outback to jungle

Musings on experiences of volunteering in Papua New Guinea with some gratuitous domestic social and public comment

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

PMV travel -the way to meet people

I was on Newtown station a year or so ago trying to catch the 8.23 to City. It came at say 8.25 and was too crowded and the attendant over the loudspeaker suggested people wait for the 8.35 - only a 10 minute wait. However, such is the reputation of CityRail that if there is a train at the station, then you get on it because another might not come. And so people behave in Newtown in a marginally more civilised manner - they do not climb through train windows and generally - I repeat GENERALLY they do not push pregnant ladies and cripples and nursing mothers out of the way. And so as for the PMV system here. It is private enterprise. PMVs are not owned by the government. Owners buy a licence to run a route. The Unigate route is 11C or 11D. But to get 2 fares of 50t they go via Kamkumung - ie, you pay 50t to Kamkumung, the PMV unloads you then the PMV drives 10m and it picks you up again and you pay another 50t. The route is supposed to be 50t direct between Eriku and Unigate. You might say it's only 50t . But tell that to someone who is only on say 80t per hour. As for a timetable. The PMV goes when it is full - ie, when it has about K14 worth of passengers.

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