Adelaide Metro - COVID-19 changes

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Adelaide Metro moves to cashless system from Monday (30th) to stop coronavirus spread

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/adelaide-metro-moves-to-cashless-system-from-monday-to-stop-coronavirus-spread/news-story/200e2f302316b20093477cfbdc2b3ba4

Adelaide Metro services will move to a cashless system on Monday as part of the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

All customers boarding a train, tram or bus will be required to use a metroCARD when boarding public transport.

Commuters will still be able to use cash to buy tickets at vending machines.

Extra vending and recharge machines that accept cash and credit cards will be rolled out at interchanges, including those along the O-Bahn.

Extra cleaning teams, known as "strike crews" have also been contracted to perform regular "turnaround cleans" on trains and trams between services.

They will pay particular attention to hard surfaces and common touch point, such as buttons.

This service is in addition to the ramped up cleaning regime announced by the State Government earlier this month in which public transport would undergo a daily deep clean.

Signs advising people not to board public transport if they are unwell will also be rolled out across trains, trams and buses.

Public transport patronage has decreased by about 70 per cent since the coronavirus crisis started.

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The Advertiser --> No major changes to fix packed trains, says Stephan Knoll

Train commuters are being crammed into reduced services on Adelaide's rail network but the State Government is not planning major changes to better manage social distancing on public transport.

Images emerged yesterday of scores of passengers standing shoulder-to-shoulder in train carriages, including on the Gawler line.

SA Health guidelines urge people to maintain a minimum social distance of 1.5m, while enclosed spaces should have no more than one person per 4sq m.

Cafes are only allowed to serve people outdoors and customers are limited to a maximum of ten at any one time.

Services on the Gawler, Outer Harbor and Belair lines have been reduced due to mechanical problems on some trains, making it busier on those that are running.

Angry commuters have raised concerns that the packed conditions could lead to a second wave of COVID-19, if there are further cases in South Australia.

However, Transport Minister Stephan Knoll told parliament this afternoon that the Government was handling the situation.

"This morning we had officials from the chief public health officer's office ride with departmental staff on some of the peak services, and it is very clear that the Gawler line is the line that is taking most of the pressure at the moment," Mr Knoll said.

"As a result of that, and a briefing that I received about 15 minutes ago, the public health advice has not been for the Transport Department to do anything different from what it is doing.

"The observation from this morning is that ... there is quite a density of passengers towards the front of the train, because when you get to the Adelaide Railway Station, if you get off at the front of the train, you have less to walk to get out of the train station, and with less density on the back of the train."

Mr Knoll said as of tomorrow morning an extra two carriages would be put back on the Gawler line, "especially during those morning and afternoon peaks".

"And we will do as we have consistently done over the course of this pandemic; that is, if the advice from the public health officials changes, then we will follow that advice," he said.

A problem with the drivetrain in some of Adelaide Metro's diesel fleet was discovered after a mechanical incident last Wednesday morning.

Only 28 of Adelaide Metro's 70 diesel trains are currently operating, sparking a backlash from some passengers.

"I believe Adelaide Metro will single-handedly be responsible for the second wave of COVID-19 by its poor form of lessening services and carriage numbers," commuter Dan Foster wrote on Twitter.

Another commuter, Sandy, was also unimpressed: "Could someone explain to me why @AdelaideMetroSA doesn't have extra carriages on their 'reduced services'? Carriages were packed and people were allowed to cram on the train. Not good enough," she posted on Twitter.

The department is sourcing parts locally and from interstate to fix the carriages.

This work will be completed under warranty.

The Government hopes to have sufficient materials by Friday so it can start restoring the fleet to service.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas said now was "not the time for us to have trains chock-a-block".

"What we've seen on both the Outer Harbor line and the Gawler line are very crowded trains at the exact time that we should be doing the opposite," he said.

"People still need to be observing social distancing (but) they also need to be able to get to work, which is why (Premier) Steven Marshall should really reverse his cuts to public transport, put on ice his program of privatisation, so we can actually see public transport operating in a fashion that is consistent with the health requirements."

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The Advertiser --> Commuter confusion after mixed messages on crowded trains

Commuters responded angrily to crowded carriages this week but frustration has been overtaken by confusion at conflicting messages from transport and health authorities.

