Redfern lift one step closer to completion, but what about more?

We here at Transport for All NSW are happy that the single lift that the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, announced back in January, is one step closer to being built and completed for use by the General public, with Geotechnical surveys currently being undertaken.

However the fact remains that Redfern will only have one lift for the publics use and it begs the question, why can't more lifts be built at Redfern?

There are also other questions and facts which remained unanswered from the Transport Minister and we have sent through some questions pertaining to:

1) what happens to people who need to use this one single lift at Redfern when it either breaks down or is vandalised?

2) why can more lifts be built for the Bankstown line trains and the Illawarra line train platforms?

3) why can't the Minister explain why only 1 single lift will be built at such an extremely important and busy station with the inner city CBD and why can't 2 other lifts be installed on those platforms mentioned above?

It also begs the question why Sydney Trains staff, namely guards who make announcements, state for people requiring the Bankstown line and Illawarra line and need to use a lift, currently state to to change at Redfern instead of Central, which is the next fully accessible station.

It would seem to is here that the Minister hasn't really though this through and is only now rushing to the necessary paperwork before construction starts before the next election?

It would also seem that little thought and understanding have so far led to a process that gives a little thought to the long term vision and issues, instead focussing on the extremely short term vision for political survival!

Questions to the Minister

Today, Transport for All NSW has sent the NSW Transport Minister, who is also the Minister for the Hunter Region, Gladys Berejiklian, an extraordinary list of questions but also concerns from long suffering wheelchair and disabled commuters.

These questions and concerns are based on feedback provided during various discussions but also forums in which disabled and wheelchair commuters have generally been the after thoughts when in comes to transport in this great city of ours. We here at TfANSW hope to have answers within the next few weeks, but given our previous response took about a month or so for a reply, we won't be holding our breathe just now.

So without further a-do, here is the list of questions we have placed to the Minister:

Dear Minister,

 

I would like to thank you for the extremely late response I got from my previous enquiry (ML14/07473) which seemed to have come from your secretary but yet again did not answer my questions.

 

So therefore I have a growing list of issues I would like to bring to your attention, but hopefully get an answer for and in some cases, an explanation as to why you have failed disabled commuters especially NSW TrainLink customers.

 

The issues I have so far from concerned wheelchair & disabled commuters are as follows:

 

Intercity Fleet/NSW TrainLink Questions/Issues

 

1) Why is the Government spending approximately from our sources $10-$20Millon on refurbishing the V Set (Intercity) fleet of 262 carriages of which only 4 to 8 carriages are wheelchair accessible (which is appealing I must say and does not meet DDA compliance) and are not considering on making the remaining carriages wheelchair accessible until the new intercity fleet arrives?

 

2) With the New Intercity Fleet of which you will be spending a total of $2.8Billon, Will be:

 

• Fully Wheelchair Accessible & meet DDA compliance?
• First Class if considered, will be available to wheelchair & Disabled Commuters & if so what would be the fare structure in this instance?
• Have on-board facilities such as a wheelchair accessible toilet & if a Café is available, its services can be accessed by disabled & wheelchair users alike without any hassles for both staff & these commuters?

 

3) With the truncation of the Newcastle line at Wickham in December this year, can you confirm why light rail will not be built at the same time as the truncation works, but a year later after the truncation and how Wheelchair & other disabled commuters will not be affected or further impacted or delayed by trying to interchange with what is already busy Newcastle Bus services?

 

4) Will the Minister also confirm that the new interchange at Wickham be fully wheelchair accessible, meet DDA compliance and not have either a gap or height issues which currently plague the current V Sets, Hunter railcars, Endeavour Railcars and OScar trains?

 

5) How will disabled or wheelchair commuters access light rail at the new Wickham interchange station, as the artists impression documents and pictures do not give a clear indication of:

 

• the location of accessible bus stops?
• the location of an accessible light rail stop?
• the location of accessible facilities such as toilets or change-rooms?
• the location of ticket machines or windows for assistance by staff?
• if platforms for both train & light rail will be 'gap free' meaning little or no gap at all along with no height differences requiring a ramp to be placed between the tram or train and the platform?

