Article: Queensland Rail spends $20,000 a month on taxis for stranded train pass

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Queensland Rail spends $20,000 a month on taxis for stranded train passengers

Queensland Rail spends $20,000 a month on taxis for stranded train passengers

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    April 20, 2012 12:00AM

QUEENSLAND Rail has become a dream customer for cab companies, spending almost $20,000 a month putting stranded train passengers into taxis.

Data obtained by The Courier-Mail under Right to Information laws shows the cost of putting passengers stranded by breakdowns and track faults in taxis added up to nearly $230,000 in the year to the end of February, up 15 per cent on the previous year.

In all, Queensland Rail shelled out an average $68 each to ferry 3374 people home.

The biggest fare was $380 to take someone from South Brisbane to Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast during the February 28 network meltdown.

That one event contributed to a hefty monthly taxi bill of $44,962.18 in February, which was surpassed only by last March when Queensland Rail paid out $45,694.38 in cab fares for passengers.

Robert Dow, from commuter advocacy group Back on Track, said the amount being paid for cabs by Queensland Rail was "an extraordinary sum".

"You would hope the reliability of the system improves to the point where that sort of expenditure can be reduced," Mr Dow said.

One of the challenges facing Queensland Rail was finding buses when things went wrong.

"In peak periods it can be difficult to get buses on the spot. In some circumstances it can be cheaper to send them by cab than get a bus," Mr Dow said.

A Queensland Rail spokesman said customer service was one of its "highest priorities" and if an incident disrupted services, it called on private bus companies and taxis.

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

"This may include customers with connecting flights, coach or long-distance rail services, customers with specialist medical appointments, customers with a disability or elderly customers with mobility issues who cannot be accommodated safely and comfortably on the alternative bus services."

The spokesman said the costs could vary if they were transporting lots of people or there were long distances involved. "There should not be an expectation that taxis will be provided on demand (but) Queensland Rail will assess the reimbursement of taxi fares incurred by customers during disruptions on a case-by-case basis," he said.

Taxis would continue to be used to transport passengers during "scheduled and unscheduled outages" but delays were being minimised.

Statistics reported by The Courier-Mail show the Citytrain network experienced an average six faults a day in 2010-11 as a result of track and power issues.

[ozbob]

... Statistics reported by The Courier-Mail show the Citytrain network experienced an average six faults a day in 2010-11 as a result of track and power issues ...

[Fares_Fair]

It is expensive, but at least they do provide for major needs e.g. to the airport etc.
The cost would be an incentive to improve things one would hope.

[Stillwater]

Maybe stranded passengers could hitch a ride in Peter Slipper's taxis as the cabs go back and forth constantly between Buderim and Brisbane.   

[HappyTrainGuy]

Heaven forbid should Suncorp release its figures that it spends on taxis

[somebody]

Heaven forbid should Suncorp release its figures that it spends on taxis

Why should they?  It's private money.  QR & MPs it's public money.