public transport, paying for the privledge of paying in cashless cities.

[Aussie_flyer]

too often in Australia we have the 'it's not perfect but....' excuse.

Really? I think most Aussie's are a bunch of whingers to be honest. As evidenced in this forum day after day. I am a myki user as a CBD resident with no car and I'm quite happy.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

All I wanted to do was get from Flinders St Station to Brighton Station.

Cool, well on the first time you do it then its $6 plus $3.50. On subsequent trips its just $3.50 (capped $7 on weekdays). On a weekend you can do the trip 8 times on a single day and its $3.50 as a cardholder. Simple really. take it or leave it

 

[chrisb]

They should make them refundable like London, if you have no choice but to use it.

I'm in Washington. They also have a smart card that costs $5 to buy, but you can buy cash fare cards but the cost of every trip is $1 higher than using the smart card and buses are exact fare only.

Melbourne has always pissed me off. Trams in the CBD should be free. (Like Perth's CAT buses)

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Melbourne has always pissed me off.

I guess that's why you live in Perth. I guess you can just avoid coming here then.

 

[harvyk]

Are you never coming back to Melbourne? Keep the card for your next visit.

The last time I needed to catch public transport in Melbourne (excluding skybus) was about 2 years ago, the last time Mrs harvyk caught public transport in Melbourne was 7 years ago, little Miss harvyk has never caught public transport in Melbourne before. It's hardly a common thing for us to be doing, so why should we be forced to pay extra, for a card which we will use extremely rarely (if at all), just so we can pay our fares? It is highly unlikely that any of us will be catching public transport in Melbourne in the near (or even somewhat far) future.

Besides, it's not just Melbourne, I'm pretty sure I've seen some Sydney buses which are cashless as well. So what is a traveller meant to do, keep a collection of cards for each city they may intend on travelling to on the off chance they will want to use that cities public transport options?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The last time I needed to catch public transport in Melbourne (excluding skybus) was about 2 years ago, the last time Mrs harvyk caught public transport in Melbourne was 7 years ago, little Miss harvyk has never caught public transport in Melbourne before. It's hardly a common thing for us to be doing, so why should we be forced to pay extra, for a card which we will use extremely rarely (if at all), just so we can pay our fares? It is highly unlikely that any of us will be catching public transport in Melbourne in the near (or even somewhat far) future.

Besides, it's not just Melbourne, I'm pretty sure I've seen some Sydney buses which are cashless as well. So what is a traveller meant to do, keep a collection of cards for each city they may intend on travelling to on the off chance they will want to use that cities public transport options?

so pay $6 then throw it, otherwise you can fare evade. I think the fine is $244

 

[dajop]

So what is a traveller meant to do, keep a collection of cards for each city they may intend on travelling to on the off chance they will want to use that cities public transport options?

Actually, now that you mention it, I have unintentionally to build up a collection of cards, some used only on one trip (Istanbul, Washington) and others on multiple trips (London, Hong Kong) and my "home" towns (Singapore and Melbourne). Usually because the cards workout cheaper (and much more convenient) than paying cash.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Actually, now that you mention it, I have unintentionally to build up a collection of cards, some used only on one trip (Istanbul, Washington) and others on multiple trips (London, Hong Kong) and my "home" towns (Singapore and Melbourne). Usually because the cards workout cheaper (and much more convenient) than paying cash.

Yes I have London, HK, Seoul, Brisbane, and a few others I can't remember. I stick them in my box of 'cards'

 

[UP4014]

Over at railpage.com.au there are many posts on myki. When the defenders of rail travel complain it is a poor system. I am one and refuse to use it preferring to hire a car. I only want to do the odd trip so it doesnt work for me.

the only tram i use in melburne is the nice maroon one with heavy tinting on the windows.

Matt

 

[chrisb]

I guess that's why you live in Perth. I guess you can just avoid coming here then.

Well ok then. Most cities encourage tourists. Refundable mykis and more free trams within the central city would certainly help that.

Or people can just fare evade. I'm sure the ticket checkers are used to tourists who say they were expecting to pay cash onboard.

Btw. Myki worked well for me. I had no issue with the system in general, but do agree that $6 is too much for someone who may be visiting for a few days, especially a typical family.

 

[tuapekastar]

Dunno, but in my experience, Melbourne is rather unique in not having a reasonable cash fare option....

I am sure I have heard it said (on radio) that there are actually many (60 million?) single-use tickets for Melbourne transport under a myki regime printed and sitting gathering dust in a warehouse somewhere, and that the system is capable of being tweaked to enable their use. It's just that some bozo decided not to. I share the view of those who think it is dreadful and dumb not to have the single-ticket option available, but have found no issue (slightly slow card reads excepted on occasions) using the system.

I signed up some years ago prior to their introduction when it was free to obtain one, and needed to nominate no fewer than three different userids and passwords during the process - talk about coughbersome and stupid.

 

[Conrad_S]

I find the myki cards pretty convenient. They are certainly a no stress travel issue.
For the operator I would imagine they are a great source of low or no interest business capital.

