The trains have problems, but at least most people can figure out where they go. (Uhh, well, apart from the whole City Loop reversal thing.) But try the buses. I reckon the 627 bus has Melbourne’s most confusing route. It goes from Elsternwick to East Brighton, but via Chadstone. (And if you don’t know your ... [More]
Category: PTUA
Been busy on a comparison of public transport fares between Australian mainland cities, which found Melbourne’s the most expensive for most trips: Age story… on the front page no less. Full data/graphs. The government claims it’s an unfair comparison. But they would say that, wouldn’t they.
Categories
I am not a morning person
Yes, I had a heads-up about the story on the front page of yesterday’s Age. Yes, I went to bed early(ish) and woke up early, ready as I could be for the onslaught. No, it was not an audio problem on 3AW — I was half asleep at 6:25am when I spoke to them. “Government” ... [More]
Categories
A week in advocacy
I try to shoehorn various activities into my day, some of which involves my public transport advocacy work. While I end up doing some of the media, the load is shared, and others do a lot of policy work which makes it pretty easy — once the policy’s been nutted out, as long as you ... [More]
If you’re worried about climate change, and the glacial (!) rate government is addressing it… and you’re in Melbourne, try this: on Sunday morning the Bayside Climate Change Group are getting together people for a human sign on Sandringham beach at 10am, to say “HALT CLIMATE CHANGE NOW!” (I’m assuming the team co-ordinating don’t all ... [More]
Categories
Making the ideal commute
The fuss over Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky wanting to deflect complaints elsewhere should be a reminder of the big problems on the public transport network — which some would argue those in power are trying to avoid hearing about. As it happens my commute home that night was a dream. From work to the ... [More]
Categories
Connex hacked
So, did we all get the fake SMS from Connex last night? I certainly did. Looks like lots did. ALLAHU AKBR FROM CONNEX! our inspectorS Love Killing people – If you see one coming, run. Want to bomb a train? they will gladly help! See you in hell! Shame they can’t spell. The followup, later ... [More]
Ever noticed how crowded the trains are on the weekend on the busy lines since the footy finished? I don’t mean on race days, I mean on “normal” weekends. People are not just having to stand, but sometimes it’s a struggle to fit aboard, because they’re running short 3-carriage trains. It’s not a new thing; ... [More]
Watch the news tonight. Update lunchtime: Press release: PTUA calls on politicians not to duck public transport issues. Pic from the field: Update Wednesday morning:
Categories
PTUA turns 30
Despite petrol at record prices and traffic congestion, most people still don’t use public transport. Its share of the market sits stagnant at about 8% or so. Why? Because most people will only choose PT over driving when it’s convenient: when it goes where you want to go, and when it’s frequent. How frequent is ... [More]
Took the day off today, but was too busy to blog. Back tomorrow hopefully. PS. Thursday morning: Here’s why.