Could we make Mykis free?
When I was in Brisbane, I had the joy of getting to go on trains, buses and ferries that only cost me 50c … it was great. When I’m at home, I literally could catch the train to work and walk only 400m total as part of the trip, but I still don’t do it because it’s going to cost me $10 a day.
So if the rates were lowered, I would end up paying more money in fares total – and I reckon that heaps of other people would too. We would have to have less need for ticket inspectors because why bother checking if someone has paid the 50c or not. I would say that the total income would only drop a bit once these additional expenses are taken out.
And even then, why should it matter if the trains make money or not? They are a public service – this is literally what taxes are designed to do. If I am paying for the roads, then surely the rest of us can chip in for the trains.