Here’s the last of the ten year old photo posts for this year, covering December 2012.
Today is the tenth anniversary of the day that Metcard was finally switched off across the tram network, and Myki became the only ticket available for travel on Melbourne’s public transport. (The Herald Sun has an article on this today – paywalled.)
This photo from a bus earlier in the month shows that it’s debatable that Myki was ready for prime time.
Myki as originally designed included a Short Term (single use) ticket option – a cardboard ticket with an NFC chip in it. The option (disabled) could be seen on the Myki vending machines well after that option had been cancelled. (As I write this in 2022, fare payment options using bank-issued cards is seen as the way forward.)
There were other changes afoot on the network – Tram Tracker had become available on Android a couple of months earlier.
I don’t recall what this was about – presumably an event.
The map was out of date – Diggers Rest and Sunbury stations had joined the suburban network, as this signage at the main gate to the V/Line platforms at Southern Cross indicates.
Also at Southern Cross – remember when iPods were the thing? They were discontinued in May 2022. I once had a 4th generation clickwheel “classic” model.
From a trip to Sydney – monorail signage. The Sydney Monorail would finish operations in 2013.
And finally… Melbourne at Christmas time.
2 replies on “Old photos from December 2012”
It is hard to believe Tram Tracker for Android was introduced ten years ago. It seems like a few years ago. I still mostly use Tram Hunter because it is simpler and faster for immediate checking of saved stops. And the Monorail stopped running. We must have used it just before it closed. Patrick White must have been clapping in his grave.
Still see the original myki readers on the odd bus or tram!