Re: [Melb] Fines for private operator hit $5.9m

["Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au>]

The paper version includes a table summary of the fines.


Daniel
--
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au
Melbourne public transport FAQ http://www.custard.net.au/melbtrans/



"D Lindstrom" <D_Lindstrom@Bigpond.com> wrote in message
V_276.699$65.6971@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:V_276.699$65.6971@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> The Melbourne Age reports today:
>
> Fines for private operator hit $5.9m
>
> By SUSHI DAS
> TRANSPORT REPORTER
> Thursday 11 January 2001
>
>
> One year after Victoria's public transport system was privatised, the
> state's biggest train and tram operator, National Express, has been fined
a
> total of $5.9 million for failing to meet punctuality and reliability
> targets on Bayside Trains, Swanston Trams and V/Line services.
>
> The latest State Government report outlining the performance of tram and
> train companies between July and September last year shows that National
> Express was fined $1.8 million, making it the only company to suffer
> penalties for that quarter.
>
> National Express yesterday blamed vandalism, "acts of God" and an increase
> in the penalty rate for the high level of fines. Over the past year it has
> also blamed traffic congestion as a result of City Link toll avoiders and
> motorists' ignorance of tram fairway laws for poor services.
>
> The report, Track Record, was released yesterday. It shows that since the
> public transport system was privatised in August, 1999, Swanston Trams has
> failed to win any bonuses.
>
> In the latest quarter it was fined the highest amount, $1.1 million.
Bayside
> Trains, the only service to record a significant decline in overall
customer
> satisfaction in that period, was fined $407,000. V/Line was fined
$322,000.
>
> In comparison, Connex Trains, run by French company CGEA, received a bonus
> of $1.4 million and Yarra Trams, operated by Metrolink, received $689,000
in
> incentive payments.
>
> Under their franchise agreements with the state, the companies that
operate
> trams and trains pay fines for failing to meet government targets for
> improving punctuality and reliability and receive bonuses if the targets
are
> exceeded.
>
> Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said he was unhappy with the
performance
> of Swanston Trams in particular and called on National Express to raise
> standards.
>
> "Swanston do have to lift their game ... it's in need of improvement," Mr
> Batchelor said. "Swanston understand that. They are desperately trying to
> analyse these performance outcomes. They don't want to be paying hefty
fines
> on an ongoing basis."
>
> "We are not in the business to set up a system where we routinely fine
some
> or all of our public transport providers. The idea is to have a system
that
> encourages them to perform to the service standards so there are no
> penalties imposed."
>
> The report states that with the exception of route 64 and 5 services,
routes
> operated from the Glen Huntly and Malvern depots fell below punctuality
> targets because of congestion on St Kilda Road and Swanston Street.
>
> National Express spokesman Dean Souter said the fines did not reflect a
drop
> in services. He said an increase in the penalty rate was one of the
factors
> that made the total fine seem bigger.
>
> "The large levels of vandalism we were getting (on Bayside Trains) back in
> July meant we had a lot of cancelled trains," he said.
>
> Explaining the fines imposed on V/Line services, he said: "They suffered a
> larger-than-usual number of acts of God during that period: trees falling
on
> the line, which is not nice and certainly does not help things."
>
> The train companies achieved the highest punctuality rates, with 97 per
cent
> of Connex trains and 96 per cent of Bayside trains running on time.
>
> The tram companies did not do as well, with 78 per cent of Yarra trams and
> 72 per cent of Swanston trams meeting punctuality standards.
>
> In the September quarter, both tram companies cancelled more trams than in
> the previous quarter. Customer satisfaction remained relatively steady.
>
> In related news, Mr Batchelor said Swanston Trams and Yarra Trams had
> indicated they were given incorrect information about the safety of
W-class
> trams during the tender process by the Kennett government.
>
> He said taxpayers and the private operators would share the cost of fixing
> brakes on the trams.
>
>
>
>