Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

A spokesman for APT, Allan Miles said that while it is only a small trial, any plans to reduce cash payments to drivers would be an enormous improvement.

"Everybody’s time would be saved if more people had a ticket in their hand before getting on the bus," Mr Miles said.

"Most regular bus users have a prepaid TravelTen or a popular TravelPass ticket," he said, "and the difference in boarding times compared to a group of tourists or partygoers is quite noticeable."

"We hope that the trial proves successful," Mr Miles said, "and that State Transit can quickly expand the scheme to other busy boarding points."

Mr Miles said that a similar scheme at Neutral Bay, but with a sales attendant in a booth rather than machines, had improved the speed of buses considerably.

"This benefits the passengers and the bus authority," Mr Miles said.

Mr Miles said that the ticket machines, to be placed in Carrington Street, would dispense magnetic stripe tickets that the passenger would dip in the green machine on the bus.

"Tickets covering several popular section bands would be sold," Mr Miles said.

"Tickets similar to the Travel-1 have been around for a few years," Mr Miles said. "Before the City to Surf Race each August, State Transit sells single or return tickets at agencies to help load the buses faster after the race. And they work on any bus on any day," he assured us!

"While these tickets would not save the user any money," Mr Miles said, they would certainly save time. Regular passengers could save both time and money by purchasing TravelTens and TravelPasses at agencies."

Mr Miles said that the proposed Tcard would also help speed up bus boarding, but he had doubts about how many people would bother to buy one.

"I am pleasantly surprised that State Transit is going ahead with this trial so close to the trial of the Tcard tickets," Mr Miles said. "Previous suggestions by APT to improve pre-boarding ticket sales have usually been rejected with the response that the problem will go away when Tcard arrives."

Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1906