Ticketing cost high

Press, 1 July 1978, Page 14

Ticketing cost high

The cost of the Christchurch Transport Board’s ticketing system was calculated at more than $16,000 last year, the general manager (Mr M. G. Taylor) reported to the finance and planning committee. The committee considered proposals, including the idea of a colour-coded monthly pass, aimed at reducing the cost, inconvenience, and complexity of the present ticketing system. A bus driver might process 44 varieties of tickets during the day, Mr Taylor said. This high number was in spite of a reduction in the number of tickets, concession cards, and passes during the last two to three years and did not include special fares.

A monthly pass had many advantages, Mr Taylor said. A colour-coded pass was readily identifiable by the driver, who did not need to

punch the card. The value of the pass could be 40 times that of a three-section ride (the average journey). Patrons who travelled long journeys would therefore be offered a far greater discount than was now available. Committee members feared that passes might be too easily transferred between users, causing a substantial loss of revenue. Mr Taylor agreed this was a big drawback to the scheme until a way to control transfers of passes could be devised. It was recommended that the idea of a monthly pass be reconsidered later after further information had been obtained from other transport authorities using the system. The committee recommended that 10-ride trip cards, which carry a 10 per cent discount on the cash fare, be maintained. Several members said that the use of 10-trip cards

f would fall dramatically bes cause of the ban on their s sale by ' bus drivers earlier - this month. The 20-ride fortnightly i card should be maintained, t but the expiry date should be removed and the discount I lowered from 25 to 15 per i cent, the committee said, i The expiry date should I also be removed from 40ride school tickets, and that ; discount lowered from 70 : per cent to 60, it was re- • commended. It was sugI gested that these tickets be useable in school holidays. Beneficiaries’ passes should ; be maintained, the commit- • tee decided. The recommen- ; dations will be investigated by the board’s management. Mr T. N. D. Anderson said he had found the meeting “extremely disappointing.” 'He did not consider the ■ question of concessions and fares had been regarded from the point of view of marketing, customer satisfaction, or speedier service.