News & Discussion: Regional Transport

[rubberman]

As a result of the discussion on the Gather round thread relating to regional matches, Out of curiosity I googled Adelaide to Mount Gambier, due to a comment on the proximity (ease of travel) from Melbourne to Mt Gambier. To say I was blown away is an understatement. Using Google Maps as a search, for public transport Adelaide -Mount Gambier- It actually directs you to travel to Melbourne, then train/bus Melbourne to Mt Gambier. How are we to promote the regions to international tourists if this is the best we can do? Yes there is a direct bus, but using Google-did not easily find the option. It is beyond sad the state of regional rail in SA, and it really holds back regional developement. I also wonder, how many residents in Mt Gambier now to to Melbourne in preference to Adelaide? We might as well just re-draw the border and give Mt Gambier to Victoria.

Said it before as well, we need to improve direct access to our regions by road and rail.
But you'll see it all falls on deaf ears in South Australia.
"we're are we going to find the money" will be the among the top 3 excuses.

Victoria can find the money. However, the Opposition screams blue murder about "DAN'S DEBT DISASTER".

Now, in Victoria, the Government is so far ahead of the Opposition, it can do that. I'm not sure that is the case in SA.

Not to mention that there's no shortage of people wanting this and that, but when it comes to paying for anything, they never want to follow through.

[rev]

As a result of the discussion on the Gather round thread relating to regional matches, Out of curiosity I googled Adelaide to Mount Gambier, due to a comment on the proximity (ease of travel) from Melbourne to Mt Gambier. To say I was blown away is an understatement. Using Google Maps as a search, for public transport Adelaide -Mount Gambier- It actually directs you to travel to Melbourne, then train/bus Melbourne to Mt Gambier. How are we to promote the regions to international tourists if this is the best we can do? Yes there is a direct bus, but using Google-did not easily find the option. It is beyond sad the state of regional rail in SA, and it really holds back regional developement. I also wonder, how many residents in Mt Gambier now to to Melbourne in preference to Adelaide? We might as well just re-draw the border and give Mt Gambier to Victoria.

Said it before as well, we need to improve direct access to our regions by road and rail.
But you'll see it all falls on deaf ears in South Australia.
"we're are we going to find the money" will be the among the top 3 excuses.

Victoria can find the money. However, the Opposition screams blue murder about "DAN'S DEBT DISASTER".

Now, in Victoria, the Government is so far ahead of the Opposition, it can do that. I'm not sure that is the case in SA.

Not to mention that there's no shortage of people wanting this and that, but when it comes to paying for anything, they never want to follow through.

Victorias debt is high, first time it's exceeded 100 billion. But it's still only about 18% of their GSP. So depends which way it's spun, one looks worse then the other because it's a big number.
And thanks for not pointing out my atrocious grammar mistake

[Modbury_Man]

As a result of the discussion on the Gather round thread relating to regional matches, Out of curiosity I googled Adelaide to Mount Gambier, due to a comment on the proximity (ease of travel) from Melbourne to Mt Gambier. To say I was blown away is an understatement. Using Google Maps as a search, for public transport Adelaide -Mount Gambier- It actually directs you to travel to Melbourne, then train/bus Melbourne to Mt Gambier. How are we to promote the regions to international tourists if this is the best we can do? Yes there is a direct bus, but using Google-did not easily find the option. It is beyond sad the state of regional rail in SA, and it really holds back regional developement. I also wonder, how many residents in Mt Gambier now to to Melbourne in preference to Adelaide? We might as well just re-draw the border and give Mt Gambier to Victoria.

I think the main reason for this issue in Google would be that Public Transport Victoria provides a data feed for Google to pick up (given the bus and train timetables across Victoria are marketed all under PTV/Vline), whereas the Premier Stateliner service in SA doesn't appear to have digital timetables or online data feeds like Adelaide Metro.

There is a tender process occurring at present for regional SA public transport, so will be interesting to see what changes when the successful tenderers are announced!

https://www.tenders.sa.gov.au/tender/view?id=238881

[ChillyPhilly]

A heart warming read on the positive impacts good-quality regional public transport can have, especially when made accessible, affordable and useful. We are so far behind:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-11/ ... /104280512

The whole trip only costs pensioners such as Ms Robinson $5.30 on weekdays or $3.60 on weekends because of a daily fare cap that came in for Victorian public transport last year.

It would cost Ms Robinson about 10 times as much to go to Adelaide on the Stateliner bus.

[bits]

A heart warming read on the positive impacts good-quality regional public transport can have, especially when made accessible, affordable and useful. We are so far behind:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-11/ ... /104280512

The whole trip only costs pensioners such as Ms Robinson $5.30 on weekdays or $3.60 on weekends because of a daily fare cap that came in for Victorian public transport last year.

