The Economy (Super - Thread)

[Leinsterman]

I had a half written rant about integrated ticketing that I deleted though

We're still waiting for integrated ticketing though. Pathetic that we still don't have it.
It's not as if we have loads of private operators who need to make sure they are reimbursed - they're all run by the state here.

[sarah_lennon]

I had a half written rant about integrated ticketing that I deleted though

We're still waiting for integrated ticketing though. Pathetic that we still don't have it.
It's not as if we have loads of private operators who need to make sure they are reimbursed - they're all run by the state here.

Aaaaggghhh I wanted to avoid this!!

Basically the tickets are identical it would just require a software upgrade (and some concession on fares) and collective will. Simples.

[Hickiefan]

I had a half written rant about integrated ticketing that I deleted though

We're still waiting for integrated ticketing though. Pathetic that we still don't have it.
It's not as if we have loads of private operators who need to make sure they are reimbursed - they're all run by the state here.

Aaaaggghhh I wanted to avoid this!!

Basically the tickets are identical it would just require a software upgrade (and some concession on fares) and collective will. Simples.

It's depressing how long this has taken, not to mention how much money has been spent, with so little progress

[Armchair]

Hickefan Wrote;
It's depressing how long this has taken, not to mention how much money has been spent, with so little progress

Sums up our whole economy over the last 3 years!

[sarah_lennon]

All it needs is development of travel zones and application of fares accordingly.

Even from a tourist point of view its embarrassing.

[Hornet]

Oyster Card.

[sarah_lennon]

Call it the cockles & mussels card for all I care, just give it to me!

[sheepshagger]

Oyster Card.

Yep, London have had those for how many years now ?

[Broken Wing]

The Luas Smart card and Dublin Bus prepaid tickets use similar scanning technology. Never mind Bertie and his pencils, the inability to link even these two systems flies in the face of our claims to a smart economy.

Call to my door Fianna Failures. I dare you.

[Hornet]

Oyster Card.

Yep, London have had those for how many years now ?

Started in the late '90's

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14836.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_card

Anyone paying a cash bus fare in London is as rare as an Honest TD.

[sheepshagger]

Whilst politicans can be blamed for the lack of progress on the integrated ticketing system I wonder if Dublin Bus / CIE have had anything to do with the delay?

Sounds similar to the lack of movement towards a post code system by An Post. . . .

[Hornet]

Whilst politicans can be blamed for the lack of progress on the integrated ticketing system I wonder if Dublin Bus / CIE have had anything to do with the delay?

Sounds similar to the lack of movement towards a post code system by An Post. . . .

As someone who has been privvy to some of the wranglings with regard to the Integrated Ticketing System fiasco, (as that is what it is by now), the major stumbling block has been Dublin Bus. There has been a total lack of Political will (what's new there) to bang heads together and get this system into place. London's Public Transport system is huge, and full marks to Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor, in pulling all the various Private Transport Companies that run London's Bus, Tube, Rail and Ferries into, sometimes kicking and screaming, the Oyster Card regime. It helped that Livingstone went to work every day on Public Transport, so he had an intimate understanding in what was required. Something Local and National Politicians in Dublin haven't a hope of understanding.

[Leinster Exile]

Whilst politicans can be blamed for the lack of progress on the integrated ticketing system I wonder if Dublin Bus / CIE have had anything to do with the delay?

Sounds similar to the lack of movement towards a post code system by An Post. . . .

As someone who has been privvy to some of the wranglings with regard to the Integrated Ticketing System fiasco, (as that is what it is by now), the major stumbling block has been Dublin Bus. There has been a total lack of Political will (what's new there) to bang heads together and get this system into place. London's Public Transport system is huge, and full marks to Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor, in pulling all the various Private Transport Companies that run London's Bus, Tube, Rail and Ferries into, sometimes kicking and screaming, the Oyster Card regime. It helped that Livingstone went to work every day on Public Transport, so he had an intimate understanding in what was required. Something Local and National Politicians in Dublin haven't a hope of understanding.

Ah you can't have post codes because they may affect house prises

[sarah_lennon]

It helped that Livingstone went to work every day on Public Transport, so he had an intimate understanding in what was required. Something Local and National Politicians in Dublin haven't a hope of understanding.

So what you're saying is that if we didn't get it when the Greens were in power it isn't going to happen?

Funny thing about the Green's election priorities in 07 - they almost managed to drastically reverse all of them
http://www.greenparty.ie/en/about/party ... festo_2007

[Hornet]

It helped that Livingstone went to work every day on Public Transport, so he had an intimate understanding in what was required. Something Local and National Politicians in Dublin haven't a hope of understanding.

So what you're saying is that if we didn't get it when the Greens were in power it isn't going to happen?

Funny thing about the Green's election priorities in 07 - they almost managed to drastically reverse all of them
http://www.greenparty.ie/en/about/party ... festo_2007

It will happen, but it will be a much watered down version of what could and should be achieved.

An example.

