31 Aug 2008: SEQ: The public transport crisis has arrived ?

[ozbob]

Media Release 31 August 2008

SEQ:  The public transport crisis has arrived ?

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has said the public transport crisis has arrived in south-east Queensland.  The TransLink Transit Authority, Government and Queensland Transport have failed the citizens of the Queensland.  RAIL Back On Track has been warning of the imminent arrival of this crisis for some time, only to be dismissed as crackpots!

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?Every day the congestion on the rail suburban and interurban network becomes more intolerable.  More and more buses leave people waiting at bus stops. Buses simply don?t turn up, sometimes trains.?

?The TransLink Transit Authority commenced operations on 1st July 2008.  RAIL Back On Track was, as were most of the public transport commuters in south-east Queensland, hopeful that some improvements would occur.  Nothing like that has happened; rather we have seen the slide to mediocrity gain momentum, much like a coal train down a long grade. Perhaps if we looked like lumps of coal public transport commuters might actually gain something??

?RAIL Back On Track calls on the Premier of Queensland to sort out the immediate mess. The Transport Portfolio has lost contact with reality. We have previously suggested some start points (1).  The TransLink Transit Authority should be staffed with personnel from Queensland Rail and Brisbane Transport, personnel that actually understand their respective transport modes.?

?Do away with the TransLink call centre.  They consistently give callers incorrect information and advice.  Let the public transport operators handle the queries; they actually understand what is going on.?

?The TransLink Transit Authority Board remains aloof and distant from the community.  Disband the board it appears to be non-functional. A board that fails to include representatives from the key stakeholder, the public transport commuter, is also dysfunctional.?

?The Queensland Government appears to be incapable of realising the extent of the problems and loss of confidence by public transport commuters in them.?

?It is time to address the problems!?

References:

1.    http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1279.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[Otto]

Well said Robert.. I agree wholeheartedly !
I have seen personally the rediculous directions given to some commuters.

[Andrew]

Gday all

I have some thoughts I'd like to share about the latest media release

Media Release 31 August 2008

SEQ:  The public transport crisis has arrived ?

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has said the public transport crisis has arrived in south-east Queensland.  The TransLink Transit Authority, Government and Queensland Transport have failed the citizens of the Queensland.  RAIL Back On Track has been warning of the imminent arrival of this crisis for some time, only to be dismissed as crackpots!

A little melodramatic don't you think?  Was there any particular event that has signalled the arrival of this crisis?  It's just that I don't know how keen people will be to read the rest after an introduction like that.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?Every day the congestion on the rail suburban and interurban network becomes more intolerable.  More and more buses leave people waiting at bus stops. Buses simply don?t turn up, sometimes trains.?

?The TransLink Transit Authority commenced operations on 1st July 2008.  RAIL Back On Track was, as were most of the public transport commuters in south-east Queensland, hopeful that some improvements would occur.  Nothing like that has happened; rather we have seen the slide to mediocrity gain momentum, much like a coal train down a long grade. Perhaps if we looked like lumps of coal public transport commuters might actually gain something??

Those are good points.  I think there is too much political interferance sometimes. I like the coal analogy - very subtle and clever (on account of QR's large coal haulage interests).

?RAIL Back On Track calls on the Premier of Queensland to sort out the immediate mess. The Transport Portfolio has lost contact with reality. We have previously suggested some start points (1).  The TransLink Transit Authority should be staffed with personnel from Queensland Rail and Brisbane Transport, personnel that actually understand their respective transport modes.?

To be honest I don't know how good the QR staff are at the moment.  QR is/has been going through a restructure and I suspect a lot of people have been moved to positions that they don't really know.  I do agree with your point overall though.  Good help is hard to find sometimes.

?Do away with the TransLink call centre.  They consistently give callers incorrect information and advice.  Let the public transport operators handle the queries; they actually understand what is going on.?

Nope, I wouldn't.  The way Translink is set up at the moment, it wouldn't work. Translink encourages people to use more than one mode or operator in their journeys.  It's the whole theory behind integrated ticketing.  Seperating the complaints/information up would confuse people, especially infrequent users who wouldn't have a clue whether it was a Veolia bus or a Logan bus (especially when a lot are being painted in the Translink livery).  It would be good to make sure the operators are well trained but I think the call centre should remain.  It's now 24 hour which is a significant improvement.

