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

NEWS RELEASE: Zone Fares the Way To Go For Sydney's Transport

posted Monday 2 April 2007

A commuter group has called for one simple, all-over zone fare system to replace the current mix of zone and pay-for-distance travel in Sydney. "The proposed smart card based on the current fares should be scrapped," said Allan Miles, spokesman for Action for Public Transport, "and a new Zone Card developed."

Mr Miles said that the complexities of the existing fares have trapped the Tcard, now six years late, in a death grip. "The Tcard wants to monitor where everyone gets on and off," he said. "It is too complicated and the risk of error is high."

"In addition," he said, "people who have to change (bus to train, ferry to bus, bus to bus, etc) will find that Tcard still charges them the high flagfall for each individual trip." Mr Miles said that people who use two or more modes to complete their journey should not be penalized for the changes. "We need a simple zone system as in Melbourne," Mr Miles said, "where two zones cover the whole metropolitan area".

"A smart card can still be used to collect the fares," he said, "but it should be called Zcard, (for Zone Card) to distance itself from the blighted Tcard."

Mr Miles said that a concern with the Tcard proposal was that discounts for season tickets would disappear. "Current discounts on single ticket prices range from 18% on weeklies and 30% on yearlies from Newtown to the city, up to 33% weekly and 43% yearly from Penrith.

"Since March 2007, Melbourne has had only two zones for the entire network of trams, buses and trains." Mr Miles said that Zone 1 covers trains and buses within about 15 km from the CBD and includes about 95% of the tram system.

Mr Miles said that in Sydney a 15 km zone would extend to about Dee Why, Lindfield, West Ryde, Lidcombe, Bankstown, Beverly Hills, Hurstville and La Perouse. "Zone boundaries would have to be flexible or overlapping to avoid splitting natural community areas," Mr Miles said.

"Transit users in Melbourne can buy 2-hour tickets or daily, weekly monthly and yearly tickets," Mr Miles said, "as well as tickets similar to Sydney's TravelTens and FerryTens, which remain valid until the last trip is taken." Mr Miles said that Melbourne also has a CitySaver ticket for travel within the CBD. "These tickets cover all travel, whether on privately owned or government systems," he said. "The passenger doesn't need to know who owns or runs the bus."

"In Melbourne's Zone 1," Mr Miles said, "a 2-hour ticket is $3.20 and a weekly $26.70. For Zones 1 and 2 combined, a 2-hour ticket is $5.20 and a weekly is $45.20. Tickets in Zone 2 only cost $2.40 for 2-hours, and $18.40 for a weekly." Mr Miles said this system is very popular in Melbourne, and recommends that a similar zone system be used in Sydney.

See http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/

Mr Miles said that other consumer groups and the Bus and Coach Association have all expressed grave concerns about persisting with Tcard in its present form.

Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1906

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