3 ms·
"and a good system collects fares from their users" I don't know where that fact was taken from, but it sure sounds like a baseless claim. I would even say th
by dmbche 4y ago
"and a good system collects fares from their users"
I don't know where that fact was taken from, but it sure sounds like a baseless claim.
I would even say that transit users evading fares is a symptom of a growing section of the population that is unable to pay for their basic needs, like transportation to their jobs - from experience, people don't jump the metro to go drinking, they do so because they need to go somewhere and don't have the money.
Metro fares using long term passes also grows the issue : if most of the revenue in the metro came from monthly pass users, fare evasion wouldn't matter - thr cost is covered. The issue is that one time tickets are thousands of percent more expensive than long term passes, but are only available to people with large income. Users with less money can't afford the pass and pay a highly marked up price. The one time passes are basically paying for the service, while the mnthly passes users make the largest part of the userbase.
We are basically offering low transit prices to medium-high income people to the cost of financially strangling the poor that are required to use the transit service. Transit should be free!
- sieabahlpark 4y ago
- cafard 4y agoThe monthly pass seems to be priced at 32 * (max cost/ride), so that for $160 you could take as many $5 or less trips as you liked within the month. But most people are taking at most two rides per day, so that practically speaking this is about a 50% discount.
- mixmastamyk 4y ago> baseless claim It’s self-evident that products that generate revenue get more investment and are of higher quality and experience. Things “should be free” is the baseless claim here, and a common fantasy. Truth is working poor are hurt by low quality transit, which is directly correlated to low investment and acceptance of broken quality of life rules. (See my other comment, it is possible some have no idea how bad it can get.)
- supertrope 4y agoFare capping can be used to offer free rides for the rest of the day, week, or month once you’ve paid the equivalent of a daily/weekly/monthly pass. Free transit sounds nice but I would rather have better transit. If a transit system sucks and a low income person has to buy a car that’s a sign it needs to be improved not made free at the point of use (confirming it’s an inferior good). Waiving all fares deprives the agency of funding needed to keep frequency high and therefore waiting times low, extend service late into the night, maintain cleanliness and safety, etc. eliminating fares invites pathologies like people residing in the vehicle or station.