Article: Jeff walks to cheap rail fares

[Fares_Fair]

Article: Jeff walks to cheap rail fares
Sunshine Coast Daily
Friday January 13, 2012
by Bill Hoffman

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2012/01/13/jeff-walks-to-cheap-rail-fares/

TAKE the State Government up on its offer. That's the message from rail commuter Jeff Addison of Palmwoods who plans to turn a 15% increase in Go Card fares into a fitness program that saves him money.

Queensland Transport has jacked up fares by 15% last year and this year, with further 15% rises planned for each of the next two years.

The reason, according to former transport minister Rachel Nolan, was to reduce the government's subsidisation of public transport from 75% to 70%.

But while the move may improve the State Government's budget bottom line it's slugging those who use the system.

Mr Addison has commuted by train to Brisbane daily for work for the past 11 years. He leaves home at 6.15am each morning by bike to catch the 6.23am service to the city returning on the 5.04pm which deposits him at Palmwoods station at 6.50pm.

He admits to entering a Groundhog Day zone every day. It seems that no sooner has he had dinner and gone to bed, he is waking up and heading for the train again.

Mr Addison's weekly fares have jumped to $128.40 this year from $111.60 in 2011.

So this week he decided to take the government up on its "Travel Frequently, Travel Free" offer through a method he describes as "legitimate use of Go Card to commuter advantage".

He's worked out that he can reduce his travel bill and his waistline.

It works like this.

His weekly fares from his Palmwoods home now cost $128.40.

Go Card offers free travel after 10 trips.

Each lunch time from Monday to Wednesday Mr Addision leaves his office and takes a one zone journey from Central to Roma St and walks the kilometre back, giving him valuable exercise.

It also means that by the time he gets to work each Thursday morning he will have taken 10 trips. The ride home and his ride to and from work on Friday are then free.

He has cut his weekly commute bill to $97.20.

The saving equates to $1497.60 annually, effectively for walking 144km during the year for lunch time exercise.

[Mr X]

 

[Cam]

Wouldn't it still count as a journey to take the train back to Central instead of walking?

[somebody]

Wouldn't it still count as a journey to take the train back to Central instead of walking?

You'd have to exit the station and re-enter it otherwise it would be either a "Cancel touch on" if within 20 minutes, or a fixed fare.

[Gazza]

Go Card never charges for returns in 2h anyway, even though it technically should.
So for FF/Jeff there would be no benefit in exiting and re entering and going back...the return trip wouldn't be charged for.

[somebody]

Go Card never charges for returns in 2h anyway, even though it technically should.
So for FF/Jeff there would be no benefit in exiting and re entering and going back...the return trip wouldn't be charged for.

Incorrect.

There would be no journey if he remained inside the paid area of Roma St and returned.

[WTN]

The journey would count as one if he went down the stairs, touched off at the gates, exited, then re-entered and touched back on again. Again there is no extra charge, return or no return.