I got the email and it seems simple enough but has anyone been able to link their credit card to a concession? I found the website Link your concession to contactless payments - Transport Victoria but it doesn't work. The only thing you can do is check your past trips.

Through travelling, I found lots of European towns now utilise a fleet of small electric buses rather than large traditional buses.

This got me thinking: as an outer suburb resident, a few issues I have with the existing bus routes:
- They run every 20 minutes while the trains run every 10 minutes.
- Diesel buses are loud.
- I never see more than 20 people on a bus, even during peak hours.
- Only a few bus routes available.
- Noisy in the residential areas.
- Electric buses cost about 1 million each and we are yet to see any on our routes.

Will it be better to replace the low patronage, train station feeder routes (not arterial or inner suburban routes) with smaller electric buses, and doubling the frequency? I use the Yutong E7S as an example for comparison with a Volgren Optimus:

- Lower capex per bus: A small electric bus cost much less than a large diesel bus, and significantly less than a large electric bus. Gemini’s estimate is 1/2 of a standard diesel bus cost or 1/3 of a standard electric bus cost.

Edit: as many pointed out, drivers wage is a the largest part of the running cost, but so is the cost of borrowing.

Vic Gov 15-year bond is at 6.35% interest rate.
Assuming an electric full size bus is $1 million, a small electric bus at $300k: $1m borrowed over 15 years becomes $1.55m, and $300k borrowed over 15 years becomes $466k.

The gap in total cost is $1.087m, or $72.5k per annum over 15 years. This leaves a lot of room to improve staffing.

- Lower opex per bus: small electric buses don’t consume the expensive diesel, much lower cost of servicing & tyres.
- Thus more buses can be purchased and more drivers can be hired on a similar budget.
- Smaller buses are easier to drive for the drivers.
- E7S as an example, requires exactly half of a standard bus’s parking lot size. Less real estate needed for bus depots.
- Our local bus routes are 5-10km each way, and range is not a concern.
- Less wear and tear on the roads as they are 3/5 of a standard diesel bus’s tare weight.
- Quicker to accelerate and decelerate, fewer collisions with parked cars on narrow streets
- Smaller turning circle & less restricted bus routes
- Less noise and no idling noises. Electric depots can be placed closer to residential areas where they need to be, rather than industrial areas.

honestly if u are going to talk non-stop on the phone for over 30 mins at the max volume possible during peak hour and say things like ‘nah mate dont go yet i need some entertainment on the way home’, might as well put the phone on speaker so we can all get properly entertained. 😭😭😭😭 this man was the only noise in the train apart from the train itself and I can’t believe u can be so inconsiderate in a full train. 😭😭 I understand talking but atleast be mindful? Being so noisy and then talking anywhere from ‘oh he’s finally showering’ to ‘nah that club feels like netanyahu’s club’ honestly made me wanna jump out of the train. Maybe I am overreacting but you are a fully grown man not being mindful of shared public space during peak hour🫩. if anyone was on the last carriage of the 5:25 train to werribee, u would how that whole ride was.

always seen them come past sunshine sometimes, but they're so fast i usually never can get a pic of them!! this made my morning

Taken by Weston Langford on January 3rd 1973

who gives way in this very hypothetical scenario?

seems pretty self explanatory to me but clearly someone hasn’t got the message

Pretty bad damage on drivers front side, looks more shredded and bent in person.

Judging by accident positions and what a copper told me, I’m willing to bet a car was travelling Eastbound down Vic Pde and ran a turn in front of an Eastbound 109 tram that had a green. Tram slammed through the catenary pole. Would’ve thrown passengers real hard I imagine.

hey gang, just a heads up! look at this big lopsided man.