Article: Public transport prices set to rise

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Public transport prices set to rise

Public transport prices set to rise
Richard Willingham
December 30, 2010

VICTORIANS will pay up to 5.9 per cent more to travel on public transport from March next year.

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the adjustment had been made to match fares with inflation.

Mr Mulder said from March 12 fares would rise by an average of 3.1 per cent.

A zone 1 and 2 daily metcard will increase by 30¢ to $10.20, a two-hour concession zone 1 will go up 10¢ to $1.80 - a 5.9 per cent jump - and a monthly metcard for zone 1 and 2 will jump $5.20 to $174.20.

The fare increases apply to Metcard, myki and V/Net tickets across the state's public transport networks.

"Fares are usually adjusted each year to reflect CPI increases, ensuring that the fares remain roughly the same price in real terms," Mr Mulder said. He said the new government was committed to an affordable public transport system.

He said the annual statewide student pass would continue to provide for all families, with the new price of $422 a year (up $12) working out as $1.20 a day.

Opposition public transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said Premier Ted Baillieu promised to reduce the cost of living.

''Instead, his first act in public transport is to increase fares,'' she said.

"Mr Baillieu needs to explain to the hundreds of thousands of Victorian commuters why he has made this hypocritical announcement under the cover of the Christmas holiday period.''

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said price increases were never going to be popular.

''It is a bit frustrating when we still have significant issues on the public transport network, with continued delays and crowded trains,'' he said.

''So, it would be nice to see some progress on fixing some of these problems before another price increase.''

Seniors will not be slugged with a price rise, with senior concession fares frozen at 2009 levels.

Mr Mulder said from January 1, they would be able to travel for free on weekends by using a seniors myki card.

Weekend travel cards also avoided a price jump, with fares frozen at $3 a day.

The fare increases came just a day after Premier Ted Baillieu refused to rule out scrapping the beleaguered myki ticketing system.

[Fares_Fair]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Public transport prices set to rise

Public transport prices set to rise
Richard Willingham
December 30, 2010

VICTORIANS will pay up to 5.9 per cent more to travel on public transport from March next year.

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the adjustment had been made to match fares with inflation.

Mr Mulder said from March 12 fares would rise by an average of 3.1 per cent.

A zone 1 and 2 daily metcard will increase by 30¢ to $10.20, a two-hour concession zone 1 will go up 10¢ to $1.80 - a 5.9 per cent jump - and a monthly metcard for zone 1 and 2 will jump $5.20 to $174.20.

The fare increases apply to Metcard, myki and V/Net tickets across the state's public transport networks.

"Fares are usually adjusted each year to reflect CPI increases, ensuring that the fares remain roughly the same price in real terms," Mr Mulder said. He said the new government was committed to an affordable public transport system.

He said the annual statewide student pass would continue to provide for all families, with the new price of $422 a year (up $12) working out as $1.20 a day.

Opposition public transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said Premier Ted Baillieu promised to reduce the cost of living.

''Instead, his first act in public transport is to increase fares,'' she said.

"Mr Baillieu needs to explain to the hundreds of thousands of Victorian commuters why he has made this hypocritical announcement under the cover of the Christmas holiday period.''

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said price increases were never going to be popular.

''It is a bit frustrating when we still have significant issues on the public transport network, with continued delays and crowded trains,'' he said.

''So, it would be nice to see some progress on fixing some of these problems before another price increase.''

Seniors will not be slugged with a price rise, with senior concession fares frozen at 2009 levels.

Mr Mulder said from January 1, they would be able to travel for free on weekends by using a seniors myki card.

Weekend travel cards also avoided a price jump, with fares frozen at $3 a day.

The fare increases came just a day after Premier Ted Baillieu refused to rule out scrapping the beleaguered myki ticketing system.

is that all, only up to 5.9% ?
they could come to Queensland where 15% (per year) for the next 4 years is the Go  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[#Metro]

If the fares go up, the service frequencies on key routes should go up too.
Especially RAIL! This 30 minute frequency off peak looks more archaic as each day goes by.

[WTN]

Let's not forget that ALL peak fares in 2014 will be more than double that of 2009 on go. Yes, doubling of go card peak hour fares in just 5 years! Offpeak increases are less but still very substantial.

[#Metro]

Remember "every cent" raised this way must be used for new services.
I hope to see 15 minute trains before 2014!!!

[Fares_Fair]

One of my train colleagues received a response back from TRANSLink (I know, I was astonished too). 
His first reply back didn't address the issues he rasied .. and doesn't that sound familiar! ... but I digress.

He asked what the increases were to be used for.
He was told that the increases were to reduce the State Government's subsidisation of the public transport network,
from the current - $1 commuter for every $3 State Government (25%) contribution back to $1 commuter for every $2 State Government (approx. 30%) contribution.

Can anyone explain to me how they are using the money for an extra 305,000 seats as well ?
Is there enough money for both or are there furphy's flying around ?
This apparent misinformation coming from the State Government and TRANSLink needs clarification.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[#Metro]

Yes, there is a problem with "Form" replies. It seems to encourage vague, nondescript answers.
Perhaps the call centre operators who reply to this kind of thing themselves don't know and haven't been told.

The last time around we were promised "every cent", this time around it is not clear whether this still applies or is
a separate thing.

I question why the subsidy needs to be so astronomically high in the first place.

The best public transport systems worldwide have less subsidy, not more.
Even in Brisbane, I suspect the least subsidsed routes are those which are high frequency and run all day.