 

6) What new stations will be considered for an upgrade to become wheelchair accessible under the transport master-plan within the NSW TrainLink operations?

 

7) Can the Minister confirm or outline her & her depts. (TfNSW & NSW TrainLink/NSW Trains) have a plan to replace the current XPT train services with a new fleet and what the replacement fleet look like and be like for wheelchair disabled users?

 

8) if the Minister does have a replacement for the XPT, can she confirm if the new train fleet will be fully wheelchair accessible and on-board services be abled to be fully accessed by wheelchair commuters/customers?

 

Opal Card

 

9) Can you outline the EXACT timetable of when the Gold Opal Card, and how people with Centrelink benefits will be able to obtain these cards?

 

10) For people with disabilities who are not able to exactly 'tap on' and 'tap off', can you confirm if the TfNSW & Cubic Corporation Australia Pty Ltd are and will make available a card holder which will be placed on the wheelchair as such and that this holder will be free or will there be a cost?

 

11) Who is exactly exempted from obtaining a Opal Card and will therefore be entitled to free travel around the whole entire train, bus, ferry and light rail systems?

 

Trains (both Sydney Trains & NSW TrainLink)

 

12) What is TfNSW doing to reduce the gap and height differences between the train and the platform at Sydney Trains Stations for Wheelchair passengers?

 

13) Can the Minister confirm if the lifts at Wynyard will be replaced and the time frame for this to occur?

 

14) Can the minister confirm when the remainder of the lifts at Blacktown Station and the Interchanges will be replaced?

 

15) Will the lifts be replaced at the new Penrith Station and if so, the impact that will have on wheelchair users/commuters/customers and what the timetable will be?

 

17) Can the Minister confirm that Rooty Hill be in-fact be considered for an upgrade to become DDA compliant and be finally wheelchair accessible with either lifts or ramps and the if so, the timetable this will occur in?

 

Light Rail

 

18) In regards to the Inner-West Light Rail Extension (which we gladly thank you for delivering), can you please explain why someone in a wheelchair who wishes to travel from say, Marion Street to Dulwich Hill but then needs to change to the heavy rail at Dulwich Hill Interchange to continue on to say Bankstown or Liverpool or even Lidcombe, would be required to either travel to central then travel via train because of the lack of a simple lift at Dulwich Hill Sydney Trains Stations and why your dept & Government did not consider placing and upgrading the heavy rail station at Dulwich Hill whilst construction of the light rail extension was occurring?

 

19) Why is there a lack of an accessible bus route to take disabled passengers from Lewisham West station to the Wheelchair Accessible Sydney Trains Station at Summer Hill?

 

20) With the CBD & Eastern Suburbs light rail extension, can the minister confirm that platforms will be fully wheelchair accessible and that there will not be a gap, allowing wheelchair users to get on a tram without the need to call upon the guard or driver, potentially delaying services and causing hassles for wheelchair users

 

NWRL - SRT

 

21) With the NWRL, can the minister confirm that their will either be a guard or staff member either on board the trains or at stations that will be able to assist wheelchair & other disabled commuters to get on and off the train without hassle?

 

22) With the NWRL/SRT trains being driverless, can you confirm trains will NOT leave a station before and after a wheelchair user board or alights from the trains?

 

23) Will there be staff at stations to assist Wheelchair & other disabled commuters out at stations?

 

24) In relation to the tunnels and in deed the sky train of the NWRL, can the minister confirm that wheelchair users will be able to get out of the train and into an emergency exist should:

 

• the train suddenly stop or if there is a fire without the assistance of fire brigade staff; or
• Will there be staff aboard the train to assist evacuate wheelchair and other disabled commuters?
• What are the plans should such an event occur and will disabled/wheelchair commuters be made aware of the evacuation procedure (either via a PDF/Braille documents of YouTube Video) before operations commence for the NWRL?

 

25) Can the Minister confirm that wheelchair and other disabled commuters will not be impacted and be able to board already crowded T1 - Western, North Shore & Northern Line trains when the NWRL begins operations?

 

26) When the NWRL begins to take over the ECRL part of T1, what services will be in place and how will wheelchair and other disabled commuters access these services and how can the Minister confirm that there won't be either significant delays or hardships to disabled/wheelchair commuters alike?

