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TransLink has acted to penalise Queensland Rail $203,000 after it missed its target for the number of peak-hour Citytrain services arriving on time last financial year
Last year, an average of 91.74 per cent of peak-hour services arrived within four minutes of their scheduled time, only marginally improving on the 91.15 per cent from the previous year.The contractual target of 92.4 per cent is set by the State Government, resulting in QR's fourth penalty in four years.
QR has been fined more than $7 million over the past four years for failing to meet its contracted target.
It was levied $6.7 million in the 2007-08 financial year after its worst performance in more than four years.
QR defines "on-time" as arriving within four minutes of the scheduled time.
CAST supports the levying of penalties on all transport service providers when they do not meet contracted performance conditions, provided that service delays are not the result of actions beyond the control of the operator.
The application of financial sanctions on providers sends a strong message to service providers, on behalf of all transport users, that they must improve their performance.
It must be recognised that all transport providers in SEQ are absolute monopolies, as the public transport system is a "closed shop" i.e. providers are issued with licences to operate within specific territories and routes that eliminate all other effective competition.
It must also be recognised that the majority of service delays on the QR network are due to ongoing poor
track and signal maintenance, perennial management and staffing deficiencies, and bureaucratic inertia and
empire-building. QR Citytrain HR and workplace policies also continue to be fundamentally deficient.
There have been assertions that Translink penalties remove funds from QR used for train services.
These assertions are not based on fact.
CAST would like to have financial sanctions applied to taxi operators who do not meet performance and service standards.
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