I suspect that it is a combination of:
low frequency deterring patronage (if you sell rotten apples, don't expect a lot of customers wanting to pay for them!)
poor access and hardly any frequent buses feeding to rail stations (what kind of business makes it difficult to buy and use their products? That's right, none!)
TOD opportunities not taken up
running too many direct buses into the CBD, rather than fill up the trains (certainly in off-peak)
Off-peak frequency is too low to generate enough trips

These are some of the barriers that prevent expansion of service. If the current absolute amount of $ was kept the same, but fares increased, then that would result in the total amount of cash (government $ + commuter's $) increasing, but the proportion (as a % of the total cash 'pie') decreasing. But this is only assumed!!!

:conf

[ozbob]

Let's not forget that ALL peak fares in 2014 will be more than double that of 2009 on go. Yes, doubling of go card peak hour fares in just 5 years! Offpeak increases are less but still very substantial.

I think political reality will mean that the planned 15% per annum fare increases for the next 4 years will not be pushed through.  The LNP has indicated that they are only comfortable with CPI.  Interesting that the new Government in Victoria also thinks CPI is fair.

Both ends of George St are on a path to oblivion IMHO.  People will not wear these increases well at all.   Incompetent transport planning and management is not disguised by massive fare increases.  The go card was going to make things more efficient ...

[#Metro]

I think political reality will mean that the planned 15% per annum fare increases for the next 4 years will not be pushed through.  The LNP has indicated that they are only comfortable with CPI.  Interesting that the new Government in Victoria also thinks CPI is fair.

Both ends of George St are on a path to oblivion IMHO.  People will not wear these increases well at all.   Incompetent transport planning and management is not disguised by massive fare increases.  The go card was going to make things more efficient ...

Fare rises can be necessary and unpopular (they can also be unnecessary and unpopular too). A lot of people will be asking "where are my new services?", and while a few have been rolled out (some not so useful like route 88, more duplication of both rail AND existing bus) I doubt it will be enough to stem the tide of outrage. Courier Mail seems set to have a negative news fiesta.

They'd better have a few more BUZ services up their sleeves, but even bus is approaching capacity, there is not so much room on the CBD streets anymore IMHO. And you still have all the rockets and the "welfare" routes flooding the CBD.

I don't think the current admin will be around next election to be honest. If a new gov comes in, there will be pressure to scrap the fare table. I can't tell if this a good or bad thing, I don't know how much more $$$ would be unlocked from efficiencies such as turning routes into feeders and making sure that the trains were filled up during the off peak from bus.

[ozbob]

Richlands, they cannot even manage to roll out the new timetable to coincide with Richlands opening.  They have had years knowing what was looming. I consider this a major failure.  

15% per annum compounding is not going to survive the electoral spectroscope, clearly.  Especially with the incompetence that abounds ...

Another example, the duplication from Keperra to Ferny Grove, why on earth was this not done as part of the previous duplication ...

[Golliwog]

One of my train colleagues received a response back from TRANSLink (I know, I was astonished too). 
His first reply back didn't address the issues he rasied .. and doesn't that sound familiar! ... but I digress.

He asked what the increases were to be used for.
He was told that the increases were to reduce the State Government's subsidisation of the public transport network,
from the current - $1 commuter for every $3 State Government (25%) contribution back to $1 commuter for every $2 State Government (approx. 30%) contribution.

Can anyone explain to me how they are using the money for an extra 305,000 seats as well ?
Is there enough money for both or are there furphy's flying around ?
This apparent misinformation coming from the State Government and TRANSLink needs clarification.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

Both. The fare increase will help increase the commuters share of funding to services by whatever they said (from 25% to 33%?), but the governement isn't going to be cutting their own funding, hence the extra services being funded.

Ozbob, as a FG commuter I agree totally about the irritation of not having the whole section Mitchelton-FG duplicated in one hit, but ultimately  it came down to not having enough money when they started to do the whole thing, but something is better than nothing. I was still in high school when the first stage opened so didn't pay much attention to the timetables, but I don't think they really added many new services when it did open, but what it did do was make the line much more reliable as previously the only passing point between Mitchelton and FG was Keperra so any stuff up were easily amplified.

[#Metro]

Both. The fare increase will help increase the commuters share of funding to services by whatever they said (from 25% to 33%?), but the governement isn't going to be cutting their own funding, hence the extra services being funded.

Sadly I suspect this is true. QLD lost its AAA credit rating, which means that further borrowing would come in at a higher price. There are only really 3 sources of cash:

1. Taxes/fees/fines charges/levies/GOC revenues by the QLD Gov
2. Cash from another level of gov (either above or below)
3. Borrowings, see example here http://www.qtc.qld.gov.au/qtc/public/web/home/more-tools/individual-investors/

When you don't have cash, you skimp by pushing costs into the future.

[WTN]

In my view, come 17 January and they'll be quite a number of unhappy travellers, just like the hike last year. It won't be popular year after year, so I'm with Bob - hikes may not last all the way to 2014.

On another note, I wonder if disaster recovery from the floods around the state will affect funding of infrastructure or services.

[Stillwater]

Bound to be the case, WTN.  A figure of $2 billion has been mentioned as the cost of fixing roads, roads bridges and rail bridges, and this could go much higher.  The state will also be expected to offer money and a helping hand to the affected councils for their damaged infrastructure repairs, not just roads, but things like sewerage plants.  The true cost won't be known until the floodwaters have subsided and inspections carried out.  While Main Roads would have set aside a sum of money for 'unexpected' expenses, it would be nowhere near the amount likely to be needed.  The first draw-down of money for repairs would come from this source, from unexpended funds within the Transport and Main Roads budget, or from money allocated to projects yet to start, but which could be deferred.  The Natural Disaster Relief arrangements require the councils to spend a certain sum, then for the state to expend a certain sum of money before the federal government kicks in with its payments.  The federal government does not reimburse the state for the totality of the flood clean-up costs.  So there will be some pain from a big hit on the Transport and Main Roads budget; and an unexpected hit at that.