Re: Daily Telegraph (Sydney) today (5 July)

[G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff Lambert)]

"WhaleOilBeefHooked" <daproc@spambait.umpires.com> wrote:

>Today's Daily Telegraph has a full front-page story on fare evasion 

Interesting that inspectors were out in force at the barriers this
morning

Here is the text:

Rail staff leave doors open

THOUSANDS of commuters are travelling for free on Sydney's trains
while rail bosses and unions bicker in court over the placement of
staff.

CityRail loses at least $10 million a year to fare evaders. 

But while unions fight against the rationalisation of 540 station
staff, a Daily Telegraph investigation has found guards at stations
across Sydney failing to check tickets of commuters entering or
leaving platforms. 

At other stations, barriers were unattended. 

CityRail's plan to cut 540 station staff positions - creating an extra
200 roving ticket inspectors in their place - has brought strike
threats from the Public Transport Union and Australian Services Union.


As negotiations continue after a strike was narrowly averted last
week:

CityRail has said checking tickets is not part of the guards' duty,
while admitting special revenue protection officers cannot handle the
workload; 

Public Transport Union says station staff have been directed not to do
ticket checks as part of a campaign to downgrade their positions. 

Taking a free ride on the rails proved easy when The Daily Telegraph
made 10 journeys and, despite holding a ticket each time, was asked to
produce it only twice. 

Guards, when present, looked on and even opened gates to allow the
Telegraph reporter out without demanding a ticket, including at major
stations Central, Strathfield and Parramatta. 

Hundreds of other commuters were observed walking through unchecked at
stations around the city and in Sydney's outer suburbs. A CityRail
spokeswoman said the suburban train network lost $10 million a year to
fare evaders - about 2 per cent of the 1997-98 revenue of $457
million. 

It is unclear how the figure is calculated - with the union and
commuter groups claiming the figure may be up to five times that
amount. 

The spokeswoman said station staff were not required to check tickets.

Guards did check tickets sometimes "but probably not as often as they
should or as thoroughly as they should", the spokeswoman said. 

But Public Transport Union State secretary Nick Lewocki said fare
evasion was costing CityRail about $50 million a year. 

Mr Lewocki said station staff had been directed by CityRail management
not to carry out revenue protection duties as part of a campaign to
downgrade their role and make them expendable. 

CityRail has proposed cutting 540 station management positions and
increasing the number of revenue protection officers from 100 to 300. 

A rail strike was avoided in the Industrial Relations Commission last
week when the Australian Services Union and the PTU, which oppose the
plan, won last-minute concessions from CityRail over the advertising
of the 200 new positions. 

The CityRail spokeswoman said CityRail did not have the capacity to
check all tickets with its current workforce of 100 revenue protection
officers. 

Inspectors issued 53,023 infringement notices in the 1997-98 financial
year, up from 41,092 issued the previous 12-month period. 

10 trips, eight free

THE Daily Telegraph made 10 train journeys around Sydney, only twice
being asked for a ticket.

WEDNESDAY,JUNE30: 12.30pm@ Martin Place Station walk past guard at
pramidisabled access gate, no ticket cheek. 12.45pm: Alight train at
Central Station - no guard at gate to check ticket. About 10 commuters
exit through gate. COST OFJOURNEY.. $1.60.

4.17pm: Enter Central Station walk past guard holding gate open, no
ticket cheek. 4.31pm: Alight train at Circular Quay - one of two
guards opens gate without asking to see ticket. COST OFJOURNEY: $1.60

4.40pm: Enter Circular Quay station, guard at, gate asks to see
ticket,which he is shown. 4.56pm, Alight train at Central Station -
guard opens gate without asking to see ticket. COST OFJOURNEY: $1.60 .

5,0lpm. Enter Central Station through different, unattended gate,
board train to 8trathfield. 5.24pm. Alight at Strathfield guard at
gate, no ticket cheek. COST OF JOURNEY: $2.20 

5.35pm: Enter Strathfield from other side. Guard dealing with
tourists, does not cheek ticket. 6pm: Alight at Newtown Station - no
guard checking tickets. COST OF JOURNEY: $2.20

THUR S DAY, JULY 1: 8.50am: Enter Newtown Station no guards checking
tickets as. hundreds of commuters enter. Guard mopping floor. 9.07am:
Alight at Central -guard opens gate without checking ticket@ Commuters
exit through automatic barriers and unchecked through gate. COST
OFJOURNEY. $1.80 

3.35pm. Enter Central. guard does not cheek ticket. 3.48pm. Alight at
Circular Quay guard.asks for ticket, which is produced, on way out.
COST OF JOURNEY: $1.60 

FRIDAY,JULY2. 

1.20pm: Enter Parramatta Station with dozens of travellers doing the
same thing. No guard. 1.56pm. Board train to Liverpool. 2.20pm: Alight
at Liverpool Station.,Automatic barriers locked open. Two attendants
watch 100-150 passengers walkout without checking tickets. COST OF
JOURNEY: $2.60. 

2.45pm: Re-enter Liverpool Station, ticket not checked. Board train to
Campbelltown. 3.07pm: Train terminates at Campbelltown. Two inspectors
but ticket not checked. More than 100 people walk throughbarriers
without producing tickets@ Automatic barriers not *orking, COST OF
JOURNEY. $2.80.

 3.15pm: Enter Campbelltown Station, board for Fairfield. 3.47prn:
Alight Fairfieldwith 80 commuters. No automatic barriers no guards
collecting tickets. COST OF JOURNEY: $3.20