Melbourne Public Transport - COVID-19 changes

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1261944273001492480

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Herald Sun --> Public transport operators to get up to $50m for loss of fares

An agreement between Metro Trains, Yarra Trams and the State Government will see the public transport operators paid up to $50 million to offset the hit of running regular services with plummeting passenger numbers due to the coronavirus crisis.

Public transport operators will be paid up to $50 million to stop them abandoning Victoria, with new data showing patronage has risen above the safe level for social distancing.

The Herald Sun can reveal an agreement between Metro Trains, Yarra Trams and the State Government will see the companies paid to offset the financial hit of running regular services with plummeting patronage.

The Andrews Government will also on Friday urge all Victorians to continue working from home as new figures show passenger numbers are making social distancing increasingly difficult.

The final steps of the stimulus are yet to be signed off but the Herald Sun expects the total figure for both operators to be between $30 and $50 million.

Negotiations ramped up in early April as Metro and Yarra Trams warned they needed help to offset millions of dollars lost in farebox revenue, with 92 per cent of trips disappearing under strict lockdowns.

Sources close to the discussions said at least one operator was bracing to "hand back the keys" if a solution was not found.

It's understood the operators also said they were facing new cost pressures from unexpected maintenance and safety procedures such as regular cleaning.

"We're playing our part to keep Melbourne moving during this challenging time and support those who rely on our network for essential travel," Metro chief executive Raymond O'Flaherty said.

A government spokeswoman said public transport would continue to support essential workers and school trips.

"Thousands of Victorians work across our public transport network — we're continuing to support those jobs and helping people get where they need to go," she said.

On Wednesday, there were about 389,000 trips on Victoria's public transport and current patronage is at about 18 per cent of normal levels.

But government modelling shows physical distancing of one person per 4 sqm is difficult to maintain from 15 per cent onwards.

The road network also recorded an extra 600,000 trips in the last week and authorities have warned traffic will grind to a halt if commuters keep moving from rail to road.

If 50 per cent of the city's public transport passengers started travelling by car, morning travel times would nearly double.

A trip from Werribee to the CBD would take up to two hours under new nightmare peak hours.

Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan urged all Victorians to stay at home unless they had to go outside.

"By doing this, we can all keep seeing our friends and family, cafes can stay open, our kids can keep learning face-to-face," she said.

"By working from home, we're helping our whole community stay safe."

Passengers limits on trains, trams and buses will be considered by the National Cabinet on Friday in an effort to get workers safely travelling to and from their offices again.

The Herald Sun understands the national medical expert panel has been developing guidelines for public transport, which will be considered by the National Cabinet on Friday in its first meeting for a fortnight.

Passenger limits — which Victoria has so far rejected — are expected to be on the agenda, following the New South Wales model where only 32 passengers are allowed on train carriages and 12 on buses.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said on Thursday he was working closely with the Department of Transport to manage commuter movement, and flagged the public servant workforce would be used as a model for return-to-work procedures.

"The main way that we are approaching mitigating risk on public transport is not to have so many people on trains, trams and buses," Prof Sutton said.

"That policy or direction advice to work from home ... is going to be the most critical one especially for trains into the CBD.

"If numbers really increase on public transport we will continue to look at strategies to help protect people."

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https://twitter.com/ptua/status/1266258783673573376

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Age --> Shift work and days at home on the cards to avoid public transport overcrowding

The Andrews government is asking large employers to stagger start times for workers and will consider adding extra public transport services as part of a strategy to avoid overcrowding on trams, trains and buses.

Conversations have already begun between government agencies and major CBD employers that may lead to increased shiftwork and workers being asked to continue working from home on certain days.

While part of a broader push to keep Victorians safe from the coronavirus threat, the willingness of workplaces to change business-as-normal processes will form a crucial plank of the post-restrictions public transport strategy.

Jeroen Weimar, the departmental lead on the state's coronavirus transport strategy, said the insides of trams or trains would not undergo any structural changes as part of the plan.

He ruled out mandatory masks on public transport or using commuter data, such as Myki, for the purposes of contact tracing.