Conflicting messages are confusing commuters about the safety of using public transport, where lack of controls has led to overcrowding.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll today insisted his department was following health advice that train passengers were safe.

However, chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier only hours earlier said public transport was a "major concern". She said it would be wiser for passengers to wait for the next service to ensure social distancing, if carriages looked full.

Mr Knoll said "there are concerns – but not major concerns – in relation to what's happening here".

"It's an issue that will be fixed," he said.

"We saw in fact a significant reduction in those peak services today versus yesterday

"We've been listening to and working with public health officials on how we've been responding, we've been doing what they ask."

Professor Spurrier said the overriding rule was that no one who was sick should travel on public transport.

"South Australians are very sensible; if you see a crowded tram or a crowded train, perhaps it might be worth waiting for the next one," she said.

Talking earlier on radio FIVEaa, Prof Spurrier said when the decision was made to ease restrictions, few people were using public transport.

"But this week, I think across all of the states, this is one of our major concerns and we've been looking at that at AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principal Committee)," she said.

The lack of decisive action to stop overcrowding was "quite alarming", said Darren Phillips, SA secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.

"There should be limits (on the number of people getting on board)," he said.

"At some of the consultation meetings, we talked about putting markers on the floor and the seats ... to remind people of social distancing but they decided not to do that."

Mr Knoll said extra carriages had been added to trains on the Gawler and Belair lines, and a shuttle bus from Mawson Lakes to the city would be provided today. He said the mechanical issue, which took much of the diesel fleet out for repairs, was being resolved and trains would be running "every 15 minutes" at peak on Monday.

From tomorrow, announcements would be made on platforms to tell people to spread out. Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis called for more substitute buses and an "early-bird" cheap or free service to get people to spread out.

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CONFUSING SIGNALS ABOUT BUSY TRAINS FIRST MAJOR SPEEDHUMP
By Daniel Wills

ANALYSIS: Premier Steven Marshall's smooth ride through the coronavirus crisis has hit its first major speedhump, with a justified confusion over what's happening with public transport and shocking jobs data showing the terrible scale of the livelihoods lost in a determined collective effort to save lives.

It's now almost unanimous that the health response to the crisis in SA has been as close to flawless as possible, made reality by clear direction from health authorities and the basic compassion and common sense of a community that wants to do right by its neighbours and the vulnerable.

But the image on the front page of The Advertiser of a Gawler-line train carriage that had all the social distancing of a sardine tin, and mixed messages from the Government about if that was OK, will chip away at that confidence.

When the facts change, our political leaders should have the right to change their mind.

And Transport Minister Stephan Knoll got there eventually, today committing extra carriages as SA Health chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said people could take public transport.

But they should also avoid it if they can, she said. In a radio interview, her deputy Michael Cusack seemed to know more about what was happening on the tube in London than our own northern suburbs rattlers.

It was a very bold call to not allow the Power and Crows to take up the fly-in, fly-out plan that the AFL was keen on to help the season get started.

Along with having a beer at the pub, watching the footy is right up there with the simple pleasures people want back.

Doing anything to make that harder risked significant public blow-back. But the early signs are that most people have accepted it, and continue to have supreme confidence in the health officials and Mr Marshall to make the right and tough calls while balancing all the information on hand.

That kind of confidence has to be, and so far has been, earned. It is not automatic.

This is going to be one of the tougher periods of the epidemic, as we open up but do so safely. Communication can't afford to start going off track.

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One of their re-engined units had an unexpected turbo charger failure, and the lot have been pulled for replacement.

Apparently some of the overcrowding is just from people all boarding in the Adelaide end of the train, due to the terminal station at Adelaide.

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One of their re-engined units had an unexpected turbo charger failure, and the lot have been pulled for replacement.

Apparently some of the overcrowding is just from people all boarding in the Adelaide end of the train, due to the terminal station at Adelaide.

Yes shortage of DMUs because of the forced repairs and usual lazy pax behaviours, and a nice beat-up with the usual pics of ' sardines ' ... 

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The Advertiser --> Adelaide trains packed again, but no social distancing rules coming

More overcrowding on Adelaide trains and moves by NSW Government to enforce social distancing on public transport have not convinced the Transport Department to implement any new measures in South Australia.

