Secret tramways business
The secret route numbers are getting worse on Collins Street.
It looks like a 47 is a shortened 109, to Kew Depot, presumably via Victoria Street.
A 29? Not sure, maybe a shortened 48. Does that mean it goes via Bridge Road? Not sure.
And if the 29 and the 47 both say just “Kew Depot”, how do you tell them apart if you’re trying to get to Victoria Street or Bridge Road?
I suspect the answer is: you wait longer than necessary for a 109 or a 48.
9? A shortened 112, of course. It all makes perfect sense.
I ask again: Why these arcane numbers? Why are they not officially documented? And if each of them covers 80% of a “normal” route, why are they even used at all?
Update 9am: Actually I just spotted another variation: two Citadis trams showing “Kew Depot” with no route number, so no clues as to which way they get there.
Melbourne’s most confusing bus route
A couple of years ago I wrote a post on Melbourne’s most-confusing bus route: the 627.
It doubles back on itself. At one point on Koornang Road southbound buses might be heading to Brighton East or Elsternwick, while northbound buses might be heading to… Brighton East or Elsternwick but via Chadstone. Via different routes to Chadstone though, of course.
The Bus Review for this area commenced in October 2008. No news of a fix on this particular problem, even though it’s as simple as giving half the route a different number, so it’s easier to differentiate where the bus is going. In fact I think if the Bus Review process can’t fix this up, it’s failed miserably.
At least the old map tried to indicate how it worked, so if you concentrated really hard you could work it out.
The new map doesn’t even try. It just paints the whole lot Metlink Bus Orange, and joins up all the lines, so you’ve got no chance of working it out. And I’m really not sure what’s going on around Oakleigh station.
Progress, it’s a wonderful thing.