News & Discussion: Public Transport Contracts, Service & Policy

[PeFe]

Transport fares going up July 1

https://indaily.com.au/news/local/2022/ ... EAD%20MORE

[NTRabbit]

This, the inquiry into the MAB decision at former gasworks and the blocking of Westfield's push for paid parking at Tea Tree Plaza are all dangerous examples of this Govts attitude that private contracts can be torn up on a whim. It sends a very poor message for would-be private organisations or investors wanting to stump up their money in our state. Scary stuff indeed.

Public services and infrastructure should belong to and be run by the public. Every single example of privatisation has proven this.

[SBD]

This, the inquiry into the MAB decision at former gasworks and the blocking of Westfield's push for paid parking at Tea Tree Plaza are all dangerous examples of this Govts attitude that private contracts can be torn up on a whim. It sends a very poor message for would-be private organisations or investors wanting to stump up their money in our state. Scary stuff indeed.

Public services and infrastructure should belong to and be run by the public. Every single example of privatisation has proven this.

I live near farmland that appears to be owned by Renewal SA but not yet sold off for housing. It looks like the government lets a contract for someone to manage weeds, fire risk etc by growing crops on it. Do you honestly believe that the crops should be grown by public servants, driving government-owned tractors and harvesters?

[A-Town]

This, the inquiry into the MAB decision at former gasworks and the blocking of Westfield's push for paid parking at Tea Tree Plaza are all dangerous examples of this Govts attitude that private contracts can be torn up on a whim. It sends a very poor message for would-be private organisations or investors wanting to stump up their money in our state. Scary stuff indeed.

Long bow. Bowden and TPP are populist bullshit, sure, but I think you're hitting the hyperbole button desperately soon.

Not really a long bow at all. SA needs to welcome all the private investment it can get, not hinder it which Mali has done a terrific job at doing in just 3 months in charge. But hey, at least the shops might open slightly earlier on a Sunday, so that's a win, right? Don't you dare stay open after 5pm on a weekend though! And we wonder why the east coast calls Adelaide a pissant town...

[SRW]

This, the inquiry into the MAB decision at former gasworks and the blocking of Westfield's push for paid parking at Tea Tree Plaza are all dangerous examples of this Govts attitude that private contracts can be torn up on a whim. It sends a very poor message for would-be private organisations or investors wanting to stump up their money in our state. Scary stuff indeed.

Long bow. Bowden and TPP are populist bullshit, sure, but I think you're hitting the hyperbole button desperately soon.

Not really a long bow at all. SA needs to welcome all the private investment it can get, not hinder it which Mali has done a terrific job at doing in just 3 months in charge. But hey, at least the shops might open slightly earlier on a Sunday, so that's a win, right? Don't you dare stay open after 5pm on a weekend though! And we wonder why the east coast calls Adelaide a pissant town...

You're drawing an even longer bow.

[ChillyPhilly]

Purple Orange have a survey about public transport accessibility. It closes 31 July:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GTTYBBK

[Verbatim9]

It seems that the Transport Department is likely to rollout Tap and Pay across modes pretty soon.--->viewtopic.php?p=205743#p205743

If that's the case, it will be the second city after Sydney to get this function city wide.

[ChillyPhilly]

An interesting read.

https://indaily.co/390928

Mask anxiety fuels rise in public transport complaints

Complaints about Adelaide’s public transport network increased by more than 41 per cent last financial year to reach their highest level in nearly a decade – with objections about mask wearing blamed for the surge.

Thomas Kelsall

Mask mandates on public transport contributed to a rise in complaints last financial year, according to the Transport Deparment. Photo: Thomas Kelsall/InDaily
Figures published in the Department of Infrastructure and Transport’s annual report this month show there were 12,105 complaints about the state’s privatised public transport services in 2021-22, up from 8549 in 2020-21.

The majority of complaints related to “service changes and service quality”, with 8207 last financial year compared to 5650 the year before.

Punctuality was the second biggest gripe of Adelaide Metro commuters (3121 complaints, up from 2122 the previous year), followed by fares and ticketing (523) and passenger comfort (254).


A breakdown of public transport complaints over the last five financial years. Table: DIT

A Department spokesperson told InDaily that bus services accounted for the highest increase in complaints with an extra 2062 recorded – an uptick of 32.5 per cent.

“The majority of these complaints related to COVID-19-related impacts – with many stemming from the introduction of a mask mandate on public transport in July 2021 and service disruptions due to last year’s surge in COVID-19 cases,” the spokesperson said.

“Other issues raised related to bus driver competency, behaviour and driving style, service punctuality and recharge issues relating to ticketing.”

The 12,105 complaints processed in 2021-22 is the highest since 2013-14 when 13,181 complaints were filed.

Last financial year’s tally is also above the average number of yearly complaints (10,863) over the past 10 years.

The spokesperson said the “majority of these variances” occurred between July and December 2021, “coinciding with COVID-19 surges in South Australia while ticketing issues surfaced from November 2021”.

