Transperth
Transperth is the brand name of the public transportation system in Perth , Western Australia . It is operated by the Public Transport Authority .
history
Transperth was initiated in 1986 as part of a reform project to bring together the public bus , ferry and train services of the city of Perth. In the beginning, Transperth was coordinated by the Metropolitan Transport Trust (MTT), with MTT operating bus and ferry services itself and coordinating the rail traffic operated by West Australian Government Railways (WAGR). In 1993, control of Transperth and WAGR was transferred to the Department of Transport .
Between 1994 and 1998, Transperth began to outsource its bus, ferry and customer service. Buses and ferries are still owned by the state, but are privately operated. On July 1, 2003, control of Transperth was shifted again, this time to the newly formed Public Transport Authority.
Rail service
Transperth Trains controls Perth's suburban railways. The system consists of 59 stations on four narrow-gauge lines that run to Midland , Armadale , Fremantle and Clarkson . Trains to Thornlie run a little way over the track to Armadale. Another route to Mandurah is expected to open in 2007 .
Trains run between 5:30 am and midnight (Saturday and Sunday morning until 2:00 am), with a minimum frequency of 15 (until 7:30 pm) or 30 (until midnight) minutes. The afternoon trains on Saturday and Sunday run at a frequency of one hour. The network transports 32.652 million passengers per year.
Since it was electrified in the 1990s, only electric railcars have been used on the network ; previously diesel locomotives were used.
Bus services
Transperth operates a bus service through the urban area of Perth and some of the surrounding rural areas. Transperth's buses are privately operated but are state owned. The routes follow two basic systems: connection services between suburban residential areas and train stations and lines directly into the city center. There are also routes such as the well-known CircleRoute , which connect numerous train stations, shopping centers and universities. Additional connections are provided for schools and special events.
The main bus routes operate from 6:00 a.m. to midnight, with a bus every 15 minutes during the week and every half hour on weekends and evenings. Most other lines run every 30 or 60 minutes, with a limited workload on weekends or evenings. Shuttle services to train stations are usually set up so that you can reach every, every second or every fourth train.
Transperth is currently purchasing Mercedes-Benz OC500LE buses that are powered by compressed natural gas . These buses comply with the Euro 4 standard and run on locally produced natural gas.
More facts about buying a bus on a grand scale:
- The vehicle bodies for the buses are manufactured in Perth by the Volgren company.
- The natural gas buses use one of the cleanest high performance engines commercially available.
- Each bus emits over 9 tons less greenhouse gases per year compared to other buses.
- Transperth currently has 196 natural gas buses: 141 Euro 4 and 24 Euro 2 buses as well as 31 older vehicles.
- Transperth will gradually receive a further 400 natural gas buses.
Ferry services
Transperth operates a ferry service across the Swan River between Barrack Street (downtown) and the waterfront in South Perth. A ferry leaves twice an hour with an additional service to Coode St Jetty during rush hour. The ferry is popular with commuters and tourists who often use it to visit the Perth Zoo.
Coverage areas
Transperth currently serves the urban area of Perth and the area east to Chidlow and west to Fremantle , south to Mandurah and north to Two Rocks . These suburbs are divided into nine tariff zones corresponding to the distances from the city center.
Open Market Zone
A special feature of the network is that in an area in the city center, called the Free Transit Zone (FTZ), all types of public transport - except for trains - can be used free of charge.
The exception are the trains. You can only use these for free if you have a SmartRider card. This was not always the case, but was necessary after changes in the structure of the train stations.
Ticket sales
Network passengers can either purchase a ticket from one of the machines or use a rechargeable card known as SmartRider. It is also possible to buy simple tickets from the bus driver.
The SmartRider system enables faster processing at the individual stations. The passengers have to have their SmartRider card read in contactlessly when getting on and off. If the check-in is forgotten, the passenger does not have a valid ticket. If the checkout is forgotten, the system calculates the price to the end of the line.
Fares are calculated according to a zone-based system. Discounts are available for children under 15, seniors (over 65) in possession of a senior card and students.
