Melbourne Public Transport

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richie_cole#13

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Oct 8, 2003
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Melbourne
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Collingwood
The public transport system is constantly letting me down. Trains run late without explanation or even worse run early, trains are cancelled without explanation, trams and buses seem to arrive and depart when they feel like it without any hint of timetabled performance. In the past I have gone with the mindset that it is a difficult job and it is not a big ticket cost for such a convenient and helpful service. Until today...

On the way home from university on the tram it turns out that the on board ticket machine and validator machines are not working. I think "OK, I'll buy my ticket at the train station when I get there." I get to the train station in time to buy my ticket at 2:08pm, all of a sudden the announcement comes over that the 2:10pm train to Flinders Street was arriving, needing to catch the train I rush and grab the ticket and jump onto the train. Further on in the trip and the next train I catch is going though Southern Cross Station when inspectors get on the train asking for tickets. I'm relaxed because I have my recently purchased ticket.

Upon request I present my ticket only to be informed that "Your ticket is not validated, I'm issuing you an infringment." In my rush to board the early arriving train at the suburban train station I had bypassed the single, small validating machine, while I had a ticket it was not valid for my trip.

I realise that this is my own fault but I cannot help to feel annoyed at the malfunctioning tram ticket machine and the early arriving train.

Does anyone have any thoughts or similar experiences? I would be hugely interested.
 
From my experiences in Melbourne, I'd have to agree...

Easily the worst city for public transport out of all major Asia-Pacific cities that I have been to... very inadequte and very inefficient... if you are a commuter and you don't drive, you're seriously compromised in terms of your quality of life

The Metcard system is by no doubt one of the stupidest (impractical and inefficient) systems ever implemented

there are probably more trains than there are train drivers, and THAT is sad...
 
Well if the train was running off schedule as you say then you should write them a letter. Most of my mates who have gotten infrigements have gotten off em even when they are completely in the wrong.. Luck of the draw i guess.

I personally hate all forms of public transport. I cannot stand it. I am a pretty impatient person. I hate waiting for things and doing nothing. In High School it would take me bout 35 minutes to walk home or about 38 minutes (due to train times) to catch Bus/Train home. I walked home every day even in the rain cause most of that 38 minutes was spent waiting for buses/trains.
 

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Mattlowry said:
Well if the train was running off schedule as you say then you should write them a letter. Most of my mates who have gotten infrigements have gotten off em even when they are completely in the wrong.. Luck of the draw i guess. QUOTE]

I will indeed be sending them a letter when my fine arrives. First thing that came into my head when I got done. There can be no way I get 'dicked' for this.
Click to expand...
 
There's nothing you can do richie, nothing. If you don't validate your ticket, you're riding for free. Think about it. I know it pisses you off that the intended idea was to validate the ticket, yet you had to rush, however it still is against the law.

I had a monthly ticket and had to sprint for the train one morning. I buy a monthly each month to catch my train to uni (annoying as I live in zone 3 and have to go through the city), and because of the run to the train, I couldn't validate my ticket. It just happens that on that day, the large coated men/women with no personality got off their ass and did their job (first time of the year they were at Footscray station, it was late May), and it appeared that my ticket had run out. I had my concession card and everything was cool, but my ticket had expired the previous day, and without me validating, i was totally un-informed. I wouldn't have travelled without a ticket, but then again, $154 out of pocket later, it was just a case of bad luck.

Also, I continue to complain about Connex and their ridiculous service. It is shocking. They spend so much money on pointless ads yet can't improve their service. Look at London, they stick to a timetable where they close the doors and move quickly once the actual time matches timetable time. Door closes on people, bad luck over there. Connex likes to go slow and steady, and never tries to gain time lost. I rely on catching an 11 past train from Footscray to get to Southern Cross in time for my 20 past train to Pakenham. It is always hopeless, and what is worse is the amount of Pakenham trains. There are 2 trains an hour to Pakenham, with waits of 25 and 35 minutes respectively between trains at peak hour. The same time, Frankston has about 6 services within an hour. Pretty hard considering 10% of people get off the Pakenham train between the City and Dandenong, 10% at Hallam, 20% at Narre Warren, 30% at Berwick, 5% at Beacy, 5% at Officer and the rest at Pakenham.