 

27) will the replacement shuttle services (most likely buses in this instance) for the ECRL part of the T1 line be fully wheelchair accessible during the take over and reconstruction for the NWRL operations and the exact timeframes this will occur and be completed by?

 

Ferry Services

 

28) Can the minister confirm that the new Ferry fleet be fully wheelchair accessible and have on-board facilities catering to wheelchair users?

 

29) Can the Minister confirm what Wharves are due to be upgraded within the next 12 to 24 months and the time frame for these to occur and what services will be in place to allow wheelchair ferry commuters will not be impacted by these upgrades?

 

 

I understand these are a heck of a lot of questions, but given both the NWRL, Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink and TfNSW have not been able to answer these questions, it has fallen onto a coalition of disabled commuters via our membership base through Transport for All NSW to find out what the issues and questions are and try to obtain these answers for us disabled commuters.

 

We look forward to your response Minister.

 

As you can see, we had a total of 29 Questions and answers for which as stated above, we hope to have an answer for you all soon, but as stated and thanks to our own previous experience trying to obtain any sort of correspondence back took nearly over a month. So we won't be holding our breathe.

 

But We would like to open the floor to you all again, to tell us what your issues or concerns are. You can do that either via 2 ways, by commenting in the comments below, or visiting our Facebook Page and leaving your comments there.

Transport Minister & Staff refuse to answer questions on Opal Card for pensioners/concessioners

Yesterday, Transport for All NSW finally received an email letter response from the Transport Minister Secretary for transport and roads who is also the minister for the Hawkesbury region, Ray Williams, to which a lot of the questions we put to the minister about the Gold Concessioner/Pensioner Opal Card have been left unanswered.

The questions Transport for All NSW put to the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian related to the following:

1) when would the elusive gold opal card for pensioners and concessioners actually be released (we asked for a specific date, not the usual 'later in the year' crap)?;

2) how would the opal card work and benefit a person with a severe disability who may not be able to physically tap on or tap off?

3) can the minister confirm reports Transport for All NSW have found relating to private bus companies (namely busways) not selling the Pensioner Excursion Tickets (PET) to pensioner and concessioners come the 1st September despite the TransportNSW website stating clearly that PET tickets will still be sold aboard private bus companies excluding State Transit Buses (STA)?

Now these questions are quite easy to reply to and quite honestly as the NSW Liberal Government has championed itself in being fully transparent, one would think the NSW Government would reply to all the answers and finally provide more information that what is currently available right?

Well they didn't and won't it seems. Below is a copy of the reply we got:

We here at Transport for All NSW are quite disappointed that the minister nor the secretary for the Transport Minister have failed to answer all our questions and it certainly does beg the main question, is the transport minister trying to deceive the disabled and elderly community by not providing real answers and what is the NSW Government trying to hide?

We have out our questions again to the minister and will await their reply, but I wouldn't hold ours nor your breath sadly.

Newcastle truncation set to happen this December & what it means for you

Artist impression of an upgraded Broadmeadow station from 2004

The NSW Government have confirm that on Boxing Day, December 26 2014, that the Newcastle line will be truncated (cut off) permently from Wickham, meaning trains will no longer terminate at what is currently Newcastles main CBD terminus.

This means trains on the Newcastle and Hunter regional lines will have to compete for terminus space at Wickham until the new station has been built to accommodate more trains via new platforms. 

Along with this announcement, the NSW Government along with the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian who is also the minister for the Hunter region, has along with the NSW Planning Minister, Pru Goward, stated that trains from Wickham to Newcastle CBD will be replaced by Light Rail.

However until the Light Rail stops, along with signaling equipment and reconditioned tracks and the purchase of new light rail vehicles (also commonly known as trams) are built, buses will be supplementing services into the main CBD area of Newcastle.

Now whilst the truncation of heavy rail and replacement of these services via light rail are going to transform public transport for novocastrians, there are issues that not only we have found here at TfANSW, but also through various other community lobby groups and transport experts alike which are very worrying.

These issues namely relate to the timeline of this whole process, which seems very rushed at best, but also the main issue is the timeline for the light rail conversion process of the heavy rail from Wickham to Newcastle CBD.

