One of my aims is to stay independent of cars. In Western Australia, this is very impracticable. My desire to attend “The Yarloop Field Day and BBQ” with the Greens South West Candidate, Giz Watson MLC, is a case in point. The field day was at 11 am, Sunday, 7 October 2012. Wanting to attend, a plan entered my mind: ride from Ravenswood - where I live - to Pinjarra Rail - a distance of 8.8 kilometres and it would take 29 minutes according to Google maps, board the train, get off at Yarloop Rail and ride to the field day - which is 3 km in 11 minutes. I think this is a reasonable plan. However, TransWA scheduling and regulations makes it impractical.
The first was the schedule. One train,called the Australind, travels between Perth and Western Australian’s second city, Bunbury, twice daily. This includes Sundays and most public holidays. The Australind services both Pinjarra and Yarloop. This is probably the most frequent TransWA service. To get to Yarloop and return in the same day, I would have catch the 10:42 am train from Pinjarra and arrive at Yarloop at 11:11 am. This would make me about half an hour late. Catching the return 3:29 pm train would require me to leave the venue about 3:15 pm. This would give me about three and three quarter hours at the venue. The train fare is $7.60 each way. TransWA charges a flat $10 surcharge to carry bicycles, each way. The thought cross my mind that this was a tad excessive but I would have no choice but to wear it. Therefore the cost is two times the $7.60 fare and two times $10 bicycle carriage surcharge for a grand total of $35.20. Simply pay the money and go!
Well, no! This is where TransWA’s regulations get in the way. Underneath the line that informs me about the bicycle surcharge is, “On the Australind service, bicycles and surfboards can only be loaded/unloaded at Perth City and Bunbury stations, due to safety regulations”. Yet the same safety regulations do not preclude the loading and unloading of ‘stowed luggage’. A contradiction? Given this, walking from Yarloop Station to the field day would make me about three quarter hours late and I might miss lunch. I have a figure to maintain! I would have about three hours at the venue.
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| Yarloop's 'low level platform' |
These regulations lead to me consider riding the 47.3 km from my Ravenswood home to Yarloop. According to Google, it would take two hours and 38 minutes. Given my current state of fitness, add a few more hours. This would mean riding down the South West Highway, a road designed cars, trucks and, mainly, tanks. The WA Main Roads Department’s consideration for cyclists on country roads is purely figurative. I might elect to stay a night or two at the Yarloop Hotel for $55 per night. This included breakfast. Politics, food and a new town to explore is a rather nice combination for a holiday.
There are many combinations and permutations of these options. But the long and short of it is this: I cannot get to the field day without a car being involved. TransWA schedule and regulations makes it impossible to rely on them for transport along Australind line. I cannot take my bike with me but there are no restrictions on luggage. Even if I could take it, the pricing structure makes it expensive for short tips. I have not raised issues about electric bicycles, cargo bikes or bike trailers. The latter two would make it possible to transport luggage to a hotel without a taxi service. Presumably, they all would fall outside TransWA’s definition of a ‘bicycle’. This is how TransWA promotes the use of cars. It makes living without a car impractical.
Thankfully, Giz organised a lift for me. Thank you, Giz. And thank you Irma, the one Giz organised.
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