Tag: fares

The Age: Commuters plan fare boycott

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News of a fare boycott have reached The Age, amid ongoing reports of the latest train debacle:

Frustrated commuters are planning a day of protest on March 1 in a display of anger over the number of train cancellations.

Melbourne’s rail passengers are understandably upset over the latest of an ongoing saga of issues plaguing Melbourne’s public transport.

“It sounds like a lot of passengers are extremely frustrated and they are keen to display that through action,” spokesman Alex Makin said. “It appears that a number of people are quite intent on holding a day of boycott.”

While potentially a popular notion, a fare boycott will actually do very little to entice Connex to lift its performance. Under the current privatisation arrangements, Connex retains 40% of revenue raised by public transport fares with the tram and bus operators receiving the other 60%. In addition a fare boycott offers little relief for people that use bus or tram services or holders of weekly, monthly or yearly Metcards.

Delegates' Report: Community Partnerships in Removing Zone Three

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Tonight I will be reporting on the Eastern Transport Coalition meeting held on the 19th of October and the outcome of our ‘fair fares’ campaign.

The Eastern Transport Coalition’s campaign in seeking the abolition of zone three was obviously a success with both major parties; first the Victorian Liberal Party and then copied by the ALP to commit to the remove the inequitable existence of zone three fares.

This campaign and this wonderful outcome was only possible due to the support of the wider community. I am pleased to say that the survey results at Heatherdale undertaken by Maroondah City Council, received one of the highest level of responses.

I’ll table the analysis from the Eastern Transport Coalition but over 60% of people chose Heatherdale Station simple due to the cheaper zone two fare.

ETC survey results for Heatherdale Station
Securing the commitment from the State political parties to abolish zone three demonstrates the success that can occur when council’s work both together with other like-minded councils and with the community.

The successful outcome of this campaign was due to each and every person that responded to the Eastern Transport Coalition’s survey, the advocacy of Maroondah City Council and the strong partnership that has been established with the eastern council’s through the Eastern Transport Coalition.

This outcome demonstrates the strength and power of advocacy when councils work together with the community to ensure positive outcomes. I would like to thank everyone that completed the survey and did their bit to remove zone three.

To any sceptics out there, it is worth remembering that there was a time when people said zone three would never be removed. Proactive partnerships with the community, councils and the region ensured that zone three will soon be history.

Maroondah Journal: Zone cut boost for outer suburbs

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The Maroondah Journal has reported on the recent announcements to abolish zone three, released firstly by the Victorian Liberal Party and mimicked four hours later by the Bracks Government.

Public Transport users in the outer east will pay less next year after both major political parties pledged to scarp zone three – but the fight for better train and bus services continues.

While the removal of zone three addresses on the major pricing inequities of the public transport system, it is ultimately the level of service, such as the efficiency, frequency, reliability and availability of public transport that will ultimately result in higher patronage.

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Alex Makin said Labor’s decision was a “complete U-turn” for the party which dismissed the idea at the previous election.

Train services and bus routes along main roads need to provide at least a 15 minute service frequency to ensure patronage growth. This is consistent which research which as shown that 15 minute service frequencies and an overhaul of bus routes are essential to achieving the goal of increasing public transport modal share.

“At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how you price the fares, waiting up to an hour for a bus can’t compete with car travel.”

Victory: Zone Three to be abolished

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This morning the Baillieu Liberal Opposition pledged to remove zone three public transport fares if elected into government. Four hours later Steve Bracks copied this announcement and said it too would scrap zone three.

As reported in The Age:

Public Transport Users Association vice-president Alex Makin welcomed the latest announcement, saying he believed it would encourage more people in Melbourne’s outer suburbs to use trains and buses.

“It has merit in that it tackles one of the biggest inequities in Melbourne’s public transport system,” Mr Makin told theage.com.au.

The existence of zone three, is an oddity that has existed only within Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and as a result meant that residents in Ringwood, Croydon, Scoresby and Dandenong were forced to pay more for public transport than residents in suburbs such as Hurstbridge, which are located further away from the CBD.

“At the moment you have lots of people driving to Heatherdale station from Croydon, Ringwood and Lilydale to avoid paying the higher fare,” Mr Makin said.

While the removal of zone three is a welcomed and one that groups such as the Eastern Transport Coalition have requested, the announcement must be reinforced by policies that improve public transport services. Ultimately people will not use public transport if services continue to be infrequent, unreliable and inefficient.

But Mr Makin said reducing fares for people in Melbourne’s outer suburbs had to be accompanied by policies that improved services, saying there was no point reducing the cost of tickets if there weren’t enough trains and buses to service demand.

This announcement has demonstrated the power of combined community and council advocacy. As recently as last week the State Government claimed that zone three could not be abolished due to apparent capacity constraints. The fact that the Bracks Government has now been forced to act has demonstrated the so-called ‘capacity constraints’ that have prevented rail and tram extensions is nothing more than a complete fabrication.

