High costs of commuting to CBD.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Wretched

I catch public transport each day to and from work because it is far cheaper and easier to get to Melbourne CBD than driving.
I don't have the hassle of having to pay for parking or fuel, maintenance, etc.
Ok i have to put up with the unreliability of the system but far better than peak hour traffic.

I pay $185 for my ticket per month and I worked out to drive to work would cost me around $900 a month (fuel, parking and regular maintenance).

I guess it depends where you live, and what line you take and your health, catching a bus to a train station then often standing up on a train for 25 minutes during peak hour and having a bunch of loud school kids screaming / jumping around.......... I would rather neck meself than use public transport........ that said its not a bad service in off peak times, I would love to see them spend big bucks on the public transport,,,,, I mean a really truly big one off spendathon and make it and so good that even cranky old fart car drivers(like myself ) would flock to it, if I was pm this I would do, and make it dirt cheap to boot with a one price, no zoning bullshit..... and everyone gets a seat !

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by mik

I guess it depends where you live, and what line you take and your health, catching a bus to a train station then often standing up on a train for 25 minutes during peak hour and having a bunch of loud school kids screaming / jumping around.......... I would rather neck meself than use public transport........ that said its not a bad service in off peak times, I would love to see them spend big bucks on the public transport,,,,, I mean a really truly big one off spendathon and make it and so good that even cranky old fart car drivers(like myself ) would flock to it, if I was pm this I would do, and make it dirt cheap to boot with a one price, no zoning bullshit..... and everyone gets a seat !

Unfortunately I am in the SE Suburbs of Melbourne.
I agree with what you say dealing with school kids and the like can be painful, fortunately I decided to start work later in the day and miss catching the train with them. Cause I am closer to the end of the line getting a seat is no issue for me either.

[blueoval]

Id say yes to public transport in SA, IF most of it was actually operational.

But unfortunately its hasnt been worth it due to govco, spending up millions towards an electric train system which has been offline for over 2 years in the south, it forces all commuters to use the over crowded and sparsce bus system, and govco doing road work 'upgrades' to every major arterial road to the city all at the same time, which has slowed down traffic to a crawl in peak hour, and provided higher rates of road rage, angry and aggressive drivers than I have ever seen.

What doesn't help is seeing road work done during peak hour traffic, sure it has to be done, but when you drive past at 25kph and see 7 guys in high vis vests standing around chatting and watching 2 blokes do all the work, it kinda gets on my goat just a little.

And people have the audacity to yell at me when I ride my bike on the public roads.

[xisled]

I will drive to work no matter what.

I work in the CBD and pay for parking.

Cost me around $150 a fortnight for petrol and another $155 a fortnight for parking under the building I work at.

Yes I may pay less by catching public transport, but the 40 minute trip to and from work by car in peak hours saves me around an hour and a half of public transport horror each way. I live around 25 minutes away from the Melbourne CBD in perfect driving coditions, and it takes an hour and a half each way to get to and from work by Public transport.

If I caught public transport it would take an extra hour and a half a day to get to/home from work. Over the week that is 7.5 hours, Over a year that is 390 hours, that I would wast if I caught public transport.

[Full Noise]

I couldn’t care of petrol was $10 a litre, parking was $500 a day and there was a speed camera on every single intersection. Hell will freeze over before I use public transport.

[burnz]

when my car was used by the wifes holiday, public tpt costs $180 pw 3hrs travel.
car was 20 min travel and $38 pw for a V8 and aircon.

[XRSIKS]

Try catching a bus in Canberra. Then try catch a bus if you work on the weekends! Yes it's not AS expensive to park in Canberra, but the public transport is also shithouse

[poppa smurf]

Public transport frightens the crap out of me, I get on a number 21 bus back out to Hahndorf and end up on the 19 to west lakes??????

not fair nor funny mr bus driver to change numbers AFTER we old buggers board, confuses us no end.

[GASWAGON]

Just read an article that 'Myki' are putting the weekend rate up to $6 capped....And the two hour rate is timed exactly to the minute instead of rounding off now also..

So now that more and more are starting to use the system they go and jack the prices up....Though i suppose if we want more infrastucture we need to help pay for it?

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/my...213-2zc4q.html

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by burnz

when my car was used by the wifes holiday, public tpt costs $180 pw 3hrs travel.

Originally Posted by burnz

car was 20 min travel and $38 pw for a V8 and aircon.