And he said that while teams would regularly clean surfaces and help commuters, there would no enforcement of social distancing.

Premier Daniel Andrews last week said public transport could remain safe at 15 per cent capacity as long as the coronavirus remained a threat, and called on people already working from home to continue to do so for at least another month.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has said July was "not out of the question" for more offices to begin reopening.

Mr Weimar predicted there would be fewer people using public transport at traditional peak times whenever it was that offices reopened, with earlier and later services becoming busier.

A "structural shift" in workplaces offering more flexible arrangements would facilitate this, he said, while more people would choose to walk, ride or drive.

He acknowledged additional strain would be put on the already congested road network.

"There is no global blueprint for this, all parts of the world are going through this more or less at the same time," he said.

"But the short answer is ... I think there will be a marked reduction in the number of people travelling on the [public transport] network, even after the restrictions are lifted at some point in the future."

Mr Weimar said it was ultimately up to commuters to make safe choices on public transport. However, the government would help by adding services where possible and deploying additional teams to clean and help.

Additional hand sanitising stations would be available from June, he said, while commuters would be able to access information about which lines and services were least busy.

"What I don't want to do is suddenly reduce the capacity of the transport network by three-quarters and leave people behind," he said.

"Also, we can't just run two or three times as many [services] in peak hour because of the actual physical constraints in the network.

"I also don't want to create a problem .... of leaving people on the platform four-deep in queues, that's not a great solution either. We're about keeping moving, we're about giving people room and using the capacity we do have."

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Herald Sun --> Public transport group urges for more off-peak services to help social distancing on trains

Melbourne's rail network needs a timetable shake up to avoid cramped and unsafe peak-hour conditions during the coronavirus restrictions, transport advocates have warned.

Analysis by the Public Transport Users Association shows availability of trains across the city falls by up to two thirds once peak hour ends, leaving fewer options for travel outside of the morning and afternoon rush.

It comes after the Andrews Government announced that rising patronage was making it harder to maintain social distancing and that passenger numbers had risen past the key threshold of 15 per cent of normal levels.

The PTUA has urged for a redesign the current timetable to let Melburnians move around outside of the peak and keep safety restrictions enforced.

Spokesman Daniel Bowen said it was vital to spread demand throughout the day by making more trains available during these times.

"It's clear that we can't return to the usual peak loads, with rampant overcrowding on trains, trams and buses," he said.

"We don't want a situation like Adelaide, where passengers are unable to maintain social distancing.

"It makes sense to encourage staggered working hours, with people travelling at different times – but this won't help if public transport frequency and capacity is not boosted to enable it."

Outside of the peak, the PTUA found the number of trains running each hour fell by 66 per cent on the Craigieburn, Hurstbridge, Mernda and Sunbury lines.

Mr Bowen said the services plummeted across Melbourne during these parts of the day.

"This means that on some lines, off-peak trains can be as crowded as peak hour." he said.

"The public transport network is key to Melbourne's economic recovery from this crisis.

"But it must be run in a way that ensures passengers and staff are as safe as possible."

Mr Bowen said some passengers were also nervous about catching public transport while the virus remained in the community.

"The government should seek health advice on options such as deploying hand sanitiser dispensers at stations, and the effective use of masks," he said.

"But fundamentally, capacity must be managed, and the key to this is encouraging staggered travel, which is only possible by providing sufficient services throughout the day."

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Herald Sun --> New off-peak train, tram servcies to help social distancing on public transport network

Scores of extra services will be added to Melbourne's public transport timetable to allow the network to facilitate social distancing as the coronavirus crisis continues.

Scores of extra services will be added to the public transport timetable to cater for social distancing, with 95 weekly train trips to be added to the network.

From Monday, an extra 10 weekly services will be added each to the Sunbury, Craigieburn, Werribee, Mernda, Dandenong, Ringwood and Glen Waverley lines.

Another five trips will be also added to Hurstbridge Line.

The new services will be scheduled in the hours before and after Melbourne's peak periods in a bid to encourage commuters to spread their travel throughout the day.