Eastern Transport Coalition: Evaluating the Fair Fares Campaign

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Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition meeting focused on evaluating the results of the Fair Fares Campaign and on preparing to speak to candidates in the upcoming election about the ongoing public transport issues facing Melbourne’s outer east.

While final results are still being prepared, it appears that approximately 60% of all commuters surveyed are driving substantial distances to avoid paying zone three fares. The avoidance of zone three fares results in an unnecessary increase in traffic congestion and detracts from the local amenity of neighbourhoods near stations due to excessive car parking. Furthermore the existence of zone three detracts of residents catching nearby bus services to access stations due to the excessive cost of the additional zone.

The survey results vindicate the Eastern Transport Coalition’s stance on fare reform and the calls to seek a restructuring of the fare system concurrently with the introduction of the new ticketing system next year.

The outer east deserves fair public transport fares.

Maroondah Leader: Transport lobby puts case for zoning zap

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The Maroondah Leader has reported on the Eastern Transport Coalition’s survey and continued campaign to seek the abolition of zone three public transport fares.

Commuters from as far as Lilydale are driving to Mitcham to avoid paying zone three prices.

As part of the Eastern Transport Coalition’s campaign for fair fares, I surveyed people at Heatherdale Station least Tuesday.

Maroondah coalition representative Cr Alex Makin reviewed consumer behaviour at Heatherdale railway station in Mitcham, which is the last zone two station on the Lilydale line.

Cr Makin said the results further strengthened calls for zone three to be abolished.

“People are driving to Heatherdale from as far as Chirnside Park and Lilydale, just to avoid the extra costs,” Cr Makin said.

Due to the abstract nature of the public transport zoning system many commuters are driving excessive distances to park at Heatherdale Station causing traffic congestion through the centre of Ringwood and chaos at car parks.

“Ringwood is 23km from the CBD but is closer to the city than other stations in zone two,” Cr Makin said. “The ETC will continue to lobby for a revamp of the system in the lead-up to the November state election.”

Cr Makin said the fact that Ringwood was in zone two under the previous system showed revamping the zones was viable.

Ringwood as well as suburbs such as Dandenong, Lilydale and Belgrave were in part of zone two in the first zoning system that was introduced between 1981 and 1983. The fact that Ringwood was previously within zone two demonstrates that the abolition of zone three is not only possible but also entirely feasible.

Rather than continue to excessively burden outer eastern residents with the cost of zone three fare, all political parties must pledge to reform the current inequitable zone structure.

Delegates' Report: Enhancing opportunities for our youth, elderly and commuters

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On Saturday I had the great pleasure of being able to launch Enjoying Planned Retirement’s (EPR) Art and Craft Exhibition. EPR are located in Norwood Park and have over 490 members enjoying life and the opportunities provided to them to the absolute fullest. EPR provides an amazing range of social activities including, but definitely not limited to, dancing, bocce, trivia nights, theatre, art, day trips and drama. EPR had over 500 attendees to their weekend-long exhibition and are continuing strongly with the celebrations of their 30th anniversary.

On Tuesday the 10th of October I was conducting surveys as part of the Eastern Transport Coalition’s campaign for fair public transport fares. The existence of zone three is an oddity that only occurs in the eastern and southeastern suburbs of Melbourne and is due to the experimentation of the now aborted ‘neighbourhood zones’ in the mid 1980s. In fact prior to the introduction of the neighbourhood system back in the mid 80s Ringwood and the outer east was located within zone two, demonstrating that the removal of zone three is both possible and feasible.

I would to take this opportunity to thank everyone that completed the survey and also to thank the two Connex station hosts at Heatherdale Station who were both incredibly supportive and friendly.

The existence of zone three limits the opportunity for outer eastern residents to use public transport due to excessive financial burden that the arbitrary zoning system places on the outer east. It is also limits the opportunity to enhance the amenity of Heatherdale due to the excessive demand of car parks.

Lastly I wish to speak upon Community Safety Week and the Croydon Community School Mosaic, which featured as part of this program. Croydon Community School, which has classes for students in Year 7 through to Year 13, provides an alternative for secondary students that have experienced difficulties in other schools. The Croydon Community School provides an opportunity for such students to learn within a supportive environment and reinforced by apprenticeship programs and career guidance. The mosaic helps increase the understanding and cooperation between traders, students and the wider community and as such demonstrates that everyone has the opportunity to excel.

After the launch of community safety week I took the opportunity to speak to a number of youth at Croydon and unfortunately the opportunities they are able to seize are limited due to poor mobility and this is something I plan to raise at the next Eastern Transport Coalition meeting. Train services beyond Ringwood operate at a half hourly frequency during off-peak times causing a source of frustration of our youth, of which many are trying to use public transport to attend employment and educational opportunities.

Mobility is a key factor in enhancing the opportunities provided for our youth. The people of Croydon deserve more frequent rail services. On weekends the train line operates at a twenty minute frequency and there is no reason why our off-peak services which begin at 10am during the week should operate at a poor half hourly frequency.