\
Burnz, Based on the information you provided and a few conservative assumptions I think I can describe your situation. ( a tongue in cheek study because Im bored)
a $38 per week cost (assume as it's a fairly definite quoted figure so must be accurate) and assuming a conservative as it must have been recent experience 130 cents per litre for fuel equates to 29.25 litres used per week. Now assume a conservative fuel consumption for a V8 with air at 8 litres per 100 (the roads must have been travelled at speed as determined later)meaning a total travel distance per week of 365 km's. Now based on the stated travel time of 20 minutes, assume per direction or trip means a total travel time per week of 200 minutes or 3.33 hours per week. So to travel 365 km's in 3.33 hours average speed must have been 110 km’s per hour. So it must be freeway work and a one way travel distance of nearly 37 km’s As in Melbourne average driving speeds are 36 and 44 km/h morning and afternoon peaks so you must be out of the major cities. (more on this later)
37 km’s will generally get you from the edge of most main cities in the country into the city or partially around the city over a 3 hour period as assume your claim of 3 hours was per trip. Suggesting the distance travelled on public transport was done at 4.8km’s per hour. 3 hours to travel 37 km’s. Assume again that Public transport does not use the freeway as its difficult to pick up passengers if it’s a bus, but the chosen means could be train, but as trains average 60km/s per hour taking stops into account it must have been a bus. Now again Melbourne busses travel an average of 20 km’s per hour in a very congested city, now as discovered before, you travel 37 km’s so just under 2 hours each way for a Melbourne bus, but you aren’t Melbourne you must be in a really, really busy part of the country which is not in one of the major cities.
I believe you to be rural or in a minor city where it is acknowledged public transport is sparse at best, perhaps why it costs so much. Your $180 dollar per week cost on public transport equates to $18 per trip assuming the same as above, one to and once from work per day 5 days a week. Now trains and busses tend to cost at most 6 bucks per ticket on peak travel for 6+ sections in Sydney (chosen as it is representative of expensive city). Your paying $18 or 3 times that of Sydney. Now I acknowledge I have not travelled every route in Australia this figure seems high so after the investigations above I will make the following statement:
The facts and figures you claim are correct and not an exaggeration to help you prove the failure of public transport. So by deduction you must be arriving at the bus stop some hour before the bus is due at both ends and using 3 tickets to pay, or if it’s an electronic swipe card you are swiping it 3 times to pay for your fare. Now as you wouldn’t exaggerate your facts and figures may I suggest next time you need to use public transport look the timetable up get there only a few minutes early and only use one ticket per trip.

Cheers JP

[XRSIKS]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

\
Burnz, Based on the information you provided and a few conservative assumptions I think I can describe your situation. ( a tongue in cheek study because Im bored)
a $38 per week cost (assume as it's a fairly definite quoted figure so must be accurate) and assuming a conservative as it must have been recent experience 130 cents per litre for fuel equates to 29.25 litres used per week. Now assume a conservative fuel consumption for a V8 with air at 8 litres per 100 (the roads must have been travelled at speed as determined later)meaning a total travel distance per week of 365 km's. Now based on the stated travel time of 20 minutes, assume per direction or trip means a total travel time per week of 200 minutes or 3.33 hours per week. So to travel 365 km's in 3.33 hours average speed must have been 110 km’s per hour. So it must be freeway work and a one way travel distance of nearly 37 km’s As in Melbourne average driving speeds are 36 and 44 km/h morning and afternoon peaks so you must be out of the major cities. (more on this later)
37 km’s will generally get you from the edge of most main cities in the country into the city or partially around the city over a 3 hour period as assume your claim of 3 hours was per trip. Suggesting the distance travelled on public transport was done at 4.8km’s per hour. 3 hours to travel 37 km’s. Assume again that Public transport does not use the freeway as its difficult to pick up passengers if it’s a bus, but the chosen means could be train, but as trains average 60km/s per hour taking stops into account it must have been a bus. Now again Melbourne busses travel an average of 20 km’s per hour in a very congested city, now as discovered before, you travel 37 km’s so just under 2 hours each way for a Melbourne bus, but you aren’t Melbourne you must be in a really, really busy part of the country which is not in one of the major cities.
I believe you to be rural or in a minor city where it is acknowledged public transport is sparse at best, perhaps why it costs so much. Your $180 dollar per week cost on public transport equates to $18 per trip assuming the same as above, one to and once from work per day 5 days a week. Now trains and busses tend to cost at most 6 bucks per ticket on peak travel for 6+ sections in Sydney (chosen as it is representative of expensive city). Your paying $18 or 3 times that of Sydney. Now I acknowledge I have not travelled every route in Australia this figure seems high so after the investigations above I will make the following statement:
The facts and figures you claim are correct and not an exaggeration to help you prove the failure of public transport. So by deduction you must be arriving at the bus stop some hour before the bus is due at both ends and using 3 tickets to pay, or if it’s an electronic swipe card you are swiping it 3 times to pay for your fare. Now as you wouldn’t exaggerate your facts and figures may I suggest next time you need to use public transport look the timetable up get there only a few minutes early and only use one ticket per trip.