Buses on TfL (Transport for London) routes are operated by Private Companies on behalf of TfL. Any Company can bid for a route at Tender Stage. TfL Place in the Tender Specification, Minimum Service Levels and also Times on which First and Last buses will operate. Those Companies who are successful can offer more than the Minimum Specification if they wish. Tfl Routes do not have Stage Fares, Just a Flat Fare which you pay for going one stop or the whole Route length. My last experience of a TfL Bus journey was that with an Oyster Card the Fare was 90p (Stg). Without an Oyster Card the same Fare is £2.00 (Stg). There is an immediate incentive to get an Oyster Card there, hence my point about rarely seeing Londoners fumbling in purses and pockets for change. It's 'Uncool'! BTW the same Fare Structure works on the (very extensive) Night Bus Network. The N9 Bus from Heathrow Airport to Trafalgar Square is 90p (with)/£2 (without), runs every 30 minutes, and is about £50 (Stg) cheaper than a Taxi.

Can you see Dublin Bus having a Single Fare Stage regime, and Fares at 50% off cash Fares for Card Holders. No. Neither can I. So we will still be subjected to the Bus Passenger that will rifle through their purses/pockets on boarding, holding the bus up and p*ssing off the rest of us who have cards. This is Dublin. We don't do eminently sensible, just an overly complicated version of 'Catch Up'.

[ronk]

Whilst politicans can be blamed for the lack of progress on the integrated ticketing system I wonder if Dublin Bus / CIE have had anything to do with the delay?

Sounds similar to the lack of movement towards a post code system by An Post. . . .

As someone who has been privvy to some of the wranglings with regard to the Integrated Ticketing System fiasco, (as that is what it is by now), the major stumbling block has been Dublin Bus. There has been a total lack of Political will (what's new there) to bang heads together and get this system into place. London's Public Transport system is huge, and full marks to Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor, in pulling all the various Private Transport Companies that run London's Bus, Tube, Rail and Ferries into, sometimes kicking and screaming, the Oyster Card regime. It helped that Livingstone went to work every day on Public Transport, so he had an intimate understanding in what was required. Something Local and National Politicians in Dublin haven't a hope of understanding.

Yeah, well Dublin Bus uses a different fare scheme that would require oh, about 10 minutes to sort out. The major stumbling block is that they went ahead with a system before there was an agreement, now it's easy to delay it and undermine it.

Making all fares available would require people getting off the bus to tag off. Using the travel 90 ticket would actually be useful, but really you'd want to integrate that properly with other services. And of course that's a discounted ticket. Instead they went for a train/luas model where all smartcard fares were singles but they were pro-rated against returns.

[sheepshagger]

BoS restructuring some Irish loans

Bank of Scotland is in the process of restructuring some of its Irish buy-to-let mortgage debt, according to RTE today.

Bank of Scotland has confirmed to RTE News that it has begun to restructure debts owed by buy-to-let borrowers in Ireland in exceptional circumstances.

The lender said it was still its policy to require customers to pay their debt in full, but added that it would work with customers to restructure their debt in bona fide cases.

Last year Bank of Scotland Ireland shut its branches, asked depositors to move savings and halted lending. After its lending spree, it became a victim of the crash and the bank withdrew from the Irish market.

RTE understands that in exceptional cases the lender is now writing off part of the capital owed by buy-to-let borrowers who clearly cannot repay loans. In these cases borrowers frequently have multiple buy-to-let properties in negative equity.

In a very small number of cases capital has been cut for owner occupiers after a forced sale has left an outstanding loan.

The lender's loans are being managed by 800 former Bank of Scotland Ireland staff who work for a new company called Certus.

Irish banks have been criticised for not facing up to loans which may never be re-paid. The significance of Bank of Scotland's development is that a lender is now willing to restructure mortgages.

http://www.fxcentre.com/news.asp?2729986

Interesting. . . .had heard of people having a mortgagee sale and being stuck with residual debt. . . .

[sheepshagger]

Can you see Dublin Bus having a Single Fare Stage regime, and Fares at 50% off cash Fares for Card Holders. No. Neither can I. So we will still be subjected to the Bus Passenger that will rifle through their purses/pockets on boarding, holding the bus up and p*ssing off the rest of us who have cards. This is Dublin. We don't do eminently sensible, just an overly complicated version of 'Catch Up'.

Whilst in Rome at the weekend noticed that their Metro (OK so its only 2 lines the same as our LUAS) has one fare - €1 for 75 mins use. . very simple for anyone and everyone to understand (locals and tourists) - works for them so why not here ?

[Leinsterman]

Wahay! We needto pump more billions into the banks according to Alan Dukes this morning.
What was the figure? €50bn or €90bn?
Love the way he said "we're finding this now because of the way we were looking at the problem previously"
How fukkin long has he been chairman of Anglo and is only realising this now?

[leinster80]

Whilst politicans can be blamed for the lack of progress on the integrated ticketing system I wonder if Dublin Bus / CIE have had anything to do with the delay?

Sounds similar to the lack of movement towards a post code system by An Post. . . .

As someone who has been privvy to some of the wranglings with regard to the Integrated Ticketing System fiasco, (as that is what it is by now), the major stumbling block has been Dublin Bus. There has been a total lack of Political will (what's new there) to bang heads together and get this system into place. London's Public Transport system is huge, and full marks to Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor, in pulling all the various Private Transport Companies that run London's Bus, Tube, Rail and Ferries into, sometimes kicking and screaming, the Oyster Card regime. It helped that Livingstone went to work every day on Public Transport, so he had an intimate understanding in what was required. Something Local and National Politicians in Dublin haven't a hope of understanding.

Ah you can't have post codes because they may affect house prises

We shall get post codes when everyone else has moved on to a GPS based system of coordinates.