NEWS RELEASE: Fare rise determination lacks imagination and courage By sticking with an unimaginative increase of 5 to 7 per cent for bus, train and ferry fares, the Pricing Tribunal and the transport authorities have failed to attack any of the problems with tickets, according to the consumer group Action for Public Transport. Commuters are also urged to stock up on TravelTens, TravelPasses, FerryTens and even DayTrippers at the current prices before the fares go up on 31st August. A spokesman for A.P.T., Allan Miles, said that the increases are reasonable, but that State Transit (STA), CityRail and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) had showed no imagination or courage whatsoever in their submissions or determinations. Mr Miles said there was: The authorities are waiting for the magic carpet of the Smart Card system to deliver all the goods, and meanwhile are doing nothing about the current problems. Mr Miles said that by applying the increases of up to $2 a week on its periodical tickets, State Transit is gouging its best customers. He said that holders of TravelPass and TravelTen tickets, who do everyone a favour by buying their tickets before they get on the bus, are bearing the same increase as those people who buy cash fares from the driver and delay the bus. Mr Miles said that he had no problem with the overall average increase of 5 to 7 percent on fares. If we want improvements, we have to pay for them, he said. It is unrealistic to deny fare increases on the basis of poor service and then expect State Transit to give better service with no more money. However, Mr Miles argued that the increase on bus tickets should have been applied only to the cash tickets. State Transit should take a lead from London and encourage passengers to use pre-paid tickets, instead of slowing down the buses by paying cash to the driver, Mr Miles said. London Buses have announced that, from 23rd August, the few remaining cash passengers will need to buy tickets before boarding in London’s West End. This is expected to cut boarding times by 10 percent. Over 300 ticket machines will be installed at bus stops in the area, he said. See http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/buses/press_740.shtml. Mr Miles said that according to State Transit's figures, between 20 and 25% of passengers buy their tickets from the driver instead of using one of the many pre-paid tickets available. If more people had a ticket in their hand when they got on the bus, he said, the waiting time of the bus would be much shorter. State Transit's efficiency would also be improved, he added, through quicker trips and less cash handling. APT would also like to see a trial of no-cash buses on a high-frequency route such as the 380 from Bondi Beach. Mr Miles said that, mixed in with the normal buses, there should be ticket-only buses, to see how much faster the trip can be without the delays caused by cash fares. The price difference between pre-paid and pay-the-driver bus tickets should be greatly increased to encourage people to use pre-paid tickets, according to a public transport consumer group. Ticket machine could also be installed in busy areas, Mr Miles said. Current pre-paid tickets include TravelTen, TravelPass, DayTripper and BusTripper. These can be purchased at newsagents and railway stations. As well as speeding up entry to the bus, Mr Miles said that these tickets also save money. In the submission, Mr Miles argued that it was important that State Transit did not also increase the costs of the pre-paid tickets, as that would completely negate any effort to encourage people to buy them. He said that IPART determinations in recent years had increased the price of multi-ride tickets more than cash fares to reduce the so-called "unacceptably high discounts" on the multi-rides. It was time for this trend to now be reversed, he said. High discounts are acceptable, and necessary, especially on the buses. A one or two section bus ride now costs $1.50. APT wants this increased by 33% to $2.00, while keeping the cost of the related Blue TravelTen at around $11.30, or $1.30 a trip. A three to five section bus ride now costs $2.60. APT wants this increased by about 10% to $3.00, while keeping the cost of the related Brown TravelTen at around $19.00, or $1.90 a trip. Many people carry pre-paid cards in their pocket for phones, photocopiers, parking, etc, Mr Miles said, so a bus ticket should not be a problem. State Transit should consider whether casual users would prefer a TravelFour or a TravelSix product instead of a Travel Ten, if the price of a TravelTen is too much for their needs. Mr Miles said that what in effect were TravelOnes and TravelTwo tickets were sold before the City to Surf Race last week. These changes can be made very quickly, said Mr Miles, and there is no need to wait for the promised smart card system. Ticketing systems should be driven by intelligent policy, not by smart cards, he said. Mr Miles said that State Transit had offered no suggestions for fares in its submission to IPART, merely requesting an overall increase in line with inflation. APT had taken the initiative in this matter, he said, and proposed a detailed fare structure. State Transit has also failed to promote the fact that TravelTen tickets are transferable, unlike most other tickets. Two or more people boarding the bus at the same time can use the same ticket, dipping it in the machine once for each person. A wider understanding of this benefit amongst casual users and tourists would result in quicker buses, especially in the CBD.