Comments on: Free travel on Melbourne trains – compensation or bribes?

By: indigohex3

indigohex3 — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:41:38 +0000

In reply to Steve Gelsi. True. When it comes to V/Line, when it came to my experience, they do check Myki or paper ticket after leaving Southern Cross, and whether the train goes beyond the Myki border (I remember when I went to Ararat once, they checked the tickets after leaving Southern Cross and after leaving Wendouree as that was the last station which could be used with Myki and it was a paper ticket only area).

By: Steve Gelsi

Steve Gelsi — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 01:25:01 +0000

I think in practice replacement buses and coaches are free but you are supposed to touch on and off at the station at either end – but it wouldn’t be a good look to send the Authorised Officers onto the replacement buses so therefore no enforcement. Most rail replacement stops are nowhere near the station (or at least the Myki reader) or the station is closed – Frankston line for example – so why would you bother. Even V/Line don’t bother – when they could touch you on with their normal portable readers at a staffed point like Geelong.

Actually had an interesting experience with a conductor checking my Myki on a train recently – touched on at Geelong and had my Myki checked on the train, but when I tried to touch off at my destination (in this case I was getting off at Caulfield, having changed internally at Southern Cross) I couldn’t get through the barrier. I looked back at my Myki history later, and it appears that my Myki must’ve been touched off by the conductor, since it wasn’t me that touched off at Corio!

Anecdotally I think V/Line check Mykis much less frequently now than they did pre-COVID.

By: Leigh Munro

Leigh Munro — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 11:30:19 +0000

I remember V/Line offering free travel vouchers for LaTrobe Valley residents in 2014 during the Hazelwwood mine fire. It’s mentioned in this article: http://hazelwoodinquiry.archive.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/DOH.0005.002.0011.pdf

By: indigohex3

indigohex3 — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 02:16:25 +0000

Free travel on New Years’ Eve is logical for free travel on public transport (as it may be logistically impossible due to the large number that travel on New Years’ Eve, and it is only for 12 hours from 6pm New Years Eve to 6am New Years’ Day), and I think Christmas Day, fares should be donated to charity (like a Gold Coin donation for example), but apart from that, there should be no free travel. Saying that, many replacement buses are not myki-enabled, so there is free travel there (many of the operators that are the source of replacement buses don’t run revenue service, hene no mykis). In this case, it is okay.