 

[Mal]

I am sure I have heard it said (on radio) that there are actually many (60 million?) single-use tickets for Melbourne transport under a myki regime printed and sitting gathering dust in a warehouse somewhere, and that the system is capable of being tweaked to enable their use. It's just that some bozo decided not to. I share the view of those who think it is dreadful and dumb not to have the single-ticket option available, but have found no issue (slightly slow card reads excepted on occasions) using the system.

I thought they got pulped... Yeah crazy that they can't use them. Many advanced cities offer single or limited use cards. Some have a cost, some just a deposit, some are free. Singapore, Dubai, Porto, rotterdam, kuala lumpur come to mind quickly. But there are many others.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The fares are lower on myki than they were on metcard which offsets some of the $6 cost and all of it if you are using public transport over a weekend.

 

[harvyk]

I had no issue with the system in general, but do agree that $6 is too much for someone who may be visiting for a few days, especially a typical family.

Which is part of the problem, if it was just me, then I would simply grumble and pay my $6 and be done with it, but as we're a family with 4 kids (luckily 3 of them are 3 and under) such unnecessary payments actually start adding up to something pretty expensive (yes $24 for 2 adults and 4 kids is probably not a lot in the scheme of things, but it's enough that a family on a limited budget will notice it gone, especially when there is no need for this extra charge).

Personally I have a real objection to having to pay for something which only gives me the privilege of paying, it doesn't actually provide the service. It's for this same reason that I will typically use BPay to avoid CC charges with QF.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Which is part of the problem, if it was just me, then I would simply grumble and pay my $6 and be done with it, but as we're a family with 4 kids (luckily 3 of them are 3 and under) such unnecessary payments actually start adding up to something pretty expensive (yes $24 for 2 adults and 4 kids is probably not a lot in the scheme of things, but it's enough that a family on a limited budget will notice it gone, especially when there is no need for this extra charge).

Personally I have a real objection to having to pay for something which only gives me the privilege of paying, it doesn't actually provide the service. It's for this same reason that I will typically use BPay to avoid CC charges with QF.

Would you be happy if they had a cash ticket single use available for $9.50 for the day?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Would you be happy if they had a cash ticket single use available for $9.50 for the day?

of course not. and the argument is fallacious. there is no reason not to offer a standard priced single ticket journey. discounts are available for those who regularly travel and can make use of them via the card. paying $6 when you receive no benefit is just throwing money away which is just a little annoying.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

of course not. and the argument is fallacious. there is no reason not to offer a standard priced single ticket journey. discounts are available for those who regularly travel and can make use of them via the card. paying $6 when you receive no benefit is just throwing money away which is just a little annoying.

there is a benefit, as i mentioned, the fares are lower than with METCARD. Metcard was $4 at the time of its extinction for a 2 hour zone 1. Myki is now $3.50. On a saturday the metcard daily zone 1 was $7 or so. Myki is now $3.50 all day on a saturday. So to say there is no benefits is simply not true. So after you have made a few trips you end up ahead on myki. If you are making one trip only and not using it again for 4 years then yes you lose out $5.50, but there is not many people who are going to be in that situation.

 

[harvyk]

there is a benefit, as i mentioned, the fares are lower than with METCARD. Metcard was $4 at the time of its extinction for a 2 hour zone 1. Myki is now $3.50. On a saturday the metcard daily zone 1 was $7 or so. Myki is now $3.50 all day on a saturday. So to say there is no benefits is simply not true. So after you have made a few trips you end up ahead on myki. If you are making one trip only and not using it again for 4 years then yes you lose out $5.50, but there is not many people who are going to be in that situation.

See that's the thing, I would have been perfectly happy paying $4 each way for the trips I actually took. I also have no problem knowing that had I intended to take more than 3 trips on a train / tram over the entire time I was there I would have been able to get a discounted rate by effectively pre-purchasing those rides.

But the thing is that the $6 for the myki is that it's $6 if you use it once, and it's $6 if you use it every single day of your life. Not a problem for a local, but for an interstate visitor who can still count the total number of train rides I've taken in Melbourne on my fingers, paying a premium for the privilege of been able to pay my fare is a little annoying, when most other cities seem to manage to still accept cash fares.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

there is a benefit, as i mentioned, the fares are lower than with METCARD. Metcard was $4 at the time of its extinction for a 2 hour zone 1. Myki is now $3.50. On a saturday the metcard daily zone 1 was $7 or so. Myki is now $3.50 all day on a saturday. So to say there is no benefits is simply not true. So after you have made a few trips you end up ahead on myki. If you are making one trip only and not using it again for 4 years then yes you lose out $5.50, but there is not many people who are going to be in that situation.

so then the real question is... would you rather pay $4 for a single journey? (not $9.50) and I think the answer for a lot of tourists would be yes. I don't know how many tourists staying for a week would get enough value to make $6 worthwhile for a card they will likely never use again in four years. (there are already free city circle trams, free busses, plus they do their day tours to the wineries and the great ocean road, sovereign hill and Phillip island... how many public transport journeys do they really need other than to perhaps st kilda and maybe the zoo? I think it is better for tourism not to force them to pay through the nose for to save 2x50c on a single ticket)