Category: PT Problem of the Day

For the vast majority of tram trips, it’s unnecessary to touch-off — doing so just wastes time, and can cause delays, particularly at busy tram stops. The only circumstance when it is necessary is when you are travelling entirely within the zone 2 sections of routes 75, 86, 109 and specifically want the zone 2-only…

We’re told that some 1500 people travel on the Geelong line to and from Werribee every week. The Regional Rail Link project, expected to open in 2016, will result in a big boost in track capacity, allowing more Metro and V/Line trains to run, but will also see Geelong trains bypass Werribee. It’s not clear…

Wayfinding signage is important to help people get where they’re going — especially in underground stations, where obviously people can’t orient themselves using nearby landmarks. While signage has improved in recent years, it’s not perfect. These signs on the lower levels at Parliament station won’t help you. That’s not really the way to the south…

You would think they’d want to make it easier to use their services, but most V/Line trains don’t stop at major inner-city interchange stations such as Richmond and North Melbourne on weekends. Outbound trains also bypass these hubs on weekday mornings, and inbound trains on weekday afternoons. It’s not only confusing, it’s inconvenient for passengers,…

The City Loop reverses direction at lunchtime, which causes untold confusion among occasional users. But it also has another detrimental effect: while there are frequent services in most of the Loop tunnels for most of the day, the reversal results in gaps of almost 25 minutes at some stations. This picture shows a departure screen…

Swanston Street’s new tram stops at Bourke Street opened last week, and while it’s good news to see more accessible stops opening, it’s also meant the Lonsdale Street tram stops have closed. This means there is now no proper interchange point between Melbourne’s busiest tram corridor and Melbourne’s busiest bus corridor. You have to walk…

There’s perhaps no more obvious sign of the neglect of Flinders Street station than the underpasses, where on rainy days water drips down from above, causing puddles and a slippery floor. Perhaps one day our busiest railway station will be returned to its former glory, but in the mean time, watch your step. Any upgrades…

It’s common for Myki machines to have lots of receipts in the collection tray at the bottom. It’s hardly surprising when you consider how the system is designed. Myki machines will ask if you want to print a receipt. But if your transaction is paid by EFTPOS (including credit card), if you say yes to…

As we suspected: feedback we’re getting indicates occasional users are already having problems following the withdrawal of Metcard machines (and the only single-use ticket option) from almost all railway stations. You can still buy Metcards from ticket offices, and on-board trams and buses for now, but soon those options will disappear as well. Regular users…

It’s not hard to see what the problem is here. Presumably on this day, the private management of Southern Cross Station were blissfully unaware that in the evening peak hour, more people want to go into the station than come out of it. Thus only one of the three escalators was running in the right…

Wouldn’t it be nice if they timed services on different routes to complement, rather than duplicate each other? For instance, trains on different lines that serve some of the same stations could be evenly spread to cut waiting times for some passengers — particularly at night when there are less services running. Every weeknight from…

If there were a prize for ugliest station, South Kensington in Melbourne’s growing inner-west would have to be the favourite. No staff, waiting room, no toilets. No public phone, no bike racks or cages, little amenity, just a few small shelters and benches. It’s hard to imagine a more unwelcoming place to wait for a…