Marketing the system

Page last modified/checked: Friday, 4 October 2002

In mid September 1981, the media announced details of a new metropolitan fare structure, which would take effect from Sunday 4th October. This article from the Sun newspaper of 18th September gives quite a good insight.

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Of interest is the reference to the non-availability of weekly, monthly or annual multi-modal Travelcards. This would be partly corrected later, as would the lack of a ticket for shorter rail journies (tram and bus patrons were better off in this regard).

The cover of the Ministry of Transport "leaflet" referred to in the newspaper article is shown below left. This was in fact a comprehensive 8-panel, double sided affair in full colour with maps and intriguing illustrations of the new tickets. However, the exact zonal boundaries would be a mystery until a detailed public transport map shown below right (number 12 in the series) was released in mid 1982. This was a pleasing adaptation of the existing transport map style in use since 1970. Why it took so long to be produced is unclear.

Part of the transport map is reproduced here to show how the greater metropolitan area was covered by the three new fare zones. Note the existance of a central zone. This was not a separate fare zone in itself, but was provided to cover the CBD and a fringe area only for certain ticketing purposes.

Lastly, from the Sun newspaper of Saturday 3rd October 1981 is this full page ad which gave a serious, if jovial message to transport users... changes; to the extent that had not been seen before.

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