Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

NEWS RELEASE: Can buses be made faster easily?

posted Sunday 17 August 2003

Despite regular denials that such a thing would be possible, State Transit/Sydney Buses once again have produced prepaid single-ride and return bus tickets.

They were on sale for the two weeks preceding the annual City to Surf mass race on 10th August 2003. All entrants were sent a leaflet encouraging them to buy one; the tickets were on sale at Sydney Buses ticket offices and also a few newsagencies. They were also sold on the day of the race.

The price was not discounted, but the value of the tickets was in the time savings for the users and for State Transit. In regular service, time savings can be more than is immediately apparent - not only is each bus faster but there are extra benefits from the reduced likelihood of the following bus catching up with it. If buses travel in twos or threes, average waiting times for passengers increase sharply.

The tickets were not pre-encoded for date or route number and they could have been used on any bus on any day.

So, in fact, State Transit can improve loading times on ordinary buses tomorrow just by putting these tickets on wider sale - no special printing or coding is required.

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