?The TransLink Transit Authority Board remains aloof and distant from the community.  Disband the board it appears to be non-functional. A board that fails to include representatives from the key stakeholder, the public transport commuter, is also dysfunctional.?

?The Queensland Government appears to be incapable of realising the extent of the problems and loss of confidence by public transport commuters in them.?

I wouldn't disband it just yet.  They've only been going 2 months.  I would support more accountability and openess to the commuters and key stakeholders.

?It is time to address the problems!?

References:

1.    http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1279.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

I definately agree on that one.

I think it's good to have groups that are highlighting problems, especially in the public forum.  These organisations are mainly political and embarrassing them in public is sometimes the only way to get them to actually do something.

regards
Andrew

[ozbob]

Thanks for the feedback, public and private.

The bottom line is as Andrew confirms, it is time for improvements!

[ozbob]

We have received a lot of feedback via the web, and direct feedback in person of difficulties people are experiencing.

This ranges from concern with people fainting on overloaded rail services, to university students who are having problems with buses not turning up, and when they do cannot board.  Others are suffering financially due to advertised services being cancelled and so forth, additional child care costs, loss of wages.  One has only had to read the blogs at Brisbanetimes and news.com the past weeks, the comments in the community newspapers, and listen to radio talk back to get a measure of the problems.

RAIL Back On Track has been highlighting the worsening congestion for some time.  No it isn't melodramatic at all.  I in fact wrote to every Member of the Parliament suggesting that we were entering a crisis a number of months ago.  We have counted >1300 passengers on a six car train.  The load limit is 998.  In Melbourne, 5'3' gauge,  Connex (the operator) is breached if the six car load is >798.  Is this acceptable that 3'6" gauge trains are so grossly overloaded? Is it safe? 

Some our members, myself included regularly go and ride the congested bottle necks to observe first hand the problems.

We receive a lot of what I call 'secondary feedback' at RAIL BoT.  This is comments and rants from members of the public who have exhausted all normal feedback mechanisms - TL, QR, BT, Local Members and Minister and so forth.  You would be surprised how often they are ignored.

This feedback helps inform our ongoing efforts.

The TransLink call centre is NOT working properly at all.  For example, a colleague posted on a large internal email list at work that he was told by the TL Call centre that QR 3 6 and 12 months can be used on buses.  I politely suggested that was not case and he should ring a supervisor at TL.  He did that, but first he rang a further three times, each time he asked a different operator the same question "Could he use a QR 3 month ticket on buses, he was assured he could'.  He then rang again and this time insisted he speak with a 'supervisor'.  The supervisor then indicated that he couldn't use the QR 3 monthly on buses (which is the correct response of course).   We have many more examples of incorrect information being told. 

The call centre should tap into the resources of the major operators to get the facts right!

If we can do our little bit to try to highlight the problems we will. 

RAIL Back On Track does not make a claim we cannot support.

Happy travelling.

Cheers
Admin

[ozbob]

Our position is justified ....  we have been warning Government and media of the poor performance for some time.

From the Courier Mail click here!

Thumbs down for Queensland's public transport system

Thumbs down for Queensland's public transport system
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Craig Johnstone

September 02, 2008 12:00am

A HIGH-level survey for the Bligh Government has confirmed that commuter satisfaction with Queensland's public transport system has plummeted.

It found public regard for the rail, bus and ferry system had "significantly decreased", both for regular users and those who travelled on public transport only occasionally.

In a blow for the Government, the survey showed that public transport's overall performance rating was at its lowest  in 10 years.

The results of the annual AC Nielsen survey come as the state's transport bosses are being accused of paying more attention to money-spinning sectors, such as freight, at the expense of passenger transport.

They also follow last week's admission by Queensland Rail that up to one in five of its peak-hour trains are overcrowded.

A report on the survey, tabled in Parliament last week, describes a public transport system that more people use but fewer are satisfied with. More than 3000 people were asked to rate public transport services on a scale of one to five on criteria such as reliability.

The survey, conducted each year since 1998, found the performance of public transport has generally rated lower each year, with the decline accelerating in recent years.

Premier Anna Bligh told Parliament last week the AC Nielsen research was a factor in her decision to establish the South East Queensland Transit Authority.