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Public
Transport in Melbourne
By
Richard Moore
Melbourne
is blessed with a public transport system that would have many other
major cities in the world green with envy.
It
isn't perfect, as Melburnians will tell you, but clearly they haven't
had to put up with other systems.
 Melbourne's
transport is a mixture of trains, trams and buses that can get you
to any part of the city quickly and pretty easily.
The
train lines spread out from the inner city underground loop and
form the bones of the system reaching out to the farflung outer
suburbs.
Closer
in trams are the easiest way to travel with main lines regularly
servicing the inner city and major routes through the older established
parts of town.
Travelling
by tram is wonderful. They are easy to get on and off and there
is just something about the squeal of their metal wheels on metal
tracks, and the ding, ding, dinging of their bells, that brings
a city to life.
Running
between the train lines and trams are bus services.
So
far so good.
 However,
heading back to Melbourne after almost a decade away I was a tad
lost with the network's Myki ticketing system.
We'd
flown in early in the morning and wanted to have a bit of an explore
and do some financial housework while home.
Problem
was there was nowhere to buy a Myki card where we were - and nothing
to explain it to us at the stop we arrived at.
Fortunately
we were able to grab a free City Loop vintage tram and legally head
to Flinders St Station - Melbourne's main passenger hub - otherwise
we could have been at the mercy of the city's fiercesome ticket
inspectors.
And
if you are caught with a Myki card - or not having paid - the fine
can be $200.
So
transport chiefs - lift your game when it comes to tourists will
you.
 Now
an information officer at Flinders St did try to explain how the
Myki thing works but, in the noise of the place, most was lost in
the glass panel.
Basically
Myki is like a debit card you buy and have to keep topping up.
You
swipe it when you get on your train, tram or bus and then - for
some reason - swipe it when you get off.
Why
you do it twice is anyone's guess - but I'm sure someone will explain
it to me.
Anyway,
ticketing aside, Melbourne transport system is a beaut and makes
sightseeing without the hassles of car parking an absolute breeze.
And
do have a few journeys on the free City Circle trams.
They
are the burgundy ones and run a loop circuit around the outside
of the Central Business District. They are classic Old Melbourne
W Class trams and you can rattle around the city as people did 90
years ago.
Ah,
Melbourne and trams - what a pairing.
Train
Network Map (downloadable)
Metro
Trains Website
Yarra
Trams Website
Train,
Tram, Bus Timetables
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