Cheers JP

Wait, What? where on earth can you steal petrol for 1.30 a ltr!?

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by INTOXIC8D

Wait, What? where on earth can you steal petrol for 1.30 a ltr!?

Burnz didn’t state when he used public transport so I was conservative in my figures otherwise at today’s rates he would have to travel 150km/s an hour in at an average v8 consumption of fuel and the exaggeration of actual public transport time becomes circa 1-2km's per hour which even for where burnz lives is far out and unbelievable. And as he doesn’t exaggerate it must have happened some time ago when fuel may have been 1.30 per litre.
JP

[XRSIKS]

Oooh, ok.. I did notice when I was in Melbourne that the fuel was a HEAP cheaper than here in Canberra. I paid 158.9 for 91 yesterday!

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by INTOXIC8D

Oooh, ok.. I did notice when I was in Melbourne that the fuel was a HEAP cheaper than here in Canberra. I paid 158.9 for 91 yesterday!

Serious thats pretty ****! And I suppose all the pollies up there dont actually pay for it to get around do they.....the taxpayers do!

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

\
Burnz, Based on the information you provided and a few conservative assumptions I think I can describe your situation. ( a tongue in cheek study because Im bored)
a $38 per week cost (assume as it's a fairly definite quoted figure so must be accurate) and assuming a conservative as it must have been recent experience 130 cents per litre for fuel equates to 29.25 litres used per week. Now assume a conservative fuel consumption for a V8 with air at 8 litres per 100 (the roads must have been travelled at speed as determined later)meaning a total travel distance per week of 365 km's. Now based on the stated travel time of 20 minutes, assume per direction or trip means a total travel time per week of 200 minutes or 3.33 hours per week. So to travel 365 km's in 3.33 hours average speed must have been 110 km’s per hour. So it must be freeway work and a one way travel distance of nearly 37 km’s As in Melbourne average driving speeds are 36 and 44 km/h morning and afternoon peaks so you must be out of the major cities. (more on this later)
37 km’s will generally get you from the edge of most main cities in the country into the city or partially around the city over a 3 hour period as assume your claim of 3 hours was per trip. Suggesting the distance travelled on public transport was done at 4.8km’s per hour. 3 hours to travel 37 km’s. Assume again that Public transport does not use the freeway as its difficult to pick up passengers if it’s a bus, but the chosen means could be train, but as trains average 60km/s per hour taking stops into account it must have been a bus. Now again Melbourne busses travel an average of 20 km’s per hour in a very congested city, now as discovered before, you travel 37 km’s so just under 2 hours each way for a Melbourne bus, but you aren’t Melbourne you must be in a really, really busy part of the country which is not in one of the major cities.
I believe you to be rural or in a minor city where it is acknowledged public transport is sparse at best, perhaps why it costs so much. Your $180 dollar per week cost on public transport equates to $18 per trip assuming the same as above, one to and once from work per day 5 days a week. Now trains and busses tend to cost at most 6 bucks per ticket on peak travel for 6+ sections in Sydney (chosen as it is representative of expensive city). Your paying $18 or 3 times that of Sydney. Now I acknowledge I have not travelled every route in Australia this figure seems high so after the investigations above I will make the following statement:
The facts and figures you claim are correct and not an exaggeration to help you prove the failure of public transport. So by deduction you must be arriving at the bus stop some hour before the bus is due at both ends and using 3 tickets to pay, or if it’s an electronic swipe card you are swiping it 3 times to pay for your fare. Now as you wouldn’t exaggerate your facts and figures may I suggest next time you need to use public transport look the timetable up get there only a few minutes early and only use one ticket per trip.

Cheers JP

Nice maths......... Very precise! And try using the timetable lol!

[XRSIKS]

Originally Posted by EF_6

Serious thats pretty ****! And I suppose all the pollies up there dont actually pay for it to get around do they.....the taxpayers do!

Canberra is a "Black Hole" I have noticed. The further you get out, the greener the grass gets, and the cheaper the fuel gets!

