SkyBus gone up again [Up to $24.60 one way]

[PERLHR]

It's the downside of privatised airports, as guarantee the airport will charge the government a fee to drop passengers off there.

Most airports in Europe are privatised. It's competitive practices that helps to keep some with lower prices.

 

[AIRwin]

Now a competitive company doing the same run would make a big difference.

Skybus has the exclusive rights?

 

[PERLHR]

Skybus has the exclusive rights?

I believe it's a contract between the Victorian Govt and Arnold Bloch Leibler who acted in the negotiation on behalf of Skybus. I suggest yes..exclusive rights.although for how long I'm not sure.

 

[skinpete]

And it's owned by a Canadian Super Fund. The State Govt, can't organise a train and can't even run a bus. At $25, you'd reckon they could run it and put the profits towards a train.
None of the alternatives are that compelling. I normally drive but would love to take a train if it existed. The train should have been built in the 70s up the centre of the freeway. Now it's too expensive and may never get done...Sad!

 

[skinpete]

Would it be worth setting up a carpooling through this website. Maybe a What's App FF group?

 

[jrfsp]

And it's owned by a Canadian Super Fund. The State Govt, can't organise a train and can't even run a bus. At $25, you'd reckon they could run it and put the profits towards a train.
None of the alternatives are that compelling. I normally drive but would love to take a train if it existed. The train should have been built in the 70s up the centre of the freeway. Now it's too expensive and may never get done...Sad!

Completely agree however a big part of it is Australians need to get away from their love of cars and single story houses in the burbs, while our cities have such low density public transport will never function that well, can’t have your cake and eat it too. PER and BNE have rail links yet vast majority of locals still drive - can’t see MEL being that different, SYD has better patronage due its traffic, geography and foreign visitors who are used to public transport

 

[aspro2]

Australia is poorly served on this stuff. In Europe heaps of local buses and routes stop in at the airport. It's the downside of privatised airports, as guarantee the airport will charge the government a fee to drop passengers off there.

Wouldn't want to overgeneralise on that... Just off the top of my head I can think of numerous significant airports in Europe that are not served at all generously by general public bus routes (IIRC starting with ORY, CDG, MXP, ZAG). (By which I mean non-"airport express" routes or similar; and sometimes even when other routes exist they are often poorly explained/advertised (e.g. CDG, even with a route planner; CPH unless using a route planner) or intended for workers more than travellers (LIS: no non-cabin luggage on buses, and some don't reach main terminal.)

 

[jrfsp]

Wouldn't want to overgeneralise on that... Just off the top of my head I can think of numerous significant airports in Europe that are not served at all generously by general public bus routes (IIRC starting with ORY, CDG, MXP, ZAG). (By which I mean non-"airport express" routes or similar; and sometimes even when other routes exist they are often poorly explained/advertised (e.g. CDG, even with a route planner; CPH unless using a route planner) or intended for workers more than travellers (LIS: no non-cabin luggage on buses, and some don't reach main terminal.)

But all those airports (I don’t know about ZAG) have rail links which make buses to city somewhat irrelevant. The case still stands that Australian airport have terrible public transport.

As per my previous post however, it needs to be taken within the context of public transport usership which generally is pretty terrible in Australia

 

[PERLHR]

But all those airports (I don’t know about ZAG) have rail links which make buses to city somewhat irrelevant. The case still stands that Australian airport have terrible public transport.

As per my previous post however, it needs to be taken within the context of public transport usership which generally is pretty terrible in Australia

Absolutely. In fact CDG has a wonderful railway station.

 

[PERLHR]

Wouldn't want to overgeneralise on that... Just off the top of my head I can think of numerous significant airports in Europe that are not served at all generously by general public bus routes (IIRC starting with ORY, CDG, MXP, ZAG). (By which I mean non-"airport express" routes or similar; and sometimes even when other routes exist they are often poorly explained/advertised (e.g. CDG, even with a route planner; CPH unless using a route planner) or intended for workers more than travellers (LIS: no non-cabin luggage on buses, and some don't reach main terminal.)

CDG has wonderful rail connections and Lisbon city is 20 minutes away by subway.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

CDG has wonderful rail connections and Lisbon city is 20 minutes away by subway.

And about 14 mins by uber!

 

[clifford]

I don’t know about ZAG)

I do know a little about ZAG (I think) due to some Google research, as I'm travelling there later this year from Ljubljana by ground transport (well, there seems to be no sensible air transport link).

The best I can come up with is Flixbus Ljubljana to Zagreb city centre and then take an Airport bus to ZAG (although this is not as straight forward as you might imagine). Trains don't come into the picture.

Oh, and try getting a train to TIA airport in Albania (or even a public bus). But that's not to say that many of the larger airports in Euope don't have good public transport links. Certainly much better than here, with the Govt-private cosy deals that are done against the public interest.