Campaigning for Fair Public Transport Fares

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This morning, at Heatherdale Station, I conducted the Eastern Transport Coalition’s survey to ascertain the extent in which commuters drive to avoid paying the excessive cost of a zone three fare.

The overwhelming support for the Eastern Transport Coalition’s campaign for the abolition of zone three was extremely encouraging with a significant majority of commuters mentioning that they regularly drive to avoid the cost of the additional cost of a zone three fare.

The existence of zone three is an oddity that only occurs in the eastern and southeastern suburbs of Melbourne and is due to the experimentation of the now aborted ‘neighbourhood zones’ in the mid 1980s. In fact prior to the introduction of the neighbourhood system Ringwood and the outer east was located within zone two, demonstrating that the removal of zone three is both possible and feasible.

It is clear that the existence of zone three is causing excessive traffic congestion through the center of Ringwood, as commuters are clearly choosing to drive to avoid the additional cost of zone three. This also has a detrimental effect on bus services as commuters from as far away as Chrinside Park, Lilydale or Bayswater are choosing to drive to avoid zone three rather than catch buses to their nearest rail stations. As a result the amenity of Heatherdale is affected due to the excessive and unnatural demand for car parking simply due to the fare boundaries.

Hurstbridge is located further from the CBD than Ringwood or Belgrave and yet is located in zone two, demonstrating that the Government appears intent to place an additional financial burden on the eastern suburbs. The continued existence of such inequity makes a mockery of the government’s catchcry of creating ‘a fairer Victoria’.

Melbourne needs fair public transport fares, which do not unfairly penalise the eastern and southeastern suburbs. Furthermore there is a need to remove the high additional cost that exists when travelling between more than one zone since the current additional cost creates a strong disincentive for using public transport.

I would to thank everyone that completed the survey. Your participation in this campaign will help Maroondah and the Eastern Transport Coalition in its fight for fair public transport fares.

I would also like to thank the station hosts at Heatherdale who were incredibly supportive and understanding of the ETC’s campaign. The commuters of Heatherdale Station are fortunate to have such friendly station hosts that truly understand the value of customer service.

Media Release: Councils to seek fairer fares

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The Eastern Transport Coalition (ETC) will be conducting a postcard survey on Tuesday 10 October to call on the State Government to review the fare structure used across the Melbourne metropolitan area.

Councillor Alex Makin represents Maroondah City Council on the ETC, and will be participating in the survey as part of the ETC’s long term campaign to improve transport choices in the East.

“The ETC will be conducting their survey at six different points across the eastern suburbs with the aim of encouraging the State Government to conduct a review of public transport zones and fares,” said Cr Makin.

“I will be at Heatherdale Station on the morning of Tuesday 10th of October to do my part handing out postcards and talking with patrons of the public transport service. I want to hear more about what people think of public transport fares,” said Cr Makin.

Chair of the Eastern Transport Coalition, Cr Mick Van De Vreede says the ETC is calling for fairer fares for Melburnians.

“We don’t believe that the current fare structure encourages people to use public transport as well as it could. Given there is a new ticketing system coming into place in 2007 it would be sensible to introduce fairer fares at the same time,” said Cr Van De Vreede.

“The current fare structure puts in place a number of distortions, for instance we have seen:

  • Station car parks at zone boundaries targeted by consumers seeking to avoid the higher costs,
  • The east of Melbourne having a Zone 3 which does not exist in the north or west,
  • Melbournians living on boundaries having to pay for two zones when the same journey in other locations will cost a fare for one zone only.

“The ETC does not expect the system to be free, however the fare structure should be studied to see how it can work to encourage greater patronage.

“Melbourne has always been a leader with its multi-modal tickets, it’s now time to utilise technology to take the next step.

“A good example of what can be done is EastLink. Along EastLink drivers will have 13 separate tolling points which means that they will only pay for the little bit they use. There is even a 20 per cent discount for local trips on weekends. Public transport users deserve the same flexibility, if fact they need it if public transport is going to compete with EastLink,” said Cr Van De Vreede.

“It would be sensible if the Government announced a review of the fare and zone system before the new ticketing structure comes into place,” Cr Makin concluded.

The ETC consists of seven Councils in Melbourne’s east, representing over 940,000 residents who are conducting a long term campaign to improve transport choices.

I look forward to meeting commuters at Heatherdale Station next Tuesday to further the campaign for fair public transport fares.

Eastern Transport Coalition continuing the fight for fair public transport fares

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Tonight’s Eastern Transport Coalition Meeting focused on the ‘fair fare’ campaign with a survey being developed which aims to ascertain the extent in which zone three penalises public transport users and encourages the practice of driving to areas such as Heatherdale to avoid paying for the additional zone. This research will help present a case to call on the removal of zone three and minimise the price hike between fare zones.

Other items discussed include the need to directly candidates and MPs in the lead up to the State Election to ensure that the goals of the Eastern Transport Coalition and the need for better public transport are fully understood and appreciated.

I also discussed the parking difficulties at Croydon Station and a letter will be issued by the Eastern Transport Coalition to seek additional parking and better bus services for Croydon.