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The Forum > Article Comments > Public transport: cheap or expensive? > Comments

Public transport: cheap or expensive? : Comments

By Ross Elliott, published 10/1/2020

Almost 100% of us believe that more – and cheaper – public transport is a key to solving congestion. Which we hope will mean we can all get around more conveniently in our cars.

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Ross,

I'm an atypical user of rail transport as an age pensioner who lives in a suburb on the fringe of the city. My main reason for going to the CBD is to attend medical specialist appointments.

Since I've used the convenient rail network, I will not use motor vehicle drives to the CBD. That would be a no-brainer (for me).

I'm encouraged to know there is a reliable Translink train service I can use.

The bigger problem for me is the facilities at these suburban railway stations. Parking is ridiculously inadequate and many steps/arches over the railway line are unable to be used by me because of my severe heart condition.Some of these arches are being upgraded but many are poor timber structures.
Posted by OzSpen, Friday, 10 January 2020 8:16:29 AM
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The only meaningful and long term cure to congestion, and many other problems, is a much lower and sustainable population.
Posted by ateday, Friday, 10 January 2020 8:50:21 AM
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ateday,

<<The only meaningful and long term cure to congestion, and many other problems, is a much lower and sustainable population.>>

In a democracy, we cannot stop people reproducing like China did. We could try to deal with population growth through reduction of immigration but that would not be a compassionate solution for those fleeing crime, violence and other persecution.

This may be seen as a simplistic solution, but I consider many government departments should be decentralised to regional cities. This would force people out of the cities to get jobs. The objections I see to this view are:

++ Some public servants would go to Bundaberg, Orange, Parkes, Echuca, Renmark, Albany and Alice Springs kicking and screaming - discrimination.

++ Closing down certain buildings in the big cities to take the jobs to regional areas would be seen as a waste of space.
Posted by OzSpen, Friday, 10 January 2020 9:06:30 AM
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As far as I am aware , all public transport services in the world's cities are subsidized, even the overcrowded Tube in London. So governments must accept the economic reality in the hope that PT's subsidy costs are outweighed by the overall economic benefit to the state.

I live on the outskirts of sydney, love the freedom of cars, but when I can I use Trains, as the congestion close to the CBD (and the Stalinist road closure and parking regimes) make driving uneconomical and unhealthy for blood pressure/stress levels.

Value for money is good (pensioners card holders get flat rate cheap fares), so those who complain about fare rises, should cut back on daily frills like $5 coffees and daily treats.

Having said that, whoever is responsible fo the light rail jokes in Sydney and Canberra need their heads tested, and fired for poor financial judgement.
Posted by Alison Jane, Friday, 10 January 2020 9:09:25 AM
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It's impossible to lower population numbers when people are already here, and they are not going on leave.

However, all immigration should cease, and more effort should be put into catching up with infrastructure necessary for the current over-population. There were too many people in this two-thirds barren county when the population passed 13.5 million.
Posted by ttbn, Friday, 10 January 2020 10:13:42 AM
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I believe public transport is inequitable basically immoral. As the article says, it is mostly of use by highly paid city workers, who could easily afford full cost recovery fares.

For me the nearest public transport is a railway station 23 kilometers away. Equity would require a system that offered me transport to that station, at least from a near by point. If people like me can't access public transport, why should we be subsidising it.

I believe the only equitable system would be full cost recovery from fares for any public transport system. This would still be a cheap option for city workers. The total cost wound be less than half a day parking cost in the city, & the potential cost saving of one less car they would have to own.
Posted by Hasbeen, Friday, 10 January 2020 10:14:59 AM
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