Article: Chroming on our rail line is 'the worst'

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!


Chroming on our rail line is 'the worst'

Chroming on our rail line is 'the worst'

Zane Jackson | 7th October 2009

UNION officials have dubbed the Ipswich train line ?the worst? for chroming in QR's suburban Brisbane network - with rail staff fearing for patrons and their own personal safety.

Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees state secretary Greg Smith said chroming - the inhalation of petrol, paint and other substances - is rife on the Ipswich line.

He said he had received many complaints from his union members about the chroming problem.

?It is problem that's getting worse - it's becoming a problem across the whole network,? Mr Smith said.

?But the feedback I'm getting is that the Ipswich line is a particularly bad line.

?From the reports we hear it is the worst of all the Brisbane suburban rail lines.?

?It used to be something that only really happened at night time, but now we're hearing reports of it happening at 6am in the morning.?

Queensland Police said chroming was not illegal and police could only ?move on? people caught doing it.

Mr Smith said rail staff were concerned the current laws were not tough enough to protect themselves or the public from passengers caught chroming.

?They might get told to move on, but half an hour later you will see them just hop on a different train half an hour later,? he said.

?When they are high after chroming, they are unpredictable and you can't talk logic to them.?

A spokesman for Translink said new legislation had been introduced to help QR transit officers to combat passengers who sniff inhalants on trains.

?Transit officers have the ability to issue fines and to eject someone from the train,? the spokesman said.

?Government recently legislated to beef up these powers such that transit officers can be trained to detain people who cause a nuisance.

?In addition there are 54 dedicated members of the Queensland Police Service Railway Squad who routinely patrol the public transport network and respond to specific incidents, including people chroming on trains.?

They said anyone who notices other passengers chroming on a train should alert a member of the train crew by approaching the guard or by using the internal intercoms in each carriage.

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said there is a critical need for the introduction of real-time security cameras and a rail-specific emergency number for passengers to dob in problems on their carriages.

Translink said a Request for Information (RFI) regarding a proposed wireless system to live-stream CCTV images from train carriages closed in September, but there were no set timeframes for the proposal.

[longboi]

I reckon Beenleigh line would definately give the Ipswich a run for its money 

Anyway, chromers aren't anything to be scared of...They're too high on gold paint (apparently gold is the best ) to even stand up straight!

[#Metro]

It is not just chroming.
I've seen young people get drunk and vomit at suburban stations early on friday and sat nights.
I've seen people with a needle sticking into their forearm injecting drugs (in broad daylight) and seen needles discarded near entry corridors.


I'm so glad that there is security on trains late at night.
But I've never seen behaviour like that at a busway or a ferry stop.

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Parliament Hansard 8th October 2009 Questions Without Notice

Citytrain, Offence Provisions

Mr SPRINGBORG: My question without notice is to the Minister for Transport. Yesterday on radio the minister claimed that an offender was fined $4,000 for sniffing glue on a train but could provide no details. Will the minister now provide details of the time, date and place for the offence, or was this just another throwaway line from a minister who has absolutely no idea?

Ms NOLAN: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, in pretty classic National Party form, has misled the House with the premise of his question. Ms Bligh: Surprise, surprise. A government member: He should go to jail.

Mr Lucas: Their rule doesn?t relate to the chamber; only to estimates. Ms Bligh: They couldn?t sustain it in the chamber.

Ms NOLAN: That is right. Yesterday on radio I made the point that under section 143AF, I think, of the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act there is a provision for fines of up to $4,000 and six months in jail for people who are caught creating a disturbance or causing a nuisance on a train. I simply made the point that that is the broad provision which applies. It is misleading to suggest, as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has just done, that I made the point that that had occurred in this  particular circumstance. That was not what I said. I made the general point that under the act that is the provision that applies. The transcript will bear that out and, as such, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is deliberately misleading the House.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is unparliamentary, Minister. You will withdraw that.

Ms NOLAN: I withdraw, Mr Speaker. But I would make the point that it is not unusual for an inaccurate proposition to be put from that side of the House in the premise of a question. We will all recall the member for Callide having admitted that he has done that deliberately in the form of what he called a ?tactical lie?. I think the people of Queensland expect a degree of honesty from all of us in both our questions and our answers. I do not think it would be too much for the people of Queensland to expect that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who has been here making a pretty minimal contribution over a very long period of time, would know the rules and would be able to frame a question on the basis of honesty.

Citytrain, Answer by Minister for Transport

Mr SEENEY: My question without notice is to the Minister for Transport. A few moments ago the Minister for Transport, in an answer to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, claimed that the transcript of the interview that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition referred to would bear out her claim that his question was misleading. I quote from the transcript of that interview where the interviewer asked the minister-

But you can't tell me one person who has been charged, convicted or fined that $4,000 for sniffing glue on a train?

The transcript records that the minister replied-

No, I don't have the figure in front of me, but I'm advised that it has happened.

The question for the minister is: how does this transcript bear out the minister's claim that the question from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition was misleading?

Ms NOLAN: I welcome the opportunity to be quite precise in this response. Let me explain the situation.

Opposition members interjected.

Mr SPEAKER: Order! Minister, resume your seat. You have asked the question; I want to hear the answer. I call the Minister for Transport.