Based on the press releases from not only the Ministers Office along but also local MP's and Transport for NSW is the issue surrounding the light rail conversion, which is not slated to begin until just on a year from the official truncation of the heavy rail from Wickham.

To us here at Transport for All NSW this is very worrying considering that planning for the new light rail stops, along with the conversion of heavy rail tracks, signals, power supply, wiring and building of new Light Rail Vehicles should be in the planning stages, with the beginning of conversion building stage happening immediately after the truncation of services, it certainly shows that this whole process has been rushed and little thought given to the thousands of commuters who still need to travel into the heart of Newcastles CBD beyond Wickham, especially people with disabilities who will be forced onto crowded smaller state owned Government Bus services run by State Transit/Newcastle Buses.

To be honest, such planning should be currently undertaken along with the release of what an upgraded Wickham Terminus will exactly look like, along with the transport interchange between heavy rail, light rail and buses but also planning of the conversion building stage be undertaken now.

We have reached out to the Transport Minister for comment, however at the date of publish we have been advised that a response can take up to 1 month.

We would like to hear your thoughts about the truncation of the heavy rail system but also the conversion of the system to Light Rail and the timeline for such a conversion to occur. Tell us your thoughts in the comments below

Rumour: Wheelchair passengers to get holders to place their Opal Card in - UPDATE!

After we reported earlier last month (June that is) that the Transport Minister would be set to announce the availability of the gold opal card for pensioners and concessioners, this morning after having a discussion per say with Opal card info people at Blacktown, I asked them what would happen for someone who is in a wheelchair who is unable to physically tap on and tap off their opal card and their reply was an interesting one.

The reply which I received was that they would be getting able to get a plastic holder which would ensure they could tap on and tap off. Now this got my intrigued and I asked how it would work to which the reply was probably the most typical of anything which was they couldn't exactly explain how such a device would work.

So I ditched the opal ladies and hopped aboard my train to work and thought I would ask my sources what they may have to say about this quite startling revelation. Unfortunately my sources didn't really have much to say and would not confirm NOR deny that such a device is going to be made available to people in wheelchairs who are not able to physically tap on or tap off at stations, buses, ferries or light rail stops.

So I have placed the question directly to OPAL directly who are yet to respond and it also got me wondering if the device would be made available freely to people with disabilities or whether a fee or certain restrictions be placed to get this device?

It also made me wonder what the device would physically look like and how it would work given wheelchair come in an array of various builds and sizes, so how could this impact how the device is being able to be used or placed on a wheelchair?

I am awaiting to see what Opal or the Transport for NSW will reply with and will inform everyone once a reply comes into the Transport for All NSW inbox.

Until then what would your thoughts be about this card holding device? What do you think it would like like? What will it be built from and how would it fit onto any and all wheelchairs available to us all?

 

****UPDATE****

 

according to other Opal Card sellers and sources, there are several prototypes being made however Cubic Sydney Australia (aka Opal) are still in the trial process. We are hoping to get some pictures or at least diagrams of these prototypes so stay tuned!

Rumour: Gold Concessioner/Pensioner Card to be Available either lateAugust or September

We here at TfANSW have heard rumors from people close to the Opal Card project, that the Transport Minister will be finally announcing the availability of the Gold Concessioner/Pensioner Opal Card either in late August or September.

The announcement which will be scheduled to happen a couple of days if not a week before the rollout of the Gold Opal card, is a welcomed move, however TfANSW still have concerns and so far to no avail been able to confirm how people with severe disabilities or mobility issues will be able to simply tap on or off at their destinations respectfully.

For example, there is a current policy for State Transit operated Sydney Buses to simply allow people with disabilities who are unable to dip their ticket in and out of a machine, can simply "hop aboard" without requiring to do this.

However there is no such policy for Sydney Trains or NSW TrainLink operated services and this certainly raises the questions, what should they do to fix this major loophole?

One option TfANSW has floated for the last 2 years has been the option of an e-tag system, where a tag can be permanently fixed to ones wheelchair (or walker, which ever is the case) and an e-tag reader be placed above the wide gates. When the e-tag reader reads the e-tag, a simple beep will be heard and the gates open.

