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FUNERALS ARE FREAKY. There’s weddings, birthdays and all the other occasions we ‘attend’ in life, but the funeral is that forlorn reminder for all those other than the deceased that not only have they passed, but some day, some time, ‘you’ll be next’. Not a scare tactic, just a reality check. A little slap in the face by the wet tailfin of life, as it were, to just try to enjoy life and be a better person. Or such is how I interpret them. I was at an uncle’s funeral, recently. A jovial chap, gone at 89 years old. A keen fisherman, hockey player in his day – worked for British Airways and then Qantas as an account manager after arriving here in 1972. A passionate billiards player and dancefloor…
PUBLIC TRANSPORT operator Transit Systems has placed a purchase order in Australia for 44 Euro 6 city bus chassis – the biggest single order for Daimler Bus in Australia in more than a decade, it’s reported. According to the German manufacturer, the chassis are produced in its plant located in Sámano, Spain, and they will subsequently be, “…fitted with bodies from either Volgren or Gemilang”. “The biggest single order for Daimler Bus in Australia...” All indications are that the buses are to be used in Sydney, for Transit System’s Region 6 contract area. Only recently did the operator start a trial of four Gemilang-bodied BYD electric buses in that region, as ABC magazine reported recently. ABOUT THE PARTNERS Transit System is an Australian-based international transport company, which operates in five…
“This is the tip of the iceberg and is all too common in transport.” THE FAIR WORK Ombudsman has secured a penalty of $89,250 in the Federal Circuit Court against Sydney transport company Eagle Tours Pty Ltd after it misclassified bus drivers as independent contractors, it’s reported. Following requests for assistance, Fair Work Inspectors found that four bus drivers were paid flat rates of $22 an hour, despite working 12-hour shifts and weekends. Inspectors also found that three of the drivers had been misclassified as contractors, rather than employees. In light of the finding, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) criticised the “wage theft” of the four bus and coach drivers, who were “ripped off” the more than $46,000, saying the case is the tip of the iceberg in transport. Under…
A UNIQUE integrated first-mile/last mile (FMLM) airport express three-month trial for North Auckland launched on August 14, 2019, Skybus and Uber have announced. The trial will deliver the first dedicated ‘front door to airport’ service for Auckland’s North Shore residents, Skybus states. The result of six months of collaboration leverages Uber’s intuitive platform with the fastest and most affordable transit service into Auckland, Skybus claims. According to the proponents, it will benefit those living within Albany, Milford and Takapuna areas. Utilising express bus lanes and the accessibility of Uber this trial will, “…uniquely provide convenience and cost-effective solutions for North Harbour residents in their choice of Airport transit”. During the trial, passengers purchasing an adult or family Skybus North Harbour Express ticket online will unlock 50 per cent off trips…
SKYBUS also recently announced the completion of the third and final stage in its $3 million, 12-month overhaul of its kerbside ticketing and passenger infrastructure at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. The completion paves the way for Skybus to accommodate greater passenger numbers coming through the airport, it states. With a bus movement at the kerb on average every three minutes – and Skybus now offering six separate Airport Express services – these facilities are critical to the customer experience as Melbourne Airport continues to grow, it explains. Enhanced ticketing options (including 18 new ‘e-kiosks’), more convenient and comfortable waiting areas, and an investment in modern staff facilities were the key objectives of this Skybus-funded project, it says. The arrival of the new Skybus app in August 2019 will further complement the…
HITACHI RAIL is to conduct a trial of ‘barrierless’ ticketing where sensors detect an app on a commuter’s smartphone as they board trains, with bus application also viable, the company claims. Although the focus of the proof-of-concept trial – to occur initially via Trentino Transport in Trento, northern Italy – is clearly on rail use, bus, tram and light-rail fares eliminating passengers needing to use smartcards to tap on or off, it is also part of the next-gen public transport vision. Seemingly a more unobtrusive and practical method of personal identification and correct-fare ticket payment than anything using proposed microchip implants or even futuristic iris recognition, the company implies once sensors are installed worldwide it could make smartcard ticket-reading barriers obsolete. MORE ACCESSIBLE “This technology has the ability to transform…