Photos from readers sent to The Advertiser on Monday show trains were full of passengers in the morning peak.

However, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll stood by his position of last week that the issue was being resolved.

"We are taking advice from health officials as our state and national economies continue to open up, more people look to catch public transport," Mr Knoll said.

"Public transport is a national issue and like all jurisdictions, we are awaiting the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee advice.

"Following health advice has been the cornerstone of our success in responding to COVID-19 and we will continue to take that approach."

With repairs to a mechanical issue affecting the fleet, 42 of 70 diesel cars are now in operation which Mr Knoll said "means we can provide more frequency and capacity during peak periods."

The photos on Monday were taken at suburban platforms, not at Adelaide Railway Station where the government said last week there was a problem with people bunching up in the lead carriage to get off the train and into the city quickly.

Last week's assurances that Adelaide's problems were sorted would have encouraged commuters to use trains, Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said.

"There would have been a lot of people who heard that news and thought they could roll up to their train station with confidence they'd be able to catch a train and not be jam-packed," he said.

In NSW on Monday, limits on the number of passengers allowed on board public transport were announced, including only 12 people being allowed on a bus that normally can convey more than 60.

Seats will have stickers saying where people can sit and real-time advice will be provided by platform displays and travel apps indicating whether the next train or bus has room, is nearly full or is already full to the limit.

Sydney will open up new cycling lanes and extra car parking to keep commuters off public transport.

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The Advertiser --> Release plan to deal with train overcrowding, says Opposition

The State Government must release a plan to combat overcrowding on trains – and the advice it is relying on to manage the situation – the Opposition says, as commuters packed into carriages again on Tuesday morning.

Labor transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis is calling on the Government to follow the lead of both NSW and Victoria in relation to how they are dealing with packed carriages in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

NSW yesterday released its plan to ease congestion on trains. Measures included increasing services; creating event-style carparking in or near the city so people can drive to work; and placing green dots on trains to indicate the safest places to sit and stand.

Victoria has also released its plan to deal with the problem, saying it will introduce free early-bird travel and measures to ensure passengers can socially distance on board.

It comes as pictures emerged this morning showing packed carriages on the Gawler and Belair lines.

The images are similar to those seen on trains over recent days.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll last Wednesday told parliament "the public health advice has not been for the transport department to do anything different from what it is doing" in relation to managing patronage on trains.

The following day SA Health chief public health officer said people should avoid using public transport if they are not able to socially distance.

Mr Koutsantonis said the Government had handled public transport overcrowding in a "chaotic and confusing manner, with mixed messages and broken promises".

"(Premier) Steven Marshall says he's waiting for (advice from) the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee – but that hasn't stopped other states taking action," Mr Koutsantonis said.

"The government needs to outline its plan so we do not see a repeat of these shocking scenes on our trains.

"We have this confusing situation in South Australia where you can get a massage, you can get a haircut, you can get crammed in on a train, but of course you can't have a beer at a pub."

The Government says it has already increased frequencies of services and cleaning of carriages.

A problem with the drivetrain in some of Adelaide Metro's diesel fleet was discovered after a mechanical incident on May 6.

As a result, Gawler, Outer Harbor and Belair rails services had been reduced and were running half-hourly while the Grange service was replaced by substitute buses, making it busier on trains that were still operating.

As at May 13, only 28 of Adelaide Metro's 70 diesel trains were operating as the Government awaited replacement parts to fix the carriages.

As of Tuesday, 40 diesel cars were in operation and more services had been brought online.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said more trains were being put back into service every day and the Government would continue to follow the health advice.

"Public transport is a national issue and like all jurisdictions, we are awaiting the AHPPC advice," he said.

"Following health advice has been the cornerstone of our success in responding to COVID-19 in South Australia and we will continue to take advice from health officials and not Tom Koutsantonis.​

"Currently the health advice is to stagger your travel on public transport, travel outside of peak periods where possible and do not catch public transport if you are unwell."

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The Advertiser --> Adelaide Metro trains back to normal timetable, Knoll says

Trains will be back to the regular Adelaide Metro timetable, the State Government says.

"As of Thursday, we are back to normal train services as per the regular weekday timetable, meaning a further increase in capacity on the diesel lines," Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll said.

