Categories
transport

Myki – confusion reigns!

JOHN Brumby has defended ticket changes to public transport that will see commuters paying more for late trains, trams and buses. — Herald Sun Let’s just be absolutely clear about this: IT DOES NOT APPLY TO TRAINS. It’s only an issue for trams and buses. Let’s say you have a ticket that runs out at  ... [More]

Categories
Geek / tech transport

Platform 7 is rebooting…

Here’s what the new platform Passenger Information Display Screens (PIDS in transport lingo) at the inner-city stations look like: They show much the same information as the old screens, but now it’s widescreen, and clearer. (I haven’t checked to see if they still abbreviate Greensborough to “GREENSBORO” when it’s the destination.) If only I could  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Yes, your bum does look big in that

Yes actually, your bum does look big in that.

Categories
transport

Myki: Good news and bad news

The good news is it appears they’ve sped up the response time on the Myki scanners. Looks to be about half-a-second, heaps better than the speed in Bendigo last month. If all the scans are that quick, it should allay fears of long delays due to scanning. (Though getting off trams will still be a  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Getting ready for Myki

The Myki Mates (or Myki Mutes, as on seasoned observer called them, given their reluctance to talk to anybody just yet; perhaps they’ve been ordered to not speak unless spoken to) are out and about at CBD stations. All the machines have been turned on, which means those of us who were mischieviously holding up  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Everybody scramble!

Oxford Circus in London has just opened its new scramble crossing. The Brits seem suitably amazed by the whole concept. [Mayor of London, Boris] Johnson said the crossing, controlled by traffic lights, was “a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old fashioned common sense”. — BBC News Online While it beats me how  ... [More]

Categories
PTUA transport

The Metcard mess, and what Metlink does

I was going to write a blog post about yesterday’s Metcard kerfuffle, in particular pointing out that despite my initial speculation, the Transport Act only requires passengers to make a reasonable attempt to buy and validate your ticket. It doesn’t require you to buy another ticket if yours doesn’t work, carry spare change, plead with  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Bike hire scheme: BYO helmet!

I said in May I had my doubts about the bike hire scheme for central Melbourne. Well, it’s been announced that the RACV will run it, and it’ll involve 600 bikes across 50 sites in the City of Melbourne. There’s some irony to RACV running a bike hire scheme. I guess it’s another thing to  ... [More]

Categories
Retrospectives transport

Hector the Cat

Teaching kids to cross the road safely is a matter of laying out the basic rules, and continual practice. I’d thought over the years it might be easier if the Hector The Cat song was still run on TV, as the lyrics helps make it easy to remember what to do. Happily, thanks to YouTube,  ... [More]

Categories
If Daniel was emperor of the world transport

Stupid grunty cars

Here’s a draft of a bulletin I’ll send out at some stage after I’ve taken over as Grand Emperor of the World and established my benevolent dictatorship. Dear owners of stupid grunty noisy cars, I hereby decree that you have three choices for your stupid grunty noisy cars: 1. You may, at your expense, have  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Myki’s biggest problem?

This was a number 96 tram in Bourke Street on Friday afternoon: Similar scenes are seen in morning peak around much of the tram network, during the lunchtime rush in the CBD, as well as the evening peak, as well as weekends. Now imagine it with Myki: everyone touching-on and off their cards as they  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Making your argument count

“That is right, 38 new trains, pity they are only 3 carriages long instead of 6 like our current trains. I guess that means we paid double.” — Comment on the Herald Sun web site Seriously, where do people get these ideas? It’s complete garbage. “Thirty eight X’Trapolis six-car sets will be rolled-out from late  ... [More]