“The overall increase in ‘Driver behaviour’ complaints related primarily to the requirement to wear masks on board, especially between July 2021 – December 2021 and includes the following:

Drivers not wearing mask/claimed to be wearing it incorrectly.
Drivers advising passengers to wear masks on board.
Drivers refusing travel to passengers not wearing masks
“Other complaints related to drivers running late due to incorrect route taken, with some feedback pertaining to buses not utilising the tunnel to get into the city and taking a longer route causing delay for passengers.”

The total number of complaints filed represents 0.02 per cent of all public transport patronage last financial year, according to the annual report.

The report also suggests changes in the processing of complaints contributed to the 41.5 per cent overall increase.

“The Department has improved processes to more effectively identify, report and action complaints this financial year which contributed to the increase in complaints recorded compared to last financial year,” the report states.

The Department said it had made several “service improvements” resulting from complaints and consumer suggestions, including relocating some bus stops for safety reasons and rolling out new real-time data processes.

“A number of school services have been adjusted and four new routes implemented, to provide better transfers to other services and easier access for students in outer suburbs,” the annual report states.

“Tram occupancy information has been rolled out across digital signage to provide visibility of real time capacity onboard trams (passenger counting project).”

The Department also said it had increased the font size of its timetables to improve accessibility.

A Department spokesperson said bus operators continually review customer feedback “to inform targeted training and communication messages to employees”.

Total patronage across the public transport system was down 8.7 per cent last financial year, with 47,529,317 trips reported.


Adelaide Metro patronage data for 2021-22. Table: DIT

The Department’s annual report said COVID-19 continued to “significantly impact” patronage in 2021-22.

‘Within this term’: Govt steadfast on reversing public transport privatisation
It comes as an immediate timetable for the return of South Australia’s privatised train and tram services into public hands remains unclear.

The Malinauskas Government vowed before the state election to undo the former Marshall Government’s $2.14 billion contract with private operator Keolis Downer to operate Adelaide’s trains and trams.

Opposition transport spokesperson Vincent Tarzia asked Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis in parliament on Tuesday if he was “able to advise when the contract with Keolis Downer will be terminated”.

Koutsantonis responded: “We made a commitment at the last election that we would return the operation of our trains and trams back into public hands.”

“We did so before the then government announced they were breaking their election commitment of no privatisations to outsource the operation of our trains and trams.

“We wrote to all the proponents who were participating in a tender for these services.

“In effect, those letters said: ‘Buyer beware. There is a general election scheduled for 19 March 2022 and if the Labor opposition is successful, they will be returning these services, regardless of any contractual obligations, back into public hands’.

Labor’s first state budget allocated $1 million for a commission of inquiry to advise on the most “efficient and cost-effective” means to reverse the privatisation.

But the inquiry was scrapped just weeks later, with Koutsantonis claiming Keolis Downer had “agreed to work collaboratively with the Government in meeting its election commitment of publicly owned rail services”.

The Transport Department paid $421.5m for outsourced public transport service contracts last financial year, according to the Auditor General’s annual report.

The Opposition has previously claimed undoing the train and tram privatisation could cost as much as $70 million.

[MT269]

Regarding the tunnel not being used 100% of the time, blame this on the timetable. It takes about 9-10 minutes from Klemzig to stop U1 Grenfell St most of the time. Sometimes it can be done in 8 minutes in quiet periods, depending on the traffic light cycles. Yet the DIT insists on giving 11 minutes for most services, regardless of the time of day.

I have even seen drivers refraining from using the tunnel outbound. This is due to the high possibility of sitting at Klemzig for up to 7 minutes. A few services have 7 minutes between Paradise and TTP. Which is what these drivers may have in mind, before deciding to proceed from Klemzig.

Although this extra time ensures an ability to make up a few minutes when running late, imagine being a first time user. What will it look like? There is no halfway solution regarding this. Until they tighten the timetables, this will continue to be an issue.

[rubberman]

Regarding the tunnel not being used 100% of the time, blame this on the timetable. It takes about 9-10 minutes from Klemzig to stop U1 Grenfell St most of the time. Sometimes it can be done in 8 minutes in quiet periods, depending on the traffic light cycles. Yet the DIT insists on giving 11 minutes for most services, regardless of the time of day.

I have even seen drivers refraining from using the tunnel outbound. This is due to the high possibility of sitting at Klemzig for up to 7 minutes. A few services have 7 minutes between Paradise and TTP. Which is what these drivers may have in mind, before deciding to proceed from Klemzig.

Although this extra time ensures an ability to make up a few minutes when running late, imagine being a first time user. What will it look like? There is no halfway solution regarding this. Until they tighten the timetables, this will continue to be an issue.

I wonder if it has something to do with KPIs that CEOs have to meet. That is, that the CEO has to achieve a, say, 95% "on time' record. Worse, and they lose a bonus.

That means tighter timetables makes it harder to get a bonus.

Ordinarily, that's not bad.

However. When public money has been invested in tunnels, electric trains, resleepering of the rail network, then those timetables must be tightened...otherwise there's a temptation for doing nothing.

