The 1969 Rail - Bus WeekliesPage last modified/checked: Saturday, 21 May, 2005A total of 6 such tickets were introduced during 1969, half involving private operators and the remainder with the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board bus services; a Government operation. A further 6 were intoduced during 1970, again half with private operators and the remainder with the MMTB. This entire series differed from other similar ticketing arrangements for the following reasons: - The services to which they applied had nothing disinctive nor did they have any historical connections - The tickets were introduced as a trial which suggests that operators involved were prepared to extend the idea to the broader travelling public if results were encouraging - The initial three tickets included travel on private bus routes, but on an unrestricted basis, thus matching the availablity of the rail section of the ticket; something hitherto unheard of.
An observation of the bus routes involved shows they were (in 1969) on the periphery of the metropolitan area and served mostly newer development. This was particularly so with the MMTB routes. Here then was a potential new commuter market that perhaps could be captured to public transport by offering convenient through ticketing arrangements.
As far as is known, all these tickets remained on sale until superceded by the multi-modal based system introduced on 4th October 1981. We have shown the relevant sections of the Addenda to the 1979 Passenger Fares and Coaching Rates book to explain the availabilty of each of these tickets in "departmental wording". There may have been alterations to the length, and therefore number of sections, to some bus routes after 1979 that we are not yet aware of.
NOTE: Both male and female weeklies were originally provided for all tickets described here.
1969
1970
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