Opal data mining and transport to SYD

[medhead]

Interesting general good news story on Opal data mining.

Opal data gives insight into Sydney's busiest buses

The interesting bit is that the 400 bus route is the busiest in Sydney.

Sydney's busiest bus route is the 400 from Burwood in the west to Bondi Junction via Sydney Airport, data from NSW's Opal electronic ticketing system shows.

There is also a little tidbit on future plans for SYD at the end. They're building an interchange at the airport and adding 2 new bus routes. Is that seriously a cheaper option than just killing the gate fee at the airport? the city's south and inner west are both areas that could readily use the train to SYD if the expense of the gate fee was removed.

While the 400 service remains the only bus to stop at Sydney Airport, the government has committed to providing an extra two bus services– one from the city's south and another from the inner west – once a new interchange is completed at the domestic terminal in 2018.
The seven-storey interchange will include a drop-off and pick-up area for buses as large as double-deckers.

 

[UP4014]

Transport policy by the NSW Libs is a bit all over the place. Removing the free day travel after 8 trips, closing the Newcaslte Line, extra bus services, length of time for tram line construction in the CBD........

Yes, smarter to remove the marked up pricing for the two stations.

The way the traffic is around the Intl Terminal these days (because of the new 2 lane tunnel construction on the M5?) if you ok at walking it's quicker to walk from Wolli Ck than wait in the queue to get up the ramp to the drop off zone.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Isn't the gate fee imposed by SACL rather than the state government?

 

[dajop]

Isn't the gate fee imposed by SACL rather than the state government?

I thought it was imposed and collected by the company that operates the whole Airport line (Airport Link?), not SACL.

 

[medhead]

Isn't the gate fee imposed by SACL rather than the state government?

No or not really. Airport link collect the fee, I believe they are separate to SACL. It is within the government's control to remove the fee, just as they removed the gate fee at mascot and green square early.

There are also reports that while airport link are collecting the gate fee the money is actually going to the NSW Government. Apparently there was a contractual arrangement that Airport link kept the gate fee for X years and then for Y years the government got the money. There would be a cost in forgone revenue to government, if this is true. But doing so would have obvious benefits in terms of transport to SYD.