Article: Taxpayers to pick up $200,000 QR taxi tab ....

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Taxpayers to pick up $200,000 QR taxi tab after disruptions leave passengers stranded on CityTrain network

Taxpayers to pick up $200,000 QR taxi tab after disruptions leave passengers stranded on CityTrain network

    * Ursula Heger
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * November 21, 2010 8:03PM

QUEENSLAND taxpayers are set to fork out almost $200,000 this year on taxis to cover for breakdowns and cancellations leaving passengers stranded on the CityTrain network.

Figures released for the first time show Queensland Rail spent $49,492 between July 1 and the end of September on taxi fares for commuters who had to wait longer than 30 minutes following disruptions to rail services and where buses could not be used.

The figure is expected to reach almost $200,000 by the end of this financial year despite a decrease in cancellations and delays in the first quarter.

Another $100,000 was spent on taxis moving QR employees between stations or to fix critical problems on the network in the same three-month period.

Last year QR spent more than $663,050 on taxis for passengers and crew, an average of $55,254 a month.

It is the first time the rail provider has been able to separate the amount it spends on taxis for passengers and crew, after changes to the rail provider's structure.

Queensland Rail chief executive officer Paul Scurrah conceded the taxi fares were costly, but said they were necessary under the rail provider's emergency plans and operational arrangements.

"Depending on the circumstances, it can be appropriate to provide customers with taxis to minimise disruption," he said.

"In other cases we have commercial agreements, for example with AirTrain, to provide taxi travel if there are service disruptions.

"One can imagine these costs can be substantial if we are transporting a large number of people or if there are substantial distances involved."

Mr Scurrah said QR's emergency plan for service disruptions meant commuters were either transferred on to buses or taxis if delays on the rail network due to faults exceeded 30 minutes.

He said workers only used taxis during "critical incidents".

"Obviously staff are expected to use trains where possible, however some critical incidents, including service outages, mean this is not possible," he said.

"During a critical incident or outage it can be most efficient to move replacement train crews, repair crews or other employees by taxis."

Last year, a QR cleaning crew reportedly racked up a $876 bill after catching a taxi from Brisbane to Gympie and back to clean carriages, after the Easter cancellation of the Tilt Train service.

Mr Scurrah said the taxi bill had been reduced so far this financial year, as the network suffered fewer cancellations and delays.

In the first half of this year, 92.25 per cent of peak-hour services ran on-time, with a further 7.7 per cent of the services cancelled.

QR and TransLink refused to release the on-time running figures for the September quarter.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said she was concerned money was being poured into taxis rather than fixing faults in the system.

"Obviously the customers have to come first, but this is a very expensive Band-Aid rather than fixing (network) problems," she said.

[ozbob]

This article has front page prominence on the CM today.  
Must be a quiet news day,  nothing like a good ol' QR belt to get things going for the week ...  

How about an article on the benefits of the new timetables?

[ButFli]

They ran the same article last year.

That does the Courier Fail want QR to do? They're had articles criticising QR for not providing alternative transport to stranded passengers. It seems they will criticise QR no matter what they do.

[Jonno]

Do an article on what the airlines spend due to cacellations and 200k will look like small changed.  "QR you have been Ursula'd"

[ozbob]

http://www.fionasimpson.com.au/Media/LocalNews/tabid/69/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/560/200-taxi-rides-paid-for-by-taxpayers-as-trains-fail.aspx

Opposition Statement

$200 taxi rides paid for by taxpayers as trains fail

Monday, 22 November 2010

The State Opposition today asked the Bligh government to release the failure rate on the Gold Coast to Brisbane airport rail line following revelations taxpayers forked out almost $200,000 this year on taxis to cover train breakdowns and cancellations.

"I have heard reports that Queensland taxpayers are paying more than $200 for a taxi fare to transport train passengers from the Gold Coast to Brisbane airport due to Queensland Rail maintenance issues, said Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Fiona Simpson.

"Do the maths, if it costs $200 to transport just four passengers in one taxi from the Gold Coast to Brisbane airport, and there are almost 40 services a day from the Gold Coast to Brisbane ... Queensland taxpayers are paying tens of thousands of dollars in taxi fares for each Gold Coast to Brisbane rail service cancelled as a result of track failures, cancellations and derailments.

"This is an example of the long term Labor government's blatant disregard for Queenslanders and their transport needs.

"I often hear complaints from rail users concerned that the service is unreliable and causes local passengers to become anxious they could miss flights.

"Obviously, customers have to come first, but this is a very expensive Band-Aid rather than fixing problems in the network.

"Only last week an infrastructure report card highlighted how rail services aren't keeping up with demand.

"An LNP Government will improve services and ensure tracks and trains are maintained for every Queenslander."

[STB]

Er, derailments?  There's only 2 recorded incidents of a passenger train deraling that I can recall of, one being that train that backed up onto some incorrectly set points on the northside and that EMU set that derailed on the points coming into Central Platforms 3/4.

Does seem to be a bit of a beat up day for the CM.  There's another story there attacking the Senior Network Officers about how they haven't detained anyone yet (which is a good thing IMO!). http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/train-yobs-easy-ride-runs-on/story-e6freoof-1225958227507

[#Metro]

"An LNP Government will improve services and ensure tracks and trains are maintained for every Queenslander."

Sigh. High on rhetoric, low on content. Which services, which lines, what improvements, when???

[p858snake]

Last year, a QR cleaning crew reportedly racked up a $876 bill after catching a taxi from Brisbane to Gympie and back to clean carriages, after the Easter cancellation of the Tilt Train service.

QR owns at least one mini{van/bus}......

I'm sure some of these could of been avoided by staff say if they swapped corporate vehicles around, so the person that had to travel the distance got the vehicle and the person that normally had it (if it was a take home vehicle (eg: senior staff)) got a taxi/etc nack to where ever they needed.

[Golliwog]

This article has front page prominence on the CM today.  
Must be a quiet news day,  nothing like a good ol' QR belt to get things going for the week ...  

How about an article on the benefits of the new timetables?

Because doing an indepth article would take time and effort to interview people multiple times and ask all the right questions, and to keep track of things. Why do you think CM never holds the gov. to promises they have made in the past (the original seat promise, which then had the end date changed to give them mroe time?), because they don't keep track of promises the government makes, or if they do its not all the nitty gritty details of it, or if those aren't given, they don't bother asking the government to go into those details, so that at a later date they can fudge it.

[justanotheruser]

Last year, a QR cleaning crew reportedly racked up a $876 bill after catching a taxi from Brisbane to Gympie and back to clean carriages, after the Easter cancellation of the Tilt Train service.

QR owns at least one mini{van/bus}......

I'm sure some of these could of been avoided by staff say if they swapped corporate vehicles around, so the person that had to travel the distance got the vehicle and the person that normally had it (if it was a take home vehicle (eg: senior staff)) got a taxi/etc nack to where ever they needed.

They have several vans which are used by TO's. Often the TO's seem to base themselves somewhere for the day and go back and forth around there. If there is a problem they will jump in the vans and assist at those stations affected.