"We understand this has been a frustrating time for commuters with trains being out of service and we thank them for their patience."

In addition to the trains, Adelaide Metro will have buses on standby at the Mawson Lakes Interchange for the morning peak. Passengers will be able to hop on a bus if the Gawler line trains look full.

Shuttle buses also will operate from Grange to support social distancing.

A mechanical problem with diesel motors had taken most of the train fleet out of service for repairs over the past fortnight. Almost all diesel units are now back in service.

The reduced services caused overcrowding which angered commuters who were returning to public transport as coronavirus restrictions eased.

Mr Knoll said the Government would continue to follow health advice about public transport, with no new measures to enforce social distancing recommended.

"Currently, the health advice is to stagger your travel on public transport, travel outside of peak periods where possible and do not catch public transport if you are unwell," he said.

Closure of the Gawler line from 9pm nightly for upgrading work will continue.

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The Advertiser --> Packed commuters urged to mind the gap

New peak public transport timetables, staggered travel times into the city and encouraging people to walk or cycle to work are among official plans to manage social distancing as a consequence of coronavirus.

Today's announcement came in the wake of heated debate about packed services.

The State Government today unveiled public transport measures to manage overcrowding, including a trial of the new morning and afternoon peak timetable.

But there will be fewer seats on train carriages, so commuters can spread out, specific exit and entry doors and masks will be optional.

There will also be no limit on passenger numbers as officials urged commuters not to travel if they are sick.

Demand on the busiest bus routes, such as the O-Bahn, will be monitored to move shift services to meet supply.

Trains will be also modified for 2x2 seating – from the current 3x3 – to widen aisles.

A taskforce with Adelaide City Council will investigate more cycling, parking and staggered travel times.

Other parking areas, such as throughout the Parklands, could be used as more people return to work.

More platform markings, updated signage and posters and new smartphone apps to provide commuters with better real-time information are to be introduced.

The overhaul, based on official advice from Australia's top public health doctors, came after images of train commuters crammed into packed carriages emerged during reduced services along Adelaide's rail network, attracting widespread criticisms of how authorities managed health risks.

Authorities will introduce peak period timetables for the busy Gawler line to help northern-suburbs' commuters maintain physical distance.

The Government said the measures, to be introduced from next week, balanced resources with passenger use without having to introduce more vehicles or carriages.

Announcing the new safety plan after today's national Cabinet, Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the new Gawler line timetable would "provide more services across an extended peak period to increase capacity and give customers more options".

He said allowing space to properly social distance at peak times would need 4000 extra buses, 100 more trams and 300 additional trains.

"If successful, we will extend these arrangements to other lines," he said. "It is very clear when we move to a more open economy that looking at way we can stagger people's public transport habits in and out of the city as a way we can help improve social distancing on public transport."

Mr Knoll said there was "not one simple answer". He said: "It is going be a mixture of encourage more people to walk, more people to cycle, more people to use private vehicles, more people to work from home and for those who continue to use public transport to follow all of the advice around making sure they are well and ... follow the direction around movement."

The Government has already banned cash on networks, increased cleaning, fast-tracked installation of special driver screens and staggered Adelaide Railway station arrivals. Figures show patronage has plunged as fewer than one in three regular city commuters return to public transport.

Premier Steven Marshall said public transport was "an area of real concern, not just in Australia but right around the world".

Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said last night the plan should have been made "weeks ago".

"Instead, passengers were subjected to dangerous overcrowding because the Government didn't have a plan," he said, adding it should not be used to cut services.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said: "We're certainly keen to play our part in ensuring public transport is as safe as possible and in encouraging more walking and cycling within the city."

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ABC --> Adelaide trains to have almost 700 seats removed to 'limit coronavirus risk'

Almost 700 seats will be removed from Adelaide trains as a social distancing measure after passengers recently raised concerns about the potential coronavirus risk on packed trains.

Key points:
Passengers have warned of packed trains increasing the coronavirus risk
Seating will be reduced to increase space in train aisles
Other measures will also be introduced — but passenger numbers will not be capped
A total of 670 seats will be stripped out of 70 diesel-powered trains servicing Adelaide routes.