Ms NOLAN: The discussion was about a recent incident on a railway line where a young woman had complained on radio that she felt unsafe as a result of some people chroming on the train. We were discussing quite a specific instance. This matter has been investigated by Queensland Rail, so on radio I was discussing that specific case.

What happened-and I explained this to Madonna King-was that in this specific case the guard asked the young people involved to leave the train. If we have a look at the transcript we find that I said, quite rightly, that in this case the people were kicked off the train. The interview then went on-and again the transcript bears this out-to discuss the broader point of penalties for chroming on trains. I made the broader point that a provision applies under the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act for fines of up to $4,000 and six months in jail for people who create a nuisance on a train.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has, I would argue, misled the House in that he has suggested in his question that I indicated a $4,000 fine not generally under the act but in relation to this specific incident.

Opposition members interjected.

Ms NOLAN: That is right; in the general case. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has been misleading in that he has taken the general and applied it to the specific. That is the premise which is incorrect. I invite members to have a look at the transcript because it will very clearly bear that out.

[ozbob]

Media Release 8 October 2009

SEQ:  Emergency contact help phone number for Citytrain needed

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 called for a system to be put in place that will allow passengers on board QR Citytrains to discreetly contact police at the train control centre when they observe anti-social conduct or feel threatened when travelling.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"QR Citytrains have emergency assistance buttons.  One issue is that passengers on board who feel threatened, or observe anti-social behaviours feel that they are putting themselves at risk if they are seen activating the help system. If an emergency contact phone number was set up, and widely advertised in the trains it would allow passengers to seek assistance without drawing attention to themselves."

"Most passengers have mobile phones and it would be an additional layer of security for passengers."

"The fact that this number would be prominently displayed would also assist in discouraging anti-social behaviours and give passengers confidence that they can get assistance without drawing attention to themselves."

Reference:

1.  http://www.citytrain.com.au/about_your_trip/security_safety/trains_stations/trains_stations.asp

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[STB]

It is not just chroming.
I've seen young people get drunk and vomit at suburban stations early on friday and sat nights.
I've seen people with a needle sticking into their forearm injecting drugs (in broad daylight) and seen needles discarded near entry corridors.


I'm so glad that there is security on trains late at night.
But I've never seen behaviour like that at a busway or a ferry stop.

They are pretty quick with any trouble at Busway stations, with every camera streaming live to in town 24/7.  Any trouble then security isn't far away.

I once had to use the emergency phone on the busway once for something and security came within 5 minutes.  I was quite impressed.

[ozbob]

The number of bus stations relative to the number of rail stations is small.   When the real time camera capability is rolled out on the trains this will assist greatly.  Having an on board contact phone number (voice and sms) will allow passengers to indicate problems discreetly. These measures will also act as a deterrent to anti-social behaviours as well.

It is a sad indictment on today's society that operators have to spend a lot of money and time on these issues.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail 9th October 2009 page 21

Minister goes of rails on chroming



Now online click here!

Transport Minister sorry over train glue sniff fines mix-up

Transport Minister sorry over train glue sniff fines mix-up
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Patrick Lion

October 08, 2009 11:00pm

TRANSPORT Minister Rachel Nolan has been forced into an embarrassing apology after repeatedly contradicting herself over whether fines had been dished out to commuters caught sniffing glue on trains.

In a bumbling Question Time performance, Ms Nolan yesterday struggled to answer questions about an ABC Radio interview this week in which she claimed people had been fined up to the maximum $4000 penalty for sniffing glue on public transport.

Asked by Deputy Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg to provide details of the instances, Ms Nolan claimed she had not said fines had been handed out, lauded her honesty and accused Mr Springborg of misleading the House.

"I think the people of Queensland expect a degree of honesty from all of us in both our questions and our answers," she said. "The transcript will bear that out and, as such, the deputy leader of the Opposition is deliberately misleading the House."

The Opposition then tabled the interview transcript showing Ms Nolan had told the radio station a person had been fined $4000 for sniffing glue on a train.

"I don't have the figure in front of me but I am advised that it has happened," the transcript quoted Mr Nolan as saying on Wednesday morning. However, Ms Nolan continued to shrug off the comments and again accused Mr Springborg of misleading Parliament.

"The deputy leader of the Opposition has, I would argue, misled the House in that he has suggested in his question that I indicated a $4000 fine not generally under the Act but in relation to this specific incident," she said.

Her efforts prompted Premier Anna Bligh to later talk to her junior minister, who returned to Parliament in the afternoon to apologise and clarify her comments.

But Ms Nolan claimed she had simply misunderstood the question and thought Mr Springborg was referring to the specific train incident that had sparked the radio interview.

"I correct the record and apologise to the deputy leader of the Opposition and unreservedly withdraw any comments that may have caused confusion or offence," Ms Nolan said.

She also admitted there were no specific figures to show people had been caught, saying Queensland Rail had issued notices for causing a nuisance to people they "suspected" of chroming.

[mufreight]

Ms Nolan got it right when she said that the people of this state expect honesty of our politicians, but when the incumbent government passes a law that excuses government members who lie to, misinform or mislead the parliament then there can be no trust or belief in any statements made by any government member having destroyed their own credibility.

Spin, bluster, duplicity and lies are no substitute for honesty.