Extra fee for Cradle shuttle bus

[Tortoise]

Just as I'm adjusting to the squillions of our $ spent on long, almost empty concrete walkways/hallways...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-21/ ... /103005466

I wonder if it's per person or per car. Is there anything that stops a monopoly doing this? They are technically providing a service, albeit one they forced us into. Government is probably different anyway. I think the small number of parking spots at Dove Lake will now be even harder to get. Grateful I had the decades of access I've had, sad for young 'uns (especially locals) coming through.

[north-north-west]

The wording I've seen is "per adult". It's a ludicrous charge for a 7km bus trip and there's no mention of concession fares. More commercialisation of the wilderness; next stop is privatisation.

[Tortoise]

If they say 'a modest charge' often enough, they might believe it themselves.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=parks%20tas

Curious that an annual shuttle bus ticket will be available at the visitors' centre. While it was free, it was not possible to get any sort of annual pass for the shuttle bus, to avoid missing buses and reducing walking time in busy periods. That was on the basis that 'the bus company has nothing to do with us, so it's impossible to do anything like that.' Money makes all sorts of impossible things possible, apparently.

[1iron]

I think the Ronny Creek car park will get awfully busy.

[Aardvark]

$3000000 a year to provide that service. That’s nearly $58000 a week.
I’m in the wrong business.
I guess they must be including the toilet paper used by all the staff at the bus depot.

[Lostsoul]

All the more reason to introduce a locals card.
I lived in a small Canadian town in the late 90’s that had high tourist numbers and even higher prices.The locals had a photo I.d. card that when shown gave 10% off prices for transport,groceries,entry to attractions etc

[Aardvark]

Wouldn’t you have to be really struggling these days to be satisfied with a 10% discount on anything?
$15 or $13.50. I mean, it seems to me that it’s the principle of the matter more than the $ value.
Discrimination is discrimination.
I think maybe there should be different prices for different races.
I’m just throwing it out there.

[Warin]

I think maybe there should be different prices for different races.

I didn't know there are bus races down there. Which buss won the last race?

[Aardvark]

If they used the money to extend the road and made a circuit out of it. We could have a regular event. That would boost tourist numbers surely.

[bumpingbill]

Last time the whole 'locals get it free/cheaper' thing was tried, it got shot down in constitutional flames.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-04/ ... s/11174906

[Aardvark]

I frequently hear Kiwis debating the subject of tourist taxes. I believe they have concessions for Kiwis on some of their so called ‘Great Walks’.

[Nuts]

Just another petty squabble-point in the relentless progression of 'user pays'.
Re-Imagine parks access as federally funded, essential services (imo). A fee-free pinnacle of civic achievement

[headwerkn]

I think the Ronny Creek car park will get awfully busy.

Yep. Getting the car parked out there before 8am (7:30am?) has been part and parcel of the game for any walk for a while now. Only going to get worse. Though I must say the walk/run between the Ranger's Station and Ronny/Dove Lake (has the last bit been fixed yet?) is actually quite lovely - more people should be walking it instead of taking the bus.

I do wonder how all this is supposed to fit into their long term plans (emphasis on "their") of having the cable car/chairlift running out to the Viewing Shed. I know Dove Lake Road is getting some alignment upgrades shortly.

[Nuts]

I think the Ronny Creek car park will get awfully busy.

Yep. Getting the car parked out there before 8am (7:30am?) has been part and parcel of the game for any walk for a while now. Only going to get worse. Though I must say the walk/run between the Ranger's Station and Ronny/Dove Lake (has the last bit been fixed yet?) is actually quite lovely - more people should be walking it instead of taking the bus.

The road could be closed to public access entirely (aside from a bike lane I guess), make Waldheim the first of a 7-day Overland or overnight walking destination. For others (tourists at least), there's a reasonable view from the entrance VC. That time spent on the bus, or waiting for the next returning, could be better filled spending their $ around that enterprise, rather than boosting budding commercial monopolies into the park with buses, cable-cars etc.

[north-north-west]

.. make Waldheim the first of a 7-day Overland or overnight walking destination.

Pencil Pine to Ronny Creek/Waldheim is barely an hour's walking, even with a full pack, unless people do the Dove Canyon loop. That's a short first day.

[Nuts]

well, perhaps 2 hours.. add the Wombat Pool loop etc?. definitely a softer start, an easier day than Waterfall Valley, but better placed to admit home truths. I just like the idea of keeping commercial entities to a minimum. If at all.. it appears even a government agency could turn a profit from this bus contract (the OLT private huts and the LSC ferry next )

[Lostsoul]

Surely the Lake St Clair ferry couldn’t get any more expensive than it already is?

[Graham17]

Queue for tickets, queue for bus

[Warin]

The road could be closed to public access entirely (aside from a bike lane I guess),

Could set up a bicycle hire thing .. with a provision for a backpack .. might be quicker than multiple queues

[north-north-west]

The more they flash it up and monetise it, the more we avoid it.

[Tortoise]

I've decided night walks at Cradle may be the go. But I do love my sleep, at both ends of the night.

I was encouraged by a staff member to give feedback about the shuttle bus system, after my first experience of waiting for 40 minutes for a ticket. I did that, and Parks assured me that they now have a separate desk for those doing the OT and those who have an annual bus ticket, 'only' needing to get the paper one for the day. Unfortunately, that can still mean a long wait, depending on OT walkers. And my experience has been that that desk is closed when I want to use it. Back to the main queue, which is using 3 desks, and can take > 20 minutes. Before queueing for the bus, of course.

They also say that government depts can't give discounts to anybody based on where they live (e.g. Tasmanians). Does anybody know of other precendents where this is in fact done? Or other ideas we can give Parks? I understand their concern is that people will rip off the system by lending their annual pass to other people, so they want ID before giving out the paper tickets. Surely there's a way to do it?

[Lostsoul]

I’m with you torty,I love night walking at cradle,especially on a full moon you hardly need a head torch to get around.Have climbed up to Marions loads of times to watch the sunrise.

[JamesMc]

They also say that government depts can't give discounts to anybody based on where they live (e.g. Tasmanians). Does anybody know of other precendents where this is in fact done?

I very much doubt that you will find a precedent for charging Tasmanians differently from other Australians. This is prohibited by Section 117 of the Australian Constitution which prohibits discrimination against people on the basis of the state they live in.

117. Rights of Residents in States
A subject of the Queen, resident in any State, shall not be subject in any other State to any disability or discrimination which would not be equally applicable to him if he were a subject of the Queen resident in such other State.

[Tortoise]

I’m with you torty,I love night walking at cradle,especially on a full moon you hardly need a head torch to get around.Have climbed up to Marions loads of times to watch the sunrise.

I did have a gorgeous night one snowy winter, watching the full moon rise in the Cradle. If only it wasn't so hard to get out of bed early, or stay up 'late' in my old age.