T-card is dead?
It would seem that the t-card is dead, but the impetus towards a distance based, per kilometre, fare hijack appears to be alive and well. Dumping the t-card may have been seen as a way to take the heat off fare reform, but it is unlikely that significant improvements to the ticket system will come without a significant improvement to the fare system. Where is the government going with that, we ask?
Do as the romans do...
Tcard failed for a number of reasons, all now historical.
We need fare reform, as distinct from a new ticket. That's likely to be even harder for the present NSW government, which is riddled with rewards for mates, protecting one's backside, inter-faction back-stabbing, and PR spindoctoring.
The "Rome" model is ever more atractive. There, the proletariate has long recognised the incompetence of its masters, and gets on and off the bus at will, oblivious to fares, tickets, and anything which is not immediately related to sex or looking good.
K.
Now officially dead
As of yesterday...and still the talk is of the need for a new card...not a new fare system. They are still trying to justify a price per kilometre system rather than a system that encourages more people onto the public transport system. My travel pass is all the integration I need. Trains, buses and ferries at a price that reflects my efficient use of the roads and other infrastructure....
LM
Not dead, merely in an induced coma...
As predicted, things continue to develop. See our discussions on fare reform for more information on how this is likely to pan out...