Commuters will be angry if Transport for NSW cancels all express buses when the light rail opens. I think these services need to be kept for morning and evening peaks.
Iām going to Melbourne this week too, thanks for the tip!
I will try that.
Every other time Iāve gone Iāve had to get a new MyKi card because my old one had expired.
Most buses that run along Anzac Pde and Alison Rd will terminate at the light rail forcing commuters to use it, forcing the orange into the apple.
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Doesnāt sound very clever. Sounds like a good case for both modes.
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I got one those digital Myki passes via Google Pay for my week in Melbourne, and the only times itās worked properly was on the trains.
The Myki readers on the trams and buses either donāt seem to recognize it at all, or an exclamation mark comes up on the phone.
Fortunately, the only other time it has worked is when the transport officers scanned my phone!
I refused to fork out $6 for a Myki card. If NSW can make the Opal Card free, then VIC should be able to do the same.
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I use it all the time on the buses here in Ballarat and thats the same system and it works here in ballarat
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Under (Upper House MP Rod) Bartonās plan, the MCG, National Gallery of Victoria, Shrine of Remembrance and the Melbourne Zoo would be included in the new free tram zone.
It would also be expanded to take in the Royal Childrenās Hospital in Parkville.
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The Free Tram Zone should be off peak only - when paying customers from the suburbs are packed in they donāt need to be giving away free trips.
My biggest gripe with myki is that you have to manually purchase passes - you should just be able to top up money and then the system work out the best fare. It already does a daily cap like that - the same should occur with weekly/monthly/yearly - so no one pays more just because they donāt pay up front.
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Agreed, frustratingā¦
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At least you guys have that option (albeit not automatic). Queenslandās Go Card have no daily caps. Just after 9 trips in a week itās free. Concession Go Cards have daily caps however.
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With the myki system I am assuming that in Melbourne psos or inspectors petrol trams bus and trains, well here in Ballarat they only petrol trains and I canāt believe how many people hop on without a myki and get away with it I think itās times psos or inspectors get on Ballarat busās
Hadnāt seen any ticket inspectors on a Melbourne bus for ages, until I caught a pack of 5 or 6 hitching a ride to Essendon station earlier this week. Think they got someone, too, though heavens knows how far that $81 will go towards subsiding them 
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They have been out east a lot over the last few weeks with the trains being down. I had one get on at 7:15 in front of the art centre the other week. Thought it was such a stupid place for them to get on.
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Well here in Ballarat if you donāt have a myki card you get on for free and the drivers canāt do anything and the people know that . I think itās time psos and myki inspectors start getting on Ballarat bus,s
Agreed, this is an incredibly clunky part of the system (although it was worse when zones still existed and youād have to have separate credit for Zone 2 travel on top of a Zone 1 pass).
I disargee with it being off peak only. Before the Free Tram Zone, Commuters from the Suburb never went anywhere in the city apart from to and from the City Loop Stations(If catch the Train). They are not really giving away free trips because Free Tram Zone has got more people catching Tram from the suburbs and the ease of the tourist staying the CBD.
Regarding Inspectors, I know in Adelaide with the Trams, They get on after South Terrace with the Free Tram Zone in the Grid area. I not been on a bus in Melbourne for about 5 years but I think I had a inspector once in growing up catching the bus in Melbourne.
I used to get check more on the Train more so and Tram.
Yes, I got checked by one at Chadstone Shopping Centre after getting off the bus on Tuesday.
If youāre coming in by Train, youāve already paid for the tram trip. If the āfree tram zoneā caused changes there, itād be down to misunderstandings of multi-mode transfers.
Maybe have a mid-day free period from 10am-3:30pm or something - for the benefit of tourists and occasional users - but thereās crush loads regardless on trams at peak, thereās no need to encourage more use with free trips, or expanding it.
That last part is still a thing when Vline gets involved. With a Zone 1/2 pass for my normal commute, occasionally making trips out to Zone 4 results in what feel like totally random extra charges.
I never actually pay attention to the exact numbers as I just feed it money when it complains, but itās usually way more than I expect, and then occasionally like $2.
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