[publictransport] response re booking system

[Julia Blunden]

Hi Alan and Jill

I am not suggesting a booking system for all or even most V/Line trains.
However if you look at the V/Line timetables
(http://www.vline.com.au/timetables/timetables/timetables.html ) you'll see
that some trains have 'R' beside the start time meaning that a reservation
is required. One example of this is the 8.13am train running from SC to
Albury on Monday-Friday mornings. This is the sort of train that cycle
tourists would want to catch, perhaps to Wangaratta or Wodonga, and that
probably would not have any bike-train commuters on it at all. 

For these trains would be cycle tourers must purchase their tickets, usually
at least a week ahead of travel. Needless to say various other arrangements
need to be made if you're planning to be away from home for several days and
accommodation may need to be booked as well. It is a bit of a concern that
you could turn up with your laden bike bright and early on the morning only
to be told that there is no room for it on the train. Unlike commuters
tourers could probably rejig the date/time of their journey if only they
knew for sure when there would be space for their bikes.

While we have the attention of the authorities it seems only sensible to
pursue improvements for cycle tourists as well as for commuters.

Julia 

Address: 29 Elgin Street, Hawthorn, Vic 3122
Phone/Fax: 9853 5095
Email: jblunden at bigpond.com

-----Original Message-----
From: publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org
[mailto:publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org] On Behalf Of Labyrinth
Sent: Friday, 8 February 2008 7:50 PM
To: Public transport access for all users
Subject: Re: [publictransport] response re booking system

Hi Julia and Jillian,
I have just extracted data from the census journey to work data for  
Victoria and deducted from it data from the  Melbourne (SD). This  
data is referred to as the "full classification list by sex " it is  
based on usual place of residence. Chris is familiar with the  
Victorian data and I collated the Melbourne data with it.

It appears that on Census day in the rest of Victoria there only 89  
bicycle and public dual and  triple mode journeys to work : only 57  
of these where by train and bicycle. Another 4 where by "train, bus  
and bicycle" and 13 by "train , car as driver,  and bicycle". It  
appears that given the total number of trains it would be ridiculous  
to put a booking system in for such a small number of cyclists.  
Especially when a unknown number of them park their bike at stations  
and dont put them on the train.

Note that in Melbourne on Census day 1142 person travelled by train  
and bike and most of them parked their bike at a station or where not  
travelling with the peak hour flow and put their bikes on  trains  
which had plenty of room going in the other direction . A survey  
(DOI) estimated that only 100 of these bike rail commuters actually  
put their bikes on the trains, travelling with the flow, in the rush  
hours.  In the rest of Victoria we know very little because the rail  
companies have never known who is travelling where and what there  
special needs are.

What we are looking at seems like is a storm in a teacup but its not  
really because so many cyclists drive to work because there is no  
secure parking for
bikes at most rail stations. At the 110 or so stations that are not  
staffed from the first to last train no cyclist in his right mind  
would park their bike. And on such stations there are very few bike  
lockers and most are not used because they have never been managed  
competently.


Bye Alan