Another 10 weekly train services will be added to both the Frankston and Sandringham lines from July 27 when level crossing works are finished.

Yarra Trams will provide two additional shuttle routes along Collins St in Melbourne's CBD to reduce the risk of overcrowding along the busy corridor.

To allow for this, Route 30 will be replace with Route 12 and diverted to La Trobe St.

Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the changes would add hundreds of services to the weekly timetable.

"Giving Victorians the options to travel outside of the traditional peak hours and practice better physical distancing, keeping us all safer," he said.

"We're grateful to our frontline public transport staff for keeping Victoria moving during the pandemic – these changes will keep them safer as they do their essential work."

The Department of Transport will also ensure cash payments are permanently removed from buses on July 13, with Myki the only method available.

Over the next 18 months, upgrades will be rolled out to ensure that Victorians can choose to board buses from both front and rear doors rather than being restricted to those closest to the driver.

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Rail Express --> Stage 4 lockdown restricts public transport, rail construction in Melbourne

As Victoria enters stage 4 restrictions due to the spread of COVID-19, metropolitan rail services and construction on major rail projects in Melbourne are being cut back.

While public transport is able to continue running, with Melbourne under a curfew from 8pm to 5am, Metro Trains services have been significantly reduced with trains running infrequently. Yarra Trams have stated that some services will run at up to 40 minute frequency. Public Transport Victoria stated that changes to services will be different each night.

All Night Network services, which covers services that run after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, will be suspended while stage 4 restrictions are in place. The current restrictions only allow people to leave their homes between 8pm and 5am for work, medical care, and caregiving.

According to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews some staff will be redeployed.

"The Night Network will be suspended, and public transport services will be reduced during curfew hours. This will also allow us to redeploy more of our PSOs into our enforcement efforts."

Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) spokesperson Daniel Bowen said that better communication of changes was needed.

"On Monday night details of drastic evening service cuts for trams and trains were only published as they took effect, giving travellers no time to plan ahead," he said.

The PTUA recommended running trains to a Saturday timetable would be a better outcome, with less demand during the peaks.

"While the capacity will probably be sufficient to maintain physical distancing given the curfew and the shutdown of most workplaces, the big problem is the wait times. Imagine finishing your shift at 11pm and having to wait 90 minutes for your train home," said Bowen.

Rail construction projects are also limited under the stage 4 restrictions. Major construction sites are limited to the minimum amount of people required for safety, and no more than 25 per cent of the normal workforce. Small scale construction is limited to a maximum of five people on site. Andrews said the government was reviewing major public projects.

"To date, we've almost halved the number of people onsite on some of our biggest government projects. Now we're going to go through project by project, line by line to make sure they are reduced to the practical minimum number of workers."

A Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA) spokesperson said that work would continue under the new restrictions.

"The MTIA is continuing to look at ways to further reduce the number of staff while allowing essential works to continue safely."

On-site, MTIA staff are required to wear a mask, practice physical distancing and follow hygiene procedures and staggered shifts. A 70-person strong COVID Safety Team have been ensuring that all worksites comply, with multiple checks each day on every project.

Other rail businesses and organisations will largely be able to continue in line with their COVIDsafe plans. This includes passenger and freight operations, including rail yards, and transport support services.

Australasian Railway Association (ARA) CEO Caroline Wilkie said she welcomed the government's recognition of rail's essential role and noted that the restrictions struck the right balance between keeping businesses operating and addressing the spread of COVID-19.

"The rail industry has been working hard to keep essential services safely operating throughout 2020," she said.

"From the train drivers on passenger and freight services to those working in stations, workshops and in the office, rail workers have made sure essential services are there for people who need them no matter what."

Rail manufacturing businesses will also be able to remain operating, due to their role in supporting an essential service. Manufacturing businesses that support critical infrastructure public works are able to operate as per their COVIDsafe plan.

"Now more than ever we need the rail network to be as reliable and efficient as possible and these businesses are crucial to that effort," said Wilkie.