It would cost Ms Robinson about 10 times as much to go to Adelaide on the Stateliner bus.

Can you give me a tldr of that article?
Does subsidizing this particular woman's trips to Melbourne economically or socially benefit those that pay the costs for such trips?

If this specific woman's case is unique to her or a small amount of users is the PT subsidy the most efficient way to distribute wealth directly to such users?

Most people work hard and would benefit from others paying for their expenses. I am not an economist or an accountant but I imagine someone has to lose for someone else to win.

[rhino]

I am not an economist or an accountant but I imagine someone has to lose for someone else to win.

I suspect the loss is not permanent. I have long said we should do similar over here - wear a loss on public transport for 5 or even 10 years, by reducing fares and increasing services, just to get a lot more people using it. The loss sustained in one area will be a gain in other areas, such as less traffic on the roads, leading to less road wear and tear, leading to less road maintenance required, cleaner air in the city, etc. etc. Cutting services, as has been the habit in SA for many years, is not the way to entice more people on to PT.

[abc]

A heart warming read on the positive impacts good-quality regional public transport can have, especially when made accessible, affordable and useful. We are so far behind:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-11/ ... /104280512

The whole trip only costs pensioners such as Ms Robinson $5.30 on weekdays or $3.60 on weekends because of a daily fare cap that came in for Victorian public transport last year.

It would cost Ms Robinson about 10 times as much to go to Adelaide on the Stateliner bus.

Can you give me a tldr of that article?
Does subsidizing this particular woman's trips to Melbourne economically or socially benefit those that pay the costs for such trips?

If this specific woman's case is unique to her or a small amount of users is the PT subsidy the most efficient way to distribute wealth directly to such users?

Most people work hard and would benefit from others paying for their expenses. I am not an economist or an accountant but I imagine someone has to lose for someone else to win.

shh..its heart warming

the left are all about feels

[ChillyPhilly]

A heart warming read on the positive impacts good-quality regional public transport can have, especially when made accessible, affordable and useful. We are so far behind:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-11/ ... /104280512

The whole trip only costs pensioners such as Ms Robinson $5.30 on weekdays or $3.60 on weekends because of a daily fare cap that came in for Victorian public transport last year.

It would cost Ms Robinson about 10 times as much to go to Adelaide on the Stateliner bus.

Can you give me a tldr of that article?
Does subsidizing this particular woman's trips to Melbourne economically or socially benefit those that pay the costs for such trips?

If this specific woman's case is unique to her or a small amount of users is the PT subsidy the most efficient way to distribute wealth directly to such users?

Most people work hard and would benefit from others paying for their expenses. I am not an economist or an accountant but I imagine someone has to lose for someone else to win.

Yes - it is better for all parties that her PT use is subsidised because her healthcare and support needs otherwise, would cost more.

[rubberman]

A heart warming read on the positive impacts good-quality regional public transport can have, especially when made accessible, affordable and useful. We are so far behind:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-11/ ... /104280512

Can you give me a tldr of that article?
Does subsidizing this particular woman's trips to Melbourne economically or socially benefit those that pay the costs for such trips?

If this specific woman's case is unique to her or a small amount of users is the PT subsidy the most efficient way to distribute wealth directly to such users?

Most people work hard and would benefit from others paying for their expenses. I am not an economist or an accountant but I imagine someone has to lose for someone else to win.

Yes - it is better for all parties that her PT use is subsidised because her healthcare and support needs otherwise, would cost more.

It's certainly cheaper to haul her round than it costs for removing graffiti and monitoring abusive meth heads.

[bits]

Yes - it is better for all parties that her PT use is subsidised because her healthcare and support needs otherwise, would cost more.

Generous PT subsidies is one method to distribute wealth to this woman or others that are similar.
But it seems a very wide net to cast to help this person.
I would think a more targeted funding method would cater for individuals better.

[rubberman]

Yes - it is better for all parties that her PT use is subsidised because her healthcare and support needs otherwise, would cost more.

Generous PT subsidies is one method to distribute wealth to this woman or others that are similar.
But it seems a very wide net to cast to help this person.
I would think a more targeted funding method would cater for individuals better.

In theory, yes.

However, individual targeting usually involves those targeted in a lot of paperwork to ensure they are entitled. For those with the sorts of disabilities of the type this woman has, that's likely more than she could understand. So, are we then up for a bureaucracy to fill her forms out for her? And if she gets a petty bureaucrat who decides to victimise her, do we have a review process? Witness Robodebt. Petty bureaucrats (except their salaries weren't petty) withholding money with threats. How would a woman like this have the slightest hope of coping? Of course, then there'd be the usual media exposé, a Royal Commission costing millions.

Yeah, nah. Just let her have it.

[SouthAussie94]

Fares are capped at $10.60 in Victoria ($5.30 for Concession Holders).

https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/more/introdu ... ictorians/