NEWS RELEASE: Commuters want voice in Transport Charter and Ombudsman
A commuter group has given a cautious welcome to Mr Iemma's promises of a
Commuter Charter and a Public Transport Ombudsman, but they want the details
to be negotiable.

"Commuters must have a say in the wording of the charter, and approve the
final version," says Allan Miles, spokesman for Action for Public Transport.
"We won't just accept tablets of stone handed down from above."

"Other transport providers such as State Transit, Sydney Ferries and the
private buses and ferries should also have Commuter Charters," he said.
"The bus contracts require a Passenger Relations Plan, but consumers
should also have a say in framing it."

Mr Miles recalled that CityRail produced a draft charter in early 2001. He
said that this followed comment in the December 1999 fares determination by
the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) that CityRail had no
passenger charter, and further criticism in the December 2000 report that
CityRail still didn't have one.
"Nothing more has been heard of it since," added Mr Miles.
"The charter must not be allowed to die of neglect like so
many other CityRail promises."

"The proposal to link fares to performance is not practicable," said Mr
Miles. "It has been discussed before in IPART reviews and rejected," he
said. However, Mr Miles agreed that the salaries and jobs of CityRail
executives should be linked to performance.

Mr Miles also welcomed the idea of a Transport Ombudsman. "Energy and water
users in NSW have an ombudsman," he said, "and public transport users in
Victoria also have recourse to an Ombudsman."

Energy & Water Ombudsman (NSW)
<a href=http://ewon.com.au/>http://ewon.com.au/</a>

Public Transport Ombudsman (Victoria)
<a href=http://www.ptovic.com.au/>http://www.ptovic.com.au/</a>

However, Mr Miles suggested that the NSW Transport Ombudsman should take the
best from both these organisations. "In Victoria," Mr Miles said,
"the Transport Ombudsman can act only in matters where transport providers
fall short of their legal or advertised standards. It cannot go into bat for
better services." "In NSW," he said, "the energy Ombudsman not
only resolves individual complaints, but takes an active role in working
with providers and regulators to get a better deal for consumers."

Mr Miles wants the NSW Transport Ombudsman to cover all public transport,
not just trains. "Two points worth copying from the Victorian legislation
are coverage of the whole public transport network, and the placement of a
user representative on the board."

"A Transport Ombudsman should also have the capacity to deal with more
serious complaints, including injury and threats by staff or other
passengers." he said.
"The infoline 131500 is often inappropriate for such complaints,
and can mean that the matter is lost in the system or not reported at all."

"Public transport users in NSW eagerly await the opportunity to have their
say in the formation of the Commuter Charter and the Commuter Ombudsman,"
Mr Miles said.

Contact: Allan Miles  9516-1906