|
Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.
|
NEWS RELEASE: Flag fall free transfers coming for transit tickets
posted Tuesday 22 November 2005
A public transport consumer group has come to the
conclusion that, with the introduction of Tcard in 2006,
zone fares are out and flag fall free transfers are in.
Mr Allan Miles, spokesman for Action for Public Transport
(APT), said that this could be good news for commuters,
especially those who have to change vehicles to complete
their journey.
For three years, Mr Miles said,
APT has been unable to get sensible answers out of the
Minister on the future of the popular zone-based TravelPass
ticket. However, the Minister said recently that flag fall
free transfers are under consideration.
Mr Miles said that this could be an acceptable substitute
for TravelPasses, which the Minister, on flimsy excuses,
has ruled out extending to the private bus areas.
"However, if commuters are getting neither zone fares nor
flag fall free transfers",
said Mr Miles,
"then that will become clear before the 2007 election, and
the Government may pay the price for the years of deception."
Mr Miles said that it is clear that the Ministry does NOT
have a ticketing policy, just a policy to introduce Tcard.
While Tcard may do what it is designed to do very well,
Mr Miles said,
it does not provide the answer to all of Sydney's fares and ticketing problems.
Cash fares will continue to degrade bus running times.
Mr Watkins' comment about providing flag fall free transfers
across the metropolitan area was made when the Public
Transport Ticketing Corporation Bill was introduced into
the NSW Parliament on 16th November 2005. (See
Hansard.)
This new corporation will take over the administrative and
development work currently performed by the Transport
Administration Corporation (TAC).
Explanation of Flag Fall Free Transfers:
- All fares include portions for recovery of fixed costs and
operating costs. The shortest distance bus and train fares
are usually the highest per kilometre because they
incorporate a higher proportion of fixed cost recovery.
Therefore, a person who must change buses to complete his
journey must pay more than a person who travels the same
distance on one bus.
That is, a person who travels four sections on a single bus
ride pays $2.70. A person who has to travel four sections
on two buses, because of the way the bus routes are
organised, would pay $1.60 plus $1.60 (or even $1.60 plus $2.70).
-
"Flag fall free transfers" would enable the same distance
journey to be completed for the same price, no matter how
many changes are made along the way. Such a facility is
already available with the popular TravelPass tickets. Flag
fall free transfers, by whatever method, must be provided
by the Tcard system.
Hong Kong's Octopus Card does not have flag fall free transfers,
except for the special arrangements between some bus
services run by the same operator.
There are many details to be sorted out. The first is how to
calculate a through fare when the rail, bus and ferry fare
scales are different. Secondly, the transfer rules on the
time and geographical distance (Tcard knows both the time
and location through GPS) to be allowed between tagging off
and the following tagging on. Thirdly, on possible capping
(maximum fare) arrangements, the obvious one being to cap
daily usage at the DayTripper fare.
Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1906, or Kevin Eadie 9819-6052.
Action for Public Transport home page
