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Article: Staff abused over Go Card fiasco

Started by ozbob, January 21, 2010, 05:33:56 AM

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ozbob

From the Queensland Times click here!

Staff abused over Go Card fiasco

QuoteStaff abused over Go Card fiasco

Zane Jackson | 21st January 2010

UNION officials claim Queensland Rail staff are being abused by commuters who are angry with Go Card malfunctions and paper ticket price increases.

QR staff members can only refer commuters with Go Card problems to telephone TransLink – which the union says confuses rail users who want their problems "fixed then and there".

But TransLink hit back at the claims of staff abuse, with a spokesman saying the union had exaggerated the problem.

Rail Tram and Bus Union branch organiser Greg Talbot said QR workers on the Ipswich line had personally told him they were being abused by commuters constantly throughout the day.

"Obviously peak hours are the worst times for it because of the volume of people, but it's happening all day, ever since ticket prices increased earlier this month," Mr Talbot said.

"What people don't understand is that if there are any problems with the Go Card, it's an issue that only TransLink can deal with and QR staff can only do so much.

"But understandably from the commuter's point of view, they want their problem fixed then and there, and unfortunately QR staff are bearing the brunt of their frustrations."

TransLink spokesman Andrew Berkman said Go Card equipment at train stations was operational 99.8 per cent of the time, and record numbers were enjoying the new system.

"Our public transport front line staff are very highly skilled and assist customers on a range of public transport matters and we don't condone abuse of staff," Mr Berkman said.

"From the two million customers QR has carried in the first two weeks of 2010, they have received 20 formal complaints regarding ticketing issues."

More than 50,000 Go Cards were issued in the first two weeks of 2010, after paper ticket prices increased by 40 per cent.

Mr Berkman said if customers had a Go Card issue QR staff couldn't answer they could call 13 12 30.

He said TransLink also has had more than 100 "Helping Hands" staff across the network.
Half baked projects, have long term consequences ...
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ozbob

#1
Published The Satellite 6th January 2010

Letters

New public transport fares

On Monday the 4th January 2010 a new fare structure for all TransLink public transport services in south-east Queensland came into effect.  

Commuters will note there are price rises for paper tickets of around 40%, this includes daily, weekly and monthly tickets.

Go card fares are increasing around 20%, however this will position go card fares at what was the paper single fare costs in 2007.  

Off peak fares will be available on the go card for the first time. For the vast majority of public transport commuters moving to the go card is the most affordable option.

Unless a commuter regularly does more than 12 journeys in a seven day period from Monday to Sunday, go card is clearly more affordable under the new fare structure than to continue to use paper tickets.

All paper tickets are planned to be removed at the end of this year. Also note the Government and TransLink have flagged further annual fare price rises of 15% for the next four years.

Clearly many commuters will be surprised and possibly upset with the quantum of the fare price rises.  

I would urge all commuters not to vent their disappointment and anger direct to station staff, bus drivers and ferry crew, but rather to elected political representatives and TransLink.  

Public transport operators are only doing their job and it is not pleasant being caught in a commuter cross-fire.

Robert Dow
RAIL Back On Track
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ozbob

Many folks have given up with formal complaints, clumsy processes and often meaningless spin responses.  Little wonder they feel a bit annoyed ...

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ozbob

Editorial Queensland Times 21st January 2010 page 8

Blame bosses for Go Card failures

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Nightwriter

Quote from: ozbob on January 21, 2010, 05:56:56 AM
Many folks have given up with formal complaints, clumsy processes and often meaningless spin responses.  Little wonder they feel a bit annoyed ...



Agree with this - judging from my colleague's discussions, and my own personal experience (having written to Rachel Nolan and gotten a reply so full of spin, it should have been turning circles in my letterbox), people are just putting up with the system without lodging complaints.  Nothing ever comes of it, so why bother?

mufreight

Quote from: Nightwriter on January 21, 2010, 07:36:43 AM
Quote from: ozbob on January 21, 2010, 05:56:56 AM
Many folks have given up with formal complaints, clumsy processes and often meaningless spin responses.  Little wonder they feel a bit annoyed ...



Agree with this - judging from my colleague's discussions, and my own personal experience (having written to Rachel Nolan and gotten a reply so full of spin, it should have been turning circles in my letterbox), people are just putting up with the system without lodging complaints.  Nothing ever comes of it, so why bother?

Well at least you got a response from Minister Nolan's (spin doctors), most writing to her do not even receive the courtesy of an acknowledgment much less a response

Nightwriter

QuoteWell at least you got a response from Minister Nolan's (spin doctors), most writing to her do not even receive the courtesy of an acknowledgment much less a response

I'm surprised to hear this - I thought that all correspondence addressed to the Minister has to be responded to within a set timeframe....?

Nightwriter

mufreight, I have confirmed that all Ministerial correspondence must be answered by the Minister's office, so if letters are not being answered, it means someone in the Minister's office (and ultimately the Minister) is not doing their job.

If it was me, because I'm a persistent type of person, I'd call them on it - and write a second letter, referring to the first.  But thats just me.

Derwan

They just got sick of mufreight's letters!   ;D
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ozbob

They stopped responding to mine, so I turned to media releases ...  ;D
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Nightwriter

#10
 :-r They are going to get sick of mine - I'm quite irked about the response I got, so I'm planning on continue writing on several points that I want to raise.  

I'll join you all in the 'persistent pest' file  :-t

O_128

#11
Ive been sending the minster letters. sent about 5 this week all no replys
"Where else but Queensland?"

stephenk

Quote from: O_128 on January 23, 2010, 13:32:40 PM
Ive been sending the minster letters senta bout 5 this week all no replys
Maybe you should save them up, and send one a week?  ;)
Evening peak service to Enoggera* 2007 - 7tph
Evening peak service to Enoggera* 2010 - 4tph
* departures from Central between 16:30 and 17:30.

p858snake

Send them by courier and use a option where the addressee must sign (not a minion) *whistles* although that would add up in cost.....

awotam

"Send them by courier and use a option where the addressee must sign (not a minion) *whistles* although that would add up in cost....."
Might be worth it...  ;D For a while, anyway...

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