I've just come into Wellington by rail on a $2 special- that's about the true value of rail travel in Wellington, anything above it is a rip-off by GW Regional Council and Toll Rail ! The train was late (as usual) the staff were surly, the trackside was filthy and we arrived at a barren windswept station full of smokers who obstructed our escape to the fresh windy air of Wellington's streets.
Contrast this with the journey I had in Hong Kong several weeks ago - for a normal fare of HK30 ($6NZ) I got a day's pass for the whole of Kowloon right through the New Territories including bus links. The stations were immaculate, clean, brightly lit, with automatic ticketing (due in Wellington 2020 earliest according to trans metro). There were no guards on the train and some were totally electronic (driverless). The tracks were litter free and the staff helpful (how many of Toll's staff could speak Cantonese or Mandarin ??) it was apleasure to travel on them.
We are a 3rd world nation rapidly becoming 4th world in our rail travel- that's because we have politicans with no Vision and no sense of a future reality.
1 comment:
I don't understand your comment about TranzMetro rail personnel not speaking Cantonese or Mandarin - seems quite irrelevant.
Other than that, I think you're missing the point. NZ in general and Wellington in particular is a car-focused society. We enjoy the freedom of getting around in individual vehicles on a totally individual basis and I, for one, see nothing wrong with that!
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