This would allow users more freedom and ensure that they are being able to pay their fare without hassle.

We have reached out to the transport Minister, Glayds Berejiklian, for comment, but at time of publish of this post, we still haven't heard back.

All State Transit operated buses will stop selling PET tickets thisSunday

This Sunday, 1 June 2014, will mark the date when all State Transit operated bus services (also known as Sydney Buses) will stop selling Pensioner Excursion Tickets (or PET) on board it buses due to the rollout of the Opal ticketing system.

We here at Transport for All NSW have been able to come up with some frequently asked questions and answers so you know what to do so you are ready for the change over this Sunday.

1) Why are Sydney Buses operated by State Transit no longer selling PET tickets this Sunday?

The reason for this is simply because the current NSW Liberal/National Government has a mandate to continue the rollout of the Opal Card ticketing system which is now fully rolled out onto the Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink and Sydney Ferries services.

2) if I require a PET, where can I buy these types of tickets from?

Transport for NSW has stated that anyone requiring to purchase a PET ticket, can do so by pre-purchasing these types of tickets from your local 7-Eleven stores and Woolworths supermarkets with selected other agencies and stores also selling the PET ticket as well.

3) Are the pre-purchase tickets time stamped or only available to be used on the same day as purchase?

No. PET tickets that are pre-purchase are not time stamped and can be used at any time, according to a post on Transport NSW website. It is suggested that you pre-purchase a number of these tickets and keep them handy should you require to use public transport, especially Sydney buses with little notice or in the event of an emergency.

4) Can these pre-purchased ticket be re-used for another day?

No. You will be required to use a seperate PET ticket should you be required to travel the next time after the initial use of the ticket on the day.

5) Can you still use Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink PET tickets aboard Sydney's buses past 1 June?

Yes you can. Any ticket brought at your local Sydney Trains or NSW TrainLink intercity station can still be used aboard Sydney Buses including private bus services not operated by State transit, Sydney Ferries, Light Rail Services along with Newcastle Buses & Ferry services.

6) State Transit also run Newcastle Buses & Ferry services, are they affected by this move?

No. PET tickets can still be brought on board all Newcastle Buses & Ferry services at this stage and are not affected come 1 June.

7) when will the Gold Pensioner/Consessioner Opal Card be available for me to purchase?

At this stage, Transport for NSW and the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, have not given an official date or time frame as to when the Gold Pensioner/Concessioners card will be available to purchase via the Opal Card website. 

As far as Transport for All NSW is aware that the Gold Opal Pensioner/Concessioner card will be available later on this year sometime, but again we are unsure of any exact date at this stage.

8) If I experience any issues with trying to pre-purchase a PET ticket or use a pre-purchased PET ticket, what should I do?

If you experience any issues relating to purchasing or using a pre-purchased PET ticket aboard any bus, train, ferry or light rail service, you will need to ring 131 500 and listen for the prompt to make a complaint. You can also make your complaint about any issues relating to buying and using pre-purchased PET tickets via the Transport NSW website - www.transportnsw.info.

We hope that these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) have helped you make sense of the change but also help you pre-plan your journey should you be required to use any State Transit operated Sydney Bus services come 1 June this Sunday.

It is also good to note that with the pre-purchased PET tickets, that the price will remain at $2.50 per PET ticket.

If you are not sure if you live in an area that is services by a State Transit Sydney Buses service, you can find out via the Transport NSW website (www.transportnsw.info) or the State Transit website (www.sydneybuses.info).

Gladys Berekjilian announces new intercity train set. So here are our concerns

Gladys Berejiklian announces the new trains with the NSW Premier, Mike Baird & NSW TrainLink Manager Rob Mason. Photo: Fairfax Media

The Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, yesterday announced that NSW TrainLink will be getting 520 new intercity carriages to replace the ageing V set intercity sets that are reaching their life expectance/service period.

Aunty Gladys has stated that these new carriages will be from existing “on the shelf” trains that could be potentially built overseas and not in Australia. The one issue I would like to point out that whilst that would mean that it could be built much more cheaply overseas, the problem is that with the current A Set or Waratah train sets, they have had many defaults which have required fixing and in some cases where work completed on the frames of these train sets had to be fixed via complete replacement of areas to ensure that they complied with state and federal building and safety regulations.