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https://twitter.com/ptua/status/1290479184423219201

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Melbourne Age --> Back to cars: Public transport expected to take post-pandemic beating

Victoria's public transport will lose 114 million yearly trips post-pandemic, and city roads face worsening congestion as infection-wary commuters desert the network in favour of their cars.

Metro Trains and Yarra Trams are facing unprecedented hits to revenue as other workers take advantage of a new era of work-from-home arrangements.

During the virus' second wave, public transport rides have dwindled to 9 per cent of normal levels.

And even after the pandemic subsides, public transport use overall will recover to just 80 per cent of capacity, or 456 million yearly trips instead of 570 million, according to Monash University research that is the most comprehensive study on travel impacts of the coronavirus done to date.

The Department of Transport is considering expert warnings that rail will be hardest hit once the virus subsides, with usage to return to just 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Metro's Hong Kong parent company, MTR Corporation, is reporting that a $HK70 million ($12.5 million) loss across its international subsidiaries in the first half of 2020 is "mainly due" to the dramatic dive in patronage and revenue on Melbourne's suburban railway.

The Monash study found one in five people will stop travelling into the CBD, as work-from-home arrangements increase by 75 per cent, significantly reducing the number of white-collar workers coming into the city.

However, the CBD is headed for worsening gridlock, as 9 per cent of the state's public transport commutes switch to car trips, the survey of more than 2000 people found.

Business leaders are pushing for more parking on the city's fringe as cars become the primary mode of travel, making up 61 per cent of all trips to work — a rise from 57 per cent.

Cycling will rise by 55 per cent, making up 3 per cent of all work-related trips. A dip in off-peak travel will be evened out by a rise in delivery trips.

Public transport trips are expected to fall from 36 per cent to 30 per cent of all work-related trips, with the study commissioned by the Department of Transport warning these trends could take up to seven years to reverse.

"A decline in public transport and a growth in car driving is not a good outcome," lead researcher Professor Graham Currie warned. "We are going to have more and different congestion hot spots in Melbourne."

Professor Currie, the Monash Chair of Public Transport, said there had been a shift in attitudes about public transport, noting the second lockdown had marked a significant turning point. "Crowding and infection fear are new major concerns for users."

To keep services running, the Andrews government gave Metro and Yarra emergency funding relief in June, which is understood to amount to roughly two-thirds of revenue losses on their operations and maintenance contract, which excludes losses on advertising or delays on infrastructure projects.

While the government refused to confirm the amount, sources close to the deal said Metro was lent about $56 million — $8 million a month between June and December.

The state is set to be reimbursed about 66 per cent of the payment once usage returns to 80 per cent capacity and the operator turns a profit.

The cash injection was supposed to last until the end of the year, but operators may ask for another lifeline in the wake of the second lockdown.

"Like every organisation, we're navigating uncharted waters through this pandemic," Metro's chief executive, Raymond O'Flaherty, said.

Ninety seven cent of Metro's revenue typically went back into operations, maintenance and employee salaries, which had risen to 100 per cent with no current return to shareholders during the pandemic, Mr O'Flaherty said.

But the chief executive confirmed that Metro was "committed to Melbourne for the long term".

Yarra Trams's new chief executive, Julien Dehornoy, said it was a "challenging" time in transport and the company had "not been immune" to the impacts of the financial shock. The government's funding injection would provide "certainty" to passengers as the network recovered, he said.

A full recovery, however, may be slow.

A month after the first round of stage three restrictions in March, patronage returned to just 40 per cent of normal levels, up from 10 per cent at the height of the lockdown.

In cities such as Vienna, Oslo and Berlin, usage has not exceed 80 per cent capacity months after restrictions eased.

Executive director of the International Association of Public Transport, Michelle Batsas, said rail would continue to be the "backbone" of the city's public transport network, but people would likely shift to shorter, suburban trips which was a trend occurring in Singapore.

On-demand services such as 15-seater buses that could be booked on an app might become more popular, especially in suburbs on the city's fringe, she said.

A Department of Transport spokesman said the government was adding extra train and tram services on the busiest lines to help passengers socially distance.

