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  • 2 Post By Open Casket
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MTR Early Bird Fare

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  1. #1

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    MTR Early Bird Fare

    While I applaud the MTR for making an effort to spread out congestion on the trains, I'm having a hard time understanding why the early bird fare only applies to people who exit the gate between 7:15 and 8:15? So if you exit at 7:00 am, you are too early to qualify for the Early Bird rate? Silly, should apply to all fares before a certain time.


    MTR > Exit the gate between 7:15 and 8:15 a.m. to earn a 25% fare discount

    East_coast and Elegiaque like this.

  2. #2

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    It is called Shoulder pricing

    The aim is to make people change their travel habits.



    If you are arriving at 7:00 the chances are that the lower fair will not affect your decision to travel off-peak so it is just giving money away. The aim is to persuade a few people to travel off peak, 7:00 is very much not peak hours.



    Many years ago Tate's Cairns tunnel looked at cheaper off-peak tolls but they just made less money. If they had looked at a shoulder pricing strategy with a higher price at the peak time and lower prices just either side of the peak time they would probably of made more money. But unfortunately they make tunnel licences are a money printing game so they really don't care about balancing out congestion. They should be forced to by law....

    Last edited by East_coast; 14-07-2015 at 08:36 AM.

  3. #3

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    Yes, I understand that, but aren't you now enticing the very early travelers (before 7:15 am) to delay their departures to quality for the discount and potentially creating more congestion during the "early bird" period of 7:15 - 8:15? I can see a lot of people waiting at the MTR gates until 7:15 hits before they leave, possibly creating more congestion. Why create a situation where people who use the train at the slowest time (6:00 am - 7:00 am) are encouraged to delay their departure? They should get an even bigger discount.

    I understand your explanation, but it just would seem to make more sense to give everyone who gets up early the discount. I feel sorry for those people who travel very early and pay more than those who travel later. Seems like a typical Hong Kong senario where bean counters get in the way of common sense.

    Of course I do realize the MTR is a private, for profit company and all that. T

    Last edited by Open Casket; 14-07-2015 at 09:17 AM.

  4. #4

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    Original Post Deleted
    I usually drive my car to work, but I saw it today in Hung Hom. But, really, I don't think you'll see people waiting right at the gates, rather they would adjust their departure in order to arrive during the discount period. If one normally arrived at the exit gates around 7:00 ...it would make a lot of sense to just leave the house 15 minutes later in the morning and enjoy the discount, especially if you are going a long distance and can save more money.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Open Casket:
    Yes, I understand that, but aren't you now enticing the very early travelers (before 7:15 am) to delay their departures to quality for the discount and potentially creating more congestion during the "early bird" period of 7:15 - 8:15? T
    If the shoulder period becomes congested then I suspect they would increase the time. It isn't so they haven't.

    Quote Originally Posted by Open Casket:
    I understand your explanation, but it just would seem to make more sense to give everyone who gets up early the discount. I feel sorry for those people who travel very early and pay more than those who travel later. Seems like a typical Hong Kong senario where bean counters get in the way of common sense
    Luckily the MTR is not run by a committee of bleeding hearts. The principle purpose of shoulder pricing is to reduce the need for capital investment.