So. Big question. By how much have O-Bahn and Rail timetables been tightened?

[dbl96]

Regarding the tunnel not being used 100% of the time, blame this on the timetable. It takes about 9-10 minutes from Klemzig to stop U1 Grenfell St most of the time. Sometimes it can be done in 8 minutes in quiet periods, depending on the traffic light cycles. Yet the DIT insists on giving 11 minutes for most services, regardless of the time of day.

I have even seen drivers refraining from using the tunnel outbound. This is due to the high possibility of sitting at Klemzig for up to 7 minutes. A few services have 7 minutes between Paradise and TTP. Which is what these drivers may have in mind, before deciding to proceed from Klemzig.

Although this extra time ensures an ability to make up a few minutes when running late, imagine being a first time user. What will it look like? There is no halfway solution regarding this. Until they tighten the timetables, this will continue to be an issue.

I wonder if it has something to do with KPIs that CEOs have to meet. That is, that the CEO has to achieve a, say, 95% "on time' record. Worse, and they lose a bonus.

That means tighter timetables makes it harder to get a bonus.

Ordinarily, that's not bad.

However. When public money has been invested in tunnels, electric trains, resleepering of the rail network, then those timetables must be tightened...otherwise there's a temptation for doing nothing.

So. Big question. By how much have O-Bahn and Rail timetables been tightened?

This is an issue across the network. The vast majority of the time, buses idle for several minutes at the scheduled stops and drive well below the speed limit. I haven't had this experience travelling in other cities. They are clearly putting way more time into the timetables than nescessary so that they ensure that even if something unexpected happens, they are always technically running on time. Long travel times are a major deterrent to people using public transport. Something needs to be done about this.

[rubberman]

Regarding the tunnel not being used 100% of the time, blame this on the timetable. It takes about 9-10 minutes from Klemzig to stop U1 Grenfell St most of the time. Sometimes it can be done in 8 minutes in quiet periods, depending on the traffic light cycles. Yet the DIT insists on giving 11 minutes for most services, regardless of the time of day.

I have even seen drivers refraining from using the tunnel outbound. This is due to the high possibility of sitting at Klemzig for up to 7 minutes. A few services have 7 minutes between Paradise and TTP. Which is what these drivers may have in mind, before deciding to proceed from Klemzig.

Although this extra time ensures an ability to make up a few minutes when running late, imagine being a first time user. What will it look like? There is no halfway solution regarding this. Until they tighten the timetables, this will continue to be an issue.

I wonder if it has something to do with KPIs that CEOs have to meet. That is, that the CEO has to achieve a, say, 95% "on time' record. Worse, and they lose a bonus.

That means tighter timetables makes it harder to get a bonus.

Ordinarily, that's not bad.

However. When public money has been invested in tunnels, electric trains, resleepering of the rail network, then those timetables must be tightened...otherwise there's a temptation for doing nothing.

So. Big question. By how much have O-Bahn and Rail timetables been tightened?

This is an issue across the network. The vast majority of the time, buses idle for several minutes at the scheduled stops and drive well below the speed limit. I haven't had this experience travelling in other cities. They are clearly putting way more time into the timetables than nescessary so that they ensure that even if something unexpected happens, they are always technically running on time. Long travel times are a major deterrent to people using public transport. Something needs to be done about this.

I don't want to get political, but you'd think that a competent opposition would be all over this. "Billions of dollars spent for no improvement. Shock. Horror. Scandal." Is a pretty obvious move. As is a competent government actually making Departments live up to the benefits listed in cost benefit statements. Neither major parties are looking good here, considering that billions of dollars were spent. Mind you, if timetables have improved, that's another matter.

[Saltwater]

Dwelling and travelling below the speed limit are annoying yes, but as a commuter I'm also happy knowing a service is more likely to stick to a timetable I can rely on, rather than depart early without me, late, or not at all.

In the age of GPS a lot of people can see when the bus will arrive and time it to arrive at the stop just before it arrives anyway.

[cocoiadrop]

I regularly see buses where the driver hasn't signed into the BCU so it doesn't show a GPS signal, or even the GPS is stuck somewhere as they haven't updated the BCU for a new trip properly. There really needs to be a crack-down on it so the system is properly reliable.

[rubberman]

Dwelling and travelling below the speed limit are annoying yes, but as a commuter I'm also happy knowing a service is more likely to stick to a timetable I can rely on, rather than depart early without me, late, or not at all.

In the age of GPS a lot of people can see when the bus will arrive and time it to arrive at the stop just before it arrives anyway.

The vehicle should never leave early, no matter what the time is. However, if a driver is impatient and the timetable is slow, there's always a temptation to leave early, and it's easy to do, thus creating the problem you describe.

If, on the other hand, a timetable is realistic or tight, it's very hard for a driver to get ahead of the table.

So, the present situation is just asking to have drivers leave just a little bit early. That's one reason to tighten the timetable. Not only is it far more likely your overall trip is faster, there's less chance that you just miss the bus.