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Melbourne Age --> Real-time data on public transport crowding being trialled

Commuters would receive real-time information about crowding on public transport under a trial of new technology designed to encourage social distancing and boost confidence in Victoria's network.

A group of 50 commuters – largely essential workers currently using the system – will participate in the first phase of a Transport Department trial being rolled out across Melbourne's trains and several bus routes this week.

The participants will have access to real-time information about passenger density on buses, trains and train platforms. This will be derived from a predictive model that uses data from the Myki system, bus passenger counters and Bluetooth sensors across the rail network.

The trial is set to be expanded in coming months and if deemed successful, would be rolled out to all commuters on the PTV app soon after that – but possibly not until early next year.

Similar technology is being rolled out in the Netherlands, Spain and China as transport operators across the globe face dramatic drops in patronage due to infection fears and working-from-home arrangements.

Victoria's public transport use dwindled to 9 per cent of normal levels at the height of the second lockdown, with the Andrews government understood to have paid Metro $56 million as part of a COVID-19 rescue package.

Monash University's chair of public transport, Graham Currie, welcomed the trial, saying it was in line with international practice in managing public transport use during the pandemic.

"This is about building confidence in the network to make people feel reassured that they can avoid crowding," Professor Currie said.

Commuters would be more able to make an informed decision about whether they wish to use public transport if they can access the network's crowding levels, he said.

Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the trial would meet the needs of commuters looking to use the network as restrictions ease.

"The coronavirus pandemic has presented an opportunity for us to rethink how we travel around the state – we want these passenger modelling trials to help people travel more reliably and safely," Mr Carroll said.

Four private technology providers are involved in the trial, Telstra Purple, Consat Telematics, Sage Technology and NTT data, which operates the Myki ticketing system.

The state's PTV app was revamped on Monday, enabling users to manage their Myki cards through the app rather than queuing for over-the-counter transactions or top-up machines. It would also provide instant updates about disruptions as well as bus and train locations.

The Andrews government has separately said that it will spend $26 million on life extension works for A and Z-Class trams, as part of a $328 million investment in critical transport maintenance and upgrades announced earlier this year.

The works would maintain electrical, braking and traction systems on the trams running on 17 routes across Melbourne and making up a third of the city's fleet.

The government has ordered 50 E-Class trams since 2015, with 89 of a total order of 100 trams now on the network.

It follows $145 million spent on 10 new E-Class trams and upgrades to 10 Z-Class trams allocated in the 2019/20 state budget.

The high-floor A and Z-Class trams were built by Comeng in the 1980s and can fit 105 and 112 passengers respectively, compared with 210 on the newer E-Class trams.

The Z class trams built in the 1970s – the Class 1 and 2 vehicles – have been retired, leaving 111 Z-Class 3 trams on the network. Victoria is currently running 69 A-Class trams.

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said some of the older trams were getting "pretty rundown" and required ongoing maintenance work.

But fresh orders for more low-floor, accessible and air-conditioned trams were needed to boost the quality of service while also providing more space for commuters to socially distance, Mr Bowen said.

"The challenge with public transport over the coming months is to make sure there will be enough capacity for people to stay physically distanced as they travel," he said.

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ABC News --> Victorian COVID-19 restrictions like masks will remain for months — but we have to beat complacency

A public health expert says clever campaigns may be needed in the months ahead, as data shows mask compliance on trains has risen and fallen with outbreaks over the past six months.

Key points:
During the lull between Melbourne outbreaks, compliance plunged to from 88 per cent to 60 per cent
Burnet Institute researcher Mark Stoové said the public should treat mask use like sunscreen
He said with the Delta outbreak circulating, Victorians must remain vigilant even when there are zero community cases
While some restrictions have come and gone, masks on trains have been a constant rule in Victoria since the second wave last year.

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https://twitter.com/tarang_chawla/status/1452760650942271494

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https://twitter.com/3AW693/status/1607582438720679937

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Daniel Bowen Blog --> Patronage: is it coming back?

Feb 22, 2023 08:25 am

https://danielbowen.com/2023/02/22/patronage-is-it-coming-back/

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Post by @danielbowen.au

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