this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2024
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Trams are expensive here (lemmy.ml)
submitted 2 months ago by makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml to c/melbourne@aussie.zone
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In town for a few months. Been watching the tap on rates on the trams.

I'm going to hazard an approximation of about 20% of people are actually tapping on. Maybe 30% at a stretch.

Surely if they did a Brisbane, and dropped it to 50c or even $1, then most everyone would tap.

There comes a point , when things are affordable rnough, that it's not worth the risk / anxiety.

At current pricing it's obviously still worth the risk.

I can only imagine if the 70% or so that are not paying, paid $1, that there'd be more money in the system.

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[–] maegul@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yea I’ve kept track of how often I’ve encountered inspectors, and most of the time it’d be worth it to not get the ticket or not tap on. Sometimes though I’ve noticed an increase in the number of inspectors that would definitely shift the equation. Also train stations with gates complicate the matter.

I don’t know if it’s out there, but I’d personally like to know how the finances come out for making PT free. You obviously lose revenue, but also all the overhead of paying for inspectors and for all of the ticketing infrastructure. I also wonder if the part that makes the finances work is all the fines collected, which would be pretty fucking shithouse if true.

[–] notgold@aussie.zone 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

In 2005, the state committed almost $1 billion to develop myki by 2007 to replace the ageing Metcard system, and operate myki for 10 years

Just over half of myki's almost $1 billion initial budget—around $520 million—was for establishing the system by 2007 and operating it for 10 years.

It was expected that myki would deliver around $6.3–$10.8 million per year in economic benefits to the state...

myki was great value /s

[–] maegul@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I remember hearing rumours during the role out that tech employees were found asking for help on forums in ways that weren’t promising for the health and talent of the people building it.

But yea, it’s the embarrassment of this sort of stuff that must be masking the real financials of PT and how viable a free system would be.

[–] notgold@aussie.zone 5 points 2 months ago

If the victorian railways were held accountable and there was less corruption in victracks property division, the dodgy land sales to property developers would stop and there would be more funding for our public transport.

I think we should demo a free system here but with the mayors wanting to rip up bike lanes and the state investing so heavily in roads there's probably no money left for pt.

/rant

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I just feel, that now the infrastructure is in place, that making it affordable would encourage people to use it. If it were say .50c, or $1, I can imagine over 90% of people tapping. Who can say though.

[–] notgold@aussie.zone 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

100% agree. Getting something is better than nothing. Plus with the system the way it is, your just penalising the honest people.

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] notgold@aussie.zone 1 points 2 months ago

My wife just said we should move to Queensland. She was living in Singapore last year and misses the good PT. Brisbane for the win I guess

[–] maegul@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago

Oh yea, I hear you.

What your point does though is open up the discussion about whether enforcement makes financial sense in isolation. And once you open that door, the whole becomes uncomfortable for a lot of people who are stuck in a simple black-and-white justice mentality, where "do what you're supposed, pay what they charge, or be punished" is all there is to making the world work well. You know, "law and order" types.

You're trying to talk about incentives. For many though that's a very dangerous slippery slope. So I'm trying to get a head of that and wonder if the end of that slippery slop is actually a demonstrably good thing.

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Myki sucks… I got stood over, accused of lying and fined despite tapping on because the machine itself didn’t function properly in cold weather. (Didn’t register the tap.)

It over complicates topping up, screws over visitors, and has a central point of failure if there are tech issues.

It creates a digital divide where homeless people or those without access to technology may find it harder to pay and get locked into a loop of unpaid fines.

I heard the software wasn’t appropriate and that tested working models should have been used.

The non biodegradable plastic cards also expire while we’re having issues with recycling.

The existing system worked alright but the government wanted to flex and so we got this.