New fares tables from 4th Jan 2010

[ozbob]

From 4 January 2010  Fares current until 3 Jan 2010 at the bottom






From January 2011 to 2014  Paper tickets are being withdrawn at the end of 2010






Fares current till 3 January 2010






Sources:

http://www.translink.com.au/fares2010.php

http://www.translink.com.au/fares2011-14.php

http://www.translink.com.au/fares.php   all sites accessed 24th December 2009

[Paul.Zenon]

One other thing I have noticed regarding these awful fare increases.

Not only has the cost of a weekly ticket gone up an incredible $30 from zone 15 in one go, it has happened decietfully.

I see now the fare calculation for our weeklies is now multiplied by 8.

So not only have the paper fares gone up by 40%, but an extra hidden increase is added on top by changing the calculation of fares from 6.5 times, to 8 times the single paper ticket fare!

It really doesn't effect my wife or I anyway, we took the plunge and bought a second car. It's back to driving for us, it is certainly a lot cheaper than public transport.

Simply outrageous outcome.

[O_128]

who is going to pay these fares? it is now cheaper to drive,pay rego,pay tolls and with the current amount of delays quicker to drive. i can see alot of people getting there hands on concession cards

[dwb]

Hi Paul,

Your assertion is not entirely accurate, the larger discount for longer zone travel has been incorporated into the single fare (previously only available on periodical tickets) and thus, so as not to apply it twice, the multiplication factor is consistently 8 across all zones.

You'll see what I mean in my post here

One other thing I have noticed regarding these awful fare increases.
Not only has the cost of a weekly ticket gone up an incredible $30 from zone 15 in one go, it has happened decietfully.
I see now the fare calculation for our weeklies is now multiplied by 8.
So not only have the paper fares gone up by 40%, but an extra hidden increase is added on top by changing the calculation of fares from 6.5 times, to 8 times the single paper ticket fare!
It really doesn't effect my wife or I anyway, we took the plunge and bought a second car. It's back to driving for us, it is certainly a lot cheaper than public transport.
Simply outrageous outcome.

[Paul.Zenon]

Hello dwb,

No sorry, I am not seeing at all what you mean.

Current paper single ticket price = $11.50. Multiply that by 6.5 times and get a weekly ticket price of $74.80

Now with new fares I am not seeing a cheaper single fare to compensate for the increase in the fare calculation multiplier.

Instead I see the base fare actually increase to $13.10 for a single ticket and then without publicity, they sneakily increase the multiplier to 8.

So they have two bites of the cherry.

An advertised increase in fares - up from $11.50 to $13.10, and then an extra non-advertised sneaky deceitful increase from 6.5 to 8 times the cost of a single ticket for a weekly.

I have seen or read nothing from Translink or the minister regarding this extra hidden fare increase.

[ozbob]

No matter which way you look at it, overall, very significant increases.

I am not so sure the general public is generally aware what awaits them post January 4.  

There is a state election due in 2011.  Maybe we might see some modifications to this structure in the future.

[dwb]

Hello dwb,
No sorry, I am not seeing at all what you mean.
Current paper single ticket price = $11.50. Multiply that by 6.5 times and get a weekly ticket price of $74.80
Now with new fares I am not seeing a cheaper single fare to compensate for the increase in the fare calculation multiplier.
Instead I see the base fare actually increase to $13.10 for a single ticket and then without publicity, they sneakily increase the multiplier to 8.
So they have two bites of the cherry.
An advertised increase in fares - up from $11.50 to $13.10, and then an extra non-advertised sneaky deceitful increase from 6.5 to 8 times the cost of a single ticket for a weekly.
I have seen or read nothing from Translink or the minister regarding this extra hidden fare increase.

Paul, don't get me wrong, I think the way they've gone about it is dodgy, the way they've advertised it is dodgy and the increases (unexplained) are dodgy.

However, I stick to my guns here in that the zonal discount that was originally applied on periodical tickets are now applied on single tickets, and as such it wouldn't make sense for them to apply them again when they multiply out to get the periodical cost.

