A.8
It should however be noted that loop layouts at termini are superior
in operational terms to layouts that require reversal; where land
is readily available and operating conditions permit, a turning
loop is preferred.
Door Arrangements and Fare Collection
A.9
To maintain high commercial speeds, it is important to minimi se dwell time. Short dwell times at stations are also essential if
a high-throughput of trains is to be achieved through tunnel
sections. Generous provision of doorways is therefore necessary and most modern LRV's of the proposed length include four or
five sets of double doors on each side of the car.
A.10
Clearly, a vehicle of this type is of no value if the existing fare collection system is retained whereby all passengers file
past the driver depositing the exact fare in a fare box. It
should be noted that the success of the LRT operation is
critically dependent on a system that takes most of the tasks
of fare collection out of the hands of the driver and permits
passengers to use the nearest door for boarding and alighting
in the manner associated with underground railways. In addition,
when multiple unit operation is adopted, sizeable economies in
operating costs can be made since there is no need for staff on
the second car of trains.
A. 11
Some of the methods of improving fare collection were indicated in Interim Report 8 (Volume 2). Virtually all European LRT Systems
have succeeded in taking fare collection out of the drivers'
hands and introducing a large measure of passenger self-service.
Table A.2 indicates the systems used by a number of European operators. It is noteworthy that in several cases, complex zonal fare systems have been introduced covering an entire city-region
and permitting easy interchange between modes.
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