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by INTOXIC8D

Canberra is a "Black Hole" I have noticed. The further you get out, the greener the grass gets, and the cheaper the fuel gets!

Bloody Carbon tax BS....No wonder were all broke!

[mik]

They just mentioned the vic public transport going up on the news........... it makes no sense to me, they should be putting prices down to get more cars off the road............ hang on ............. on the other hand more irate people caght up in traffic misbehaving upping the camera revenue......... It's win win for govco.

[NX74205]

Thankfully I don't work in the CBD, so I have the pleasure of driving to and from work. Even if I did, however, I would still prefer to drive where possible, regardless of how much cheaper or faster it may be on pubic transport - not because I hate public transport (I don't really mind it), but because I love driving too much to give it up.

And I'd much rather be sitting in traffic than sitting (or standing) on a crowded train.

[jimmyxr6t04]

Originally Posted by INTOXIC8D

Canberra is a "Black Hole" I have noticed. The further you get out, the greener the grass gets, and the cheaper the fuel gets!

I seriously love living in Canberra... my 20km, 15min commute in the morning (5am), is awesome... bugger all traffic and great for my thirsty SC 5.0 V8!

You are correct though, it never ceases to amaze me that small country towns not far from Canberra have cheaper fuel!

I pay on average $1.72 for 98 and the GT isn't shy when it comes to a drink

[Robos F6]

I've been commuting to CBD in Melbourne for nearly 10 years. Driving my FPV, trip used cost me $10 a day on fuel plus $12 for a undercover park, so $22 a day. So i bought a 99 3.5 magna on gas for $2,400. Now it costs me $5 a day for gas and i park on the street for $6, so $11 a day. Savings of $55 a week. Ok, i have to pay for rego and insurance at $1k a year. But its good to have a run about, like to duck out to the shops in the rain and nice to only bring out the FPV on weekends and keep it in mint condition. Pretty happy

[XRSIKS]

Originally Posted by jimmyxr6t04

I seriously love living in Canberra... my 20km, 15min commute in the morning (5am), is awesome... bugger all traffic and great for my thirsty SC 5.0 V8!

You are correct though, it never ceases to amaze me that small country towns not far from Canberra have cheaper fuel!

I pay on average $1.72 for 98 and the GT isn't shy when it comes to a drink

High cost of living, low pay.... Yeah, Love it :| Can't wait to get out!

[jimmyxr6t04]

Originally Posted by INTOXIC8D

High cost of living, low pay.... Yeah, Love it :| Can't wait to get out!

Cost of living probably is a bit high, but i suppose it does depend on your pay scale. I have no complaints with my pay, but then again what one person considers good money, another might not!

I mainly like it as it's so easy to get around. I could not live in Sydney or Melbourne. If i had to take public transport to work daily, there would be no point in owning a nice car to sit in the garage! And the traffic congestion would give me a stress related heart attack in no time haha... i don't have patience in traffic!

[Ben73]

Public transport is hopeless in Newcastle. too many bogans on it as well. I don't work in the CBD which is great, but means even harder for me to catch buses.
Also my job requires me to start an finish and any 5 minute interval of the day or night. During the night we receive personal wake up calls due to our shifts changing start time about a third of the time .
In my cars it's only a 12 to 25 minute drive depending on the time of day. No chance of me getting on public transport for work.

[BPXR6T]

I either work from home or stay in a hotel across the road from the office. Melbourne traffic is stupid.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

