19 Jun 2012: SEQ: Translink Tracker needs additional measures

[ozbob]

Media release 19 June 2012

SEQ: Translink Tracker needs additional measures

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers calls for some additional measures to be included in Translink Tracker.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Last year at the Queensland Parliament Estimates Committee hearing, the then CEO of Translink, Mr Strachan, claimed that Translink Tracker 'is elite customer indication reporting' (1). Really?  Paucity of meaningful data and dubious bus on time performance data have created a less than favourable impression with many (2)."

"Well, we think it needs a few additional measures that are generally available in other states to reach this level. For example:

- Dead running, for rail, bus, BCC bus

- Total operated trips for rail, bus, BCC bus and ferry

- Total timetabled trips for rail, bus, BCC bus and ferry

- Service-km for BCC bus

- full bus statistics - these should not require an RTI request as has been apparently required recently to write a recent Courier-Mail article about the 412 bus (3)."

"Most of the above statistics are reasonably readily available for operators in other states, for example STA in NSW (4,5)."

"The promised advance list of track closures has still not yet been made available (6).  Surely that is not a big problem?  Passenger focus or more failure?"

References:

1. http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2011/2011_07_14_Estimates.pdf  page 57

2. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8060.msg94505#msg94505

3. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/the-412-bus-route-of-the-beast/story-e6freon6-1226397215953

4. http://www.statetransit.info/performance-information/quarterly/Performance%20Information%20-Quarterly-%20March%202012.pdf

5. Call for transparency with public transport performance and load data http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8136.0

6. http://www.scottemerson.com.au/media-releases/passenger-first-approach-to-track-maintenance.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org