So it begs the question, why would we consider having off the shelf trains built overseas where they could possibly not meet manufacturing, building and safety regulations and laws and then possibly having rectification work completed at an additional cost after they have been brought here?

This to me sounds like a major oversight, but then again when we are dealing with Queen of all that is stupid, Gladys Berejiklian, it doesn’t honestly surprise me sadly.

However there are more unanswered questions regarding this new procurement of the train sets, with the main being are people with disabilities and their relevant organisations get any word or at east some consultation on what we know is needed to ensure that these train sets meet specifications and disabled customer requirements.

Its one thing to just add wheelchair spots, add automatic voice announcements and have passenger information displays, but there is more that would need to be taken into consideration, such as:

• Would the train sets be step free and be equal with all platforms?
• Will the guard be at the end of the train sets and if so, how many carriages would form each complete train set (4, 6 or 8)?
• Will the train sets be single deck or double deck?
• Will confirmation of wheelchair accessible disabled toilet be included?
• How many disabled spots be in each complete train set?

What is even more ludicrous is the consideration by the transport minister to have 1st class areas/seating on the train sets which would replicate what train companies offer in the UK, however to me it just sounds like an additional source of revenue and excuse to charge customers more for just priority seating which would be made from the same materials as “economy” or the “everyday” seats which are found throughout the remainder of the train set.

I would like to point out at this stage that I despise this idea of a 1st class system as I can see big problems with this system causing further frustration and issues for NSW TrainLink staff both on board the train sets but also the stations. I also find this system as a way of ensuring Aunty Gladys gets a place to call her own and not be in the muck of the everyday commuter she claims she works for.

Basically in a nutshell, whilst I applaud Gladys on announcing the plan to procure new intercity train sets and move the Oscar trains into the Sydney Trains fleet, but if I am being honest, this is something Gladys could have announced 2 years ago or even last year when she split RailCorp into their current iterations - Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink.

It would also be a timely reminder that this comes upon the new premier being put into office but also because we are in election mode, with the NSW State Government elections due between August this year and March next year.

We can hope that this process is expedited but proper consultation occurs with all relevant stakeholders but also with the relevant commuters who will use the new train sets like us disabled commuters to ensure our voice is heard.

You can watch the video of the announcement here.

Transport Minister announces $100 million refurb of Wynyard Station - However no plans to replace the lifts just yet

The transport minister, Gladys Berejiklian, has announced on Monday that Wynyard station is set to receive a $100 million refurbishment to make it more friendly, inviting and open to passengers whilst bringing it into the 21st century.

Whilst this is a welcomed start to bring Wynyard station finally into this century, there is one issue on this plan and that is a simple one - what about the hydraulic lifts? Are they going to be replaced?

It would seem that the refurbishment will only include the following:

• new lighting

• new tiling

• overhaul of the retail outlets

• fresh coat of paint

• new signage to help customers move around the station easier

• reduce clutter on the platforms

Now whilst we do welcome this refurbishment, we are left wondering why the lifts, which are now well beyond the operational lift and in constant need of repair and are also constantly breaking down.

Now whilst the lifts at Town Hall have been replaced and new lifts are being built at Circular Quay and in the not to distant future at Museum, it would be worth to point out that these lifts should be considered for replacement under this program to ensure their operational life can be assured but also to provide a much more stable accessible piece of infrastructure that is in high demand given that Sydney's CBD is getting even more busy day in and day out.

It would also ensure disabled people can be assured that if they travel on the train, they know they can get off at Wynyard without having to either somehow go back to Town Hall and wheel or walk back to their office building nearby to Wynyard Station.

However, like everything so far that the current transport minister and her office, Transport for NSW have announced, we certainly won't be holding out breathe waiting for Wynyards lifts to be replaced.

Do you think the lifts at Wynyard should be included in the $100million refurb package? we would like to hear your thoughts below

Sydney Buses no longer selling PET, Family Funday Sunday tickets and MyMulti Day passes. Eastern Subs from April 28, rest of Sydney buses by June 1

The incumbent NSW Transport Minister's office through Transport for NSW, has