Article: Commuters uneasy about using night trains

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Commuters uneasy about using night trains

Commuters uneasy about using night trains
CLAY LUCAS
August 14, 2010

MELBOURNE commuters are increasingly scared about using the city's trains at night, with only 40 per cent of commuters saying they are happy with the number of staff on the rail system, new research shows.

The opposition has promised to put armed police officers on every train station in Melbourne after 6pm if it wins November's state election. The state government has this year employed 50 new transit police, bringing force numbers to 250.

But despite the increasing focus on personal safety from both sides of politics, the government's most recent customer satisfaction survey showed only 41 per cent of train travellers felt safe in station car parks after dark. The poll of 2550 public transport users showed just 48 per cent of train travellers were satisfied with their personal security at night.

The survey, released to Greens MP Greg Barber under freedom of information, also indicated growing frustration among commuters about the lack of information being provided when trains were late or cancelled by operator Metro.

Mr Barber said travellers were too often getting left with no information about when the next train would turn up. Last year when announcing Metro had won the $8 billion contract to run Melbourne's trains, Premier John Brumby promised customer service announcements would improve.

The survey showed only 48 per cent of travellers said enough information was available when trains were late or cancelled. One in three travellers said there were not enough useful announcements.

The government's survey showed the most satisfied train travellers were on the Lilydale-Belgrave lines, with 67 per cent generally happy. The least satisfied were using the Sydenham line where only 54 per cent said services were good enough.

The report found happiness with the Metcard system higher than ever, with 78 per cent of people saying it was working well, while 40 per cent of those using myki said they had encountered a problem touching on or off. Of those who did not use public transport, half said they preferred their car, 6 per cent said public transport was not reliable, 5 per cent said it was unsafe at night, and 3 per cent said it was too expensive.