It is among a raft of initiatives announced by the SA Government on Friday as part of a plan to have more people return to public transport safely as the economy reopens, including changed timetables and a continuing ban on cash payments.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said allowing more space in aisles would help improve social distancing as more commuters return to using public transport and the economy slowly reopens.

"Our analysis shows that those seats don't get used in the proper fashion now in terms of the number of people that sit together," Mr Knoll said.

He said the Government had planned to make the change over 12 months, but would instead do it over the next month.

Last month, commuters expressed dismay on social media when services were cut, saying they were at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 on packed public trains.

Also on Friday, the SA Government said there would not be a cap on commuter numbers, and wearing masks would be optional.

The Government hopes the measures will enable a safe return for thousands of passengers when the next stage of reduced restrictions is rolled out on Monday.

The rollout of perspex screens will be accelerated to protect bus drivers and prevent people using cash to purchase tickets, while floor markings would be put down on trains, trams and buses to limit congestion.

"What we want to provide is a flow of traffic where people get on [through] one door and get out [through] another," Mr Knoll said.

"Our public transport usage is well down on what it used to be ... at the moment we're sitting at just over 40 per cent of normal patronage levels.

Mr Knoll said the Government would also accelerate the development of a series of public transport mobile apps to give users better real-time information.

Premier Steven Marshall said passengers had the option to use face masks, but that such a step was not compulsory and that they would not be provided by Adelaide Metro.

He also acknowledged that removing the option of using cash to pay for tickets on public transport — meaning people will have to use a plastic MetroCard at all times — would inconvenience some.

Mr Knoll added that the Government and the Adelaide City Council would establish a "taskforce" in an effort to "stagger people's public transport habits in and out of the city".

He said the taskforce would also look at how it could improve various transport options, including walking, cycling, and potentially e-scooters through Adelaide's CBD.

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The Advertiser --> Adelaide commuters stick to cars over public transport options

Public transport patronage in Adelaide continues to be shunned despite traffic tracking close to pre-COVID levels, new figures show.

Transport Department data shows bus, train and tram use is still down by about a third from the same time last year.

There were 815,806 trips across the bus, tram and train network last week – compared to 1,259,558 trips for the same week in 2019.

However, the numbers are a vast improvement on travel during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, when trips dropped by about 75 per cent to 300,000 in the one week – at the end of March and start of April.

In comparison, The Advertiser earlier this month revealed 90 per cent of the traffic pre-COVID was now back on the road.

Acting Transport Minister Rob Lucas, who replaced Stephan Knoll after his resignation last month, said the figures were to be expected.

But they have prompted calls for the State Government to continue to work on plans to lift the number of public transport users, after bold plans to overhaul the system were scrapped.

Mr Lucas said early drops made sense, as South Australians heeded SA health advice to stay at home, where possible. "Of course, there remain many people right across Adelaide who are choosing to continue to work from home .... others may be choosing to take the car, for the time being, as a way of promoting physical distancing," Mr Lucas said.

The government is building almost $1bn worth of public transport infrastructure including new and expanded Park 'N' Ride facilities along the O-Bahn, new Flinders Link Project in the southern suburbs and the Gawler Rail Electrification Project in northern Adelaide, Mr Lucas said.

RAA spokesman Charles Mountain said the government needed to continue to examine the reason why people were using public transport, or continuing to shun it.

"We need to continue to look at other ways of delivering public transport whether it's light rail or some other form of technology including things like trackless trams," Mr Mountain said.

"All of these things need to continually looked at to see whether they can provide the missing links in our public transport infrastructure ensure its sustainability and attract more people to use it."

The data also shows that public transport patronage between January 1 and July 31 this year was 34.4 per cent down on the same period in 2019.

Total validations, across the bus tram and train network dropped from 40 million to 26 million.

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The Advertiser --> Changes to encourage more people to use QR codes on public transport $

Concerned with the slow uptake of QR coding on public transport, authorities have upgraded the system and told passengers to comply with the rules.

A Transport Department spokesman said new bigger code signs, which can be read by a mobile phone from as far as three metres away, are being phased in to stop people climbing over themselves to get to the tiny coded identifiers.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier has reminded people using the codes for each trip is mandatory. Prof Spurrier was commenting on the new system after SA Health studied data showing there was no upswing in the statewide use of the codes when they were installed in all public transport in August. ...