\
Burnz, Based on the information you provided and a few conservative assumptions I think I can describe your situation. ( a tongue in cheek study because Im bored)
a $38 per week cost (assume as it's a fairly definite quoted figure so must be accurate) and assuming a conservative as it must have been recent experience 130 cents per litre for fuel equates to 29.25 litres used per week. Now assume a conservative fuel consumption for a V8 with air at 8 litres per 100 (the roads must have been travelled at speed as determined later)meaning a total travel distance per week of 365 km's. Now based on the stated travel time of 20 minutes, assume per direction or trip means a total travel time per week of 200 minutes or 3.33 hours per week. So to travel 365 km's in 3.33 hours average speed must have been 110 km’s per hour. So it must be freeway work and a one way travel distance of nearly 37 km’s As in Melbourne average driving speeds are 36 and 44 km/h morning and afternoon peaks so you must be out of the major cities. (more on this later)
37 km’s will generally get you from the edge of most main cities in the country into the city or partially around the city over a 3 hour period as assume your claim of 3 hours was per trip. Suggesting the distance travelled on public transport was done at 4.8km’s per hour. 3 hours to travel 37 km’s. Assume again that Public transport does not use the freeway as its difficult to pick up passengers if it’s a bus, but the chosen means could be train, but as trains average 60km/s per hour taking stops into account it must have been a bus. Now again Melbourne busses travel an average of 20 km’s per hour in a very congested city, now as discovered before, you travel 37 km’s so just under 2 hours each way for a Melbourne bus, but you aren’t Melbourne you must be in a really, really busy part of the country which is not in one of the major cities.
I believe you to be rural or in a minor city where it is acknowledged public transport is sparse at best, perhaps why it costs so much. Your $180 dollar per week cost on public transport equates to $18 per trip assuming the same as above, one to and once from work per day 5 days a week. Now trains and busses tend to cost at most 6 bucks per ticket on peak travel for 6+ sections in Sydney (chosen as it is representative of expensive city). Your paying $18 or 3 times that of Sydney. Now I acknowledge I have not travelled every route in Australia this figure seems high so after the investigations above I will make the following statement:
The facts and figures you claim are correct and not an exaggeration to help you prove the failure of public transport. So by deduction you must be arriving at the bus stop some hour before the bus is due at both ends and using 3 tickets to pay, or if it’s an electronic swipe card you are swiping it 3 times to pay for your fare. Now as you wouldn’t exaggerate your facts and figures may I suggest next time you need to use public transport look the timetable up get there only a few minutes early and only use one ticket per trip.

Cheers JP

nice maths...
work 20k is around 55kph ave in a 70 zone. fuel around $1.05 litre
probably a bit moore than 38 p/w but a hell of a lot cheaper than public transport.

bus from the valley $80 p/w to liverpool
train $55 p/w to liverpool to regents park change to bankstown.
bus bankstown to Revesby $60 p/w.

from memory

[Iggypoppin']

Up until recently I rode a bike to work, took me about 10 minutes. Still had the v8 for whenever I felt like a drive. Fuel costs slashed to less than 10% what I used to pay.

Edit; I don't work in the CBD anymore so it's a bit moot. But when I did I drove, and an all day parking ticket cost $12.50, fuel per day was close to the same, and whilst I enjoyed it sometimes, mostly I didn't.
When I got the job at the hotel I work at now, I immediately switched to a push bike, and started to save. Then I had to go and break my hip and completely ruin my whole plan haha.

[Mulga]

I live about 90ks from the Sydney CBD and use a train each day....it costs me $215.00 for a monthly ticket or $7.68 p/d. I have a short drive to the station of approx 4ks and its takes me approx 1hr 45 mins door to door. On the very, very odd occasion that I drive to work I leave home around 5am and it takes me about 80mins and $23.00 per day (early bird rate) for parking. The journey home is about 1hr 45 mins or longer depending on traffic. I could live closer to the city, but for us it's a lifestyle choice....we live in a semi-rural area which is great for us and the kids. I usually read the news on my iPad or catch-up on FF, so the time goes quickly and arrive at home and work relaxed. I'm lucky as I get on the train at either end when the train is pretty empty, so getting a seat is never a problem.

Yes, there are those occasions when there are problems with the trains, but the way I see it, it's no different than a major problem with the traffic.

I've never bothered to work out the cost difference as there is no point, as I have no intention of driving to the city each day.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by INTOXIC8D

Oooh, ok.. I did notice when I was in Melbourne that the fuel was a HEAP cheaper than here in Canberra. I paid 158.9 for 91 yesterday!

That's about the current price in Melbourne.

[supershifty]

I used to work at David Jones in Brisbane CBD. Using my car was not an option as the parking costs were astronomical, plus I was only earning $19/hr. Public transport was the only sensible alternative.

I live roughly 20k's from the CBD and the bus fare was about $10/day @ 45min each way. Public transport was rather convenient for me. A 5min walk from my house to the bus, and 5min walk at the other end to work. I didn't have to deal with the frustration driving thru stop/start traffic, nearly always got a seat due to where I got on/off, single journey without any connecting interchanges, read a book or listened to radio on the way. Stress free commuting, although I hated the ride home in the arvo with a thousand screaming schoolkids!

Not saying that I "like" public transport - I'd much prefer my own car. However if I'm going somewhere and it can be easily accessed by the bus, I'll take it.

I'm not a loser, just a low income earner trying to save some coin where I can. I've met some weird/strange people and some really nice people on public transport - it takes all types. I've never been harmed or harassed.

I tip my hat to the bus drivers out there - they have to deal with the crap of the traffic/public for 8 hours a day.

Cheers!