Originally when you travelled 11, 12, 13 or more zones, the weekly multiplier dropped from 8 to 7.5, to 7, to 6.5. You only ever got a long distance 'discount' by purchasing weekly or monthly tickets (or QR but that's another matter).

In Aug 2008 when they adjusted the Go card fares they brought in this new fangled discount called "at least 20% cheaper". It was 'at least' in the sense that if you were a long distance passenger you could in fact get a 25%, 30% or 35% discount if you travelled through 11, 12, or 13 or more zones. In effect this was the combination of a go card 20% cheaper (ie 10 tripper disc equivalent) plus a further 5%, 10% or 15% discount for long distance travel. At the time, PAPER fares were the base that Go fares were determined on. Therefore the weekly multiplier remained at 6.5, 7, 7.5 or 8 depending on the number of zones, because the Go distance 'discount' was NOT applied to paper singles. Really 20% discount was equivalent to paying for 8/10 singles, 25% to 7.5/10, 30% 7/10 and 35% 6.5/10.

In the changes effective Jan 4 2010 the major change is the GO card, rather than paper becomes the "basic" product. Therefore the paper ticket prices are worked out from Go card prices.

For 2010 prices they've taken the 2007 paper single prices, they then adjusted them for zones (5%, 12%, 19% discount for travel across 11, 12, 13 or more zones) and this has became the 2010 Go single price. To get the paper single they then added ~45% (I think 15% rise plus the 30% cheaper promise).  These prices are now the 2010 paper singles. As the distance discount is now in the base price, it doesn't make sense to apply it to the multiplier. Therefore across all zones, the weekly costs 8x paper single (cos its a paper product and if they did it on go everyone would buy this not use go and undermine the system) and monthlies are 32x paper single. The comparative price advantage of Go is now determined by ADDING to paper, rather than TAKING OFF go.

I do recognise that one must now make 11-12 trips on Go to recoup the cost of a paper weekly ticket, but your argument that you are hit twice doesn't hold. Like Bob says, all users are faced with significant increases, it is not just long distance travellers!



The real questions I think we should be asking Translink are:

• Why is the difference between 2010 paper and 2010 go 45% rather than the advertised 30%?
• Why do fares go up in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and yet the brochure only says over the next three years will prices rise?
• Why is there no monthly cap option on Go card?
• When is go card going to be reliable, convenient and quick to use?

PS. In your argument above, what I'm saying, is that $11.50 to $13.10 is a 14% increase.... if you look at other users, they are faced with a 42% increase.... I'm not saying that in quantum your rise isn't larger, I'm just saying the long distance discount hasn't disappeared, it is just calculated differently.

make sense?

[Paul.Zenon]

Thank you dwb for that very comprehensive reply.   

I see your point now you have explained in detail - thanks.   

And your questions are right - we do need them answered.

[dwb]

Overview of cost and product changes comparing 2009 cost with 2010 cost.

Ticket type   - Change
Single - Increasing in cost by $1.00-$2.60 or 41.7%-13.8%.
Daily - Increasing in cost by $2.00-$5.20 or 41.7%-13.8%.
Off-peak daily - Increasing in cost by $1.50-$3.90 or 41.7%-13.8%.
Weekly - Increasing in cost by $8.00-$49.00 or 38.2%-41.7%.
Monthly - Increasing in cost by $32.00-$196.00 or 38.2%-41.7%.
Go card single - Increasing in cost by $0.38-$2.48 or 18.4%-21.4%.
Off-peak go card single - New product, however it is still $0.15-$1.01 or 4.7%-9.2% more expensive than the previous non-peak Go card single cost.
QR 3 month - From Dec 31 2009 this product is no longer offered for sale. The equivalent cost incurred on Go card is $64.80-$419.80 or 27%-32.4% more expensive*.
QR 6 month - From Dec 31 2009 this product is no longer offered for sale. The equivalent cost incurred on Go card is $148.80-$961.80 or 33%-38.7% more expensive*.
QR 12 month - From Dec 31 2009 this product is no longer offered for sale. The equivalent cost incurred on Go card is $336.00-$2168.00 or 39.7%-45.6% more expensive*.
* If a passenger travels at a rate of 10 journeys per week for 48 out of 52 weeks for the period of validity of the ticket.