a ticket.

[somebody]

I'm pretty sure any railway employee is allowed to ask for a valid ticket to be produced.  Police would also be so authorised.  No suspicion needed, same as for RBT.