I divide the map in different ticket zones, usually I follow how the map is build, so that every city is in a different ticket area. I make ticket at maximum but mantaining them "white". I pay drivers the minimum that can guarantee me that only 1% of people is ignored, technician so that they works 40 minutes/hour. I pay inspectors so that they will have about 85% happiness and I hire them enough to catch 45-50% of fare dodgers. That's the start.
What you say works, but sometimes it isn't enough. It's better to start on a big city with skyscrapers and such, so that your lines will cover an area enough populated. Choose areas with roads that works fine for public transport if possible, such as bus lanes for example. Start with building a long enough bus line, at least of 10-15 stops. Then add other bus lines to feed on this line. Usually I start with a metro line for this thing but if you don't know enough the game you can start with another transportation type. The bus is the cheapest so is the best for beginners, but you can try with a trolley line or a tram line. For example, a tram line that cross the entire city going on bus lanes or in the middle of an avenue would make it.
I don't know how do you play and where you can improve, anyway here another few tips:
a)How to build a line
Lines work better when you do them as in real life: usually they go straight on a road and follow a certain direction on the map. Absolutely don't make lines go circular*, especially when you are starting the game. You can do a little circle only in the end to make the vehicle turn back. Build stops so that those in the outward voyage and those on the return voyage overlap each other, more or less. This way cims can go to every point they want faster.
*You can make circular lines but remember to build them doubled. So if you are building a line around an island that's going clockwise build another line with stops overlapping the other line's stops but goes anti-clockwise. If you don't do that a cim that, the line being A->B->C->D, want to go from D to C should make the entire trip instead of a single stop.
Anyway I don't suggest to use circular lines in the first moment of the game, usually those are slower for connecting different zones. Circ. are best used to connect different radial lines each other.
b)Vehicles
I always start a new line with the cheapest vehicle, unless I am totally sure I will need something bigger. Then if needed I intensify frequency, when I reach a moment that 1h frequency isn't enough, I build bigger vehicles.
c)Timetable
My standard timetable is:
Day, weekend -> from 6:00 to 00:00
Night - > 00:30 to 05:30
I don't use rush hour timetables.
d)Where cims live/works
In a way it's ok to look where people live and where people work, but obviously you can't make a line that satisfy his needs for every cim. I think that the best way is to cover the city itself and the industrial district itself, then to link the two zones.
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