Then again, Melbourne's public transport always gets the thumbs up when compared to Sydney's. CAN YOU IMAGINE SYDNEY'S, considering ours is bloody rank.
 
When I was housesitting for a mate on the Sandringham line the train was late 90% of the time to work. Back on the the Hurstbridge line it is 50% of the time.

The system isn't that bad but it isn't great and from a cost/benefit POV I think it is expensive. Try public transport in Central Asia... much cheaper but you may not like having to be one of 50 people in a mini-bus in summer, and it does happen! At least you'll never have to worry about tickets there. ;)

I would contest the fine but I don't know if it will do you any good.
 
Lonie_from_50 said:
There's nothing you can do richie, nothing. If you don't validate your ticket, you're riding for free. Think about it. I know it pisses you off that the intended idea was to validate the ticket, yet you had to rush, however it still is against the law.

I had a monthly ticket and had to sprint for the train one morning. I buy a monthly each month to catch my train to uni (annoying as I live in zone 3 and have to go through the city), and because of the run to the train, I couldn't validate my ticket. It just happens that on that day, the large coated men/women with no personality got off their ass and did their job (first time of the year they were at Footscray station, it was late May), and it appeared that my ticket had run out. I had my concession card and everything was cool, but my ticket had expired the previous day, and without me validating, i was totally un-informed. I wouldn't have travelled without a ticket, but then again, $154 out of pocket later, it was just a case of bad luck.

Also, I continue to complain about Connex and their ridiculous service. It is shocking. They spend so much money on pointless ads yet can't improve their service. Look at London, they stick to a timetable where they close the doors and move quickly once the actual time matches timetable time. Door closes on people, bad luck over there. Connex likes to go slow and steady, and never tries to gain time lost. I rely on catching an 11 past train from Footscray to get to Southern Cross in time for my 20 past train to Pakenham. It is always hopeless, and what is worse is the amount of Pakenham trains. There are 2 trains an hour to Pakenham, with waits of 25 and 35 minutes respectively between trains at peak hour. The same time, Frankston has about 6 services within an hour. Pretty hard considering 10% of people get off the Pakenham train between the City and Dandenong, 10% at Hallam, 20% at Narre Warren, 30% at Berwick, 5% at Beacy, 5% at Officer and the rest at Pakenham.

Then again, Melbourne's public transport always gets the thumbs up when compared to Sydney's. CAN YOU IMAGINE SYDNEY'S, considering ours is bloody rank.
Click to expand...

Did you appeal the fine though???

I'm not hopeful of getting the fine withdrawn but I'll still try, for every story of "Tough luck, you'll have to pay" there is one that says "Just send them a letter, it worked for me".
 
Definately appeal and spin some major bull****!!!

I did, and I got off one, got done for feet on seat and expired concession card. Shattered, claimed that I was a country bum never use public transport etc etc, still had to part with 150 bucks instead of 300.

From experience, and what I've heard appealing only delays the inevitable... However, there is no harm in trying.
 
My mate tried to appeal the same thing that happened to you richie, and all he got was a 3 month extension on his fine!

Today, was bloody shocking with connex. Caught my normal Wednesday 8:01 train from Bezza and rocked up at the city just before the 9:03 Sydenham would leave the worst station in the world (that being Southern Cross, the amount of fumes stuck inside, as they have completely enclosed it with plastic placed on the western side), happens that the Werribee train (being the 8:51) would depart in 1 minute, already 9 minutes late. The Sydenham was transferred to P14, and we were given probably a 45 second notice. Most refused to go as Footscray is where most get off and the Werribee said 1 min to depart. 9 minutes later, we left in our 8:51 Werribee train, therefore, being at 9:08 it left Southern Cross and slowly scrambles towards North Melbourne.

To top it off, going home from Flinders Street Station, I was lucky to sprint to the Pakenham train leaving at 12:32 (trains come every 30 mins) and jumped on the train, which was sitting there still at 12:37. We were then all asked to leave the packed midday train as it was 'not working' and the 12:32 was then cancelled. About to go up to the ATM to get some cashola, as the next train would be the 1:02, i had to sprint again to catch the Pakenham train because the 'cancelled' train turned out to be a 14 minute 'delayed' train, as a replacement train was used. There was no indication of a replacement train, all we heard was that the 12:32 was CANCELLED. Bloody terrible.

I swear, if we don't get compensation for this month, I am going to write a letter (lol). October has been very poor after mid-year improvements to the service. October has just turned around the corner. Every 5th train is a 'rattler' (those Green Met trains), rather then every 50th, and the amount of late and cancelled trains has been unbelievable.
 
ralphwiggum said:
From my experiences in Melbourne, I'd have to agree...

Easily the worst city for public transport out of all major Asia-Pacific cities that I have been to... very inadequte and very inefficient... if you are a commuter and you don't drive, you're seriously compromised in terms of your quality of life

The Metcard system is by no doubt one of the stupidest (impractical and inefficient) systems ever implemented

there are probably more trains than there are train drivers, and THAT is sad...
Click to expand...



HA! Obviously never spent time on the Gold Coast.

Melb public transport system is heaven compared to here.


Wanna travel 5 ks up the road from Southport to say.. hmm, Sorrento? Cool, then just put aside 3 hours and 3 bus tranfers, 7 bucks and she'll be sweet :thumbsdown:
 

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Taxes and transport: The two things everyone everywhere complains about.

Melbourne's is fine. It's not cheap, but it's probably less stressful and cheaper than buying, running, and maintaining a car. Trains will sometimes run late just like cars will sometimes break down. Jeeeezuz.
 
I think Melbourne's public transport is actually quite good, the trams anyway... I don't catch trains that often and they seem to be the ones people complain about the most -

Having said that, myki can go and get f*cked and I am dreading the end of next month when there are no more ticket machines on trams - I just loathe the idea of this myki card and I am still yet to get one and I will carry $2.80 in change and if the metpigs ask for my myki card I will show them my money and say : "Here is my legal tender, please may I purchase a ticket?"



^^^
@ Bombers - Melbourne public transport only marginally better than Los Angeles? Are you serious?
 
radiojake said:
I think Melbourne's public transport is actually quite good, the trams anyway... I don't catch trains that often and they seem to be the ones people complain about the most -

Having said that, myki can go and get f*cked and I am dreading the end of next month when there are no more ticket machines on trams - I just loathe the idea of this myki card and I am still yet to get one and I will carry $2.80 in change and if the metpigs ask for my myki card I will show them my money and say : "Here is my legal tender, please may I purchase a ticket?"
Click to expand...

That's how I felt towards the myki system but now I've had a myki card for about month and I gotta say, it's much better than the metcards. Load funds on machines at stations, 7-11's, chemists or newsangents. Scan on....scan off, simple and cheaper too.
 
radiojake said:
Having said that, myki can go and get f*cked and I am dreading the end of next month when there are no more ticket machines on trams - I just loathe the idea of this myki card and I am still yet to get one and I will carry $2.80 in change and if the metpigs ask for my myki card I will show them my money and say : "Here is my legal tender, please may I purchase a ticket?"
Click to expand...
I agree. Credit cards. Debit cards. ATM cards. I dont understand that shit either.
 
Oyster is good because it actually works.

With Myki I've been charged full fair over a dozen times because the touch off points at my zone 1 station are out of order. If you fail to touch off then you're charged the highest fair. The only way to get your money back is to call an expensive 1300 number and suffer through being transferred around and repeating your story. It's not worth it so you just suffer being ripped off.

Actually, i called Myki once and was on the phone to them for an hour. I didn't get my money back but they opened a "case" for me which was going to entail more phone conversations I was not willing to participate in.
 
nicky said:
Oyster is good because it actually works.

With Myki I've been charged full fair over a dozen times because the touch off points at my zone 1 station are out of order. If you fail to touch off then you're charged the highest fair. The only way to get your money back is to call an expensive 1300 number and suffer through being transferred around and repeating your story. It's not worth it so you just suffer being ripped off.

Actually, i called Myki once and was on the phone to them for an hour. I didn't get my money back but they opened a "case" for me which was going to entail more phone conversations I was not willing to participate in.
Click to expand...

the whole zone system should be scrapped now that there is myki, should just be touch on, and touch off, and fare calculated accordingly... if you want to travel just one tram stop for the sake of it, should only cost you 10c or whatever... it would require the scanners to be linked up with the driver so the scanners know exactly what stop it is, and of course it all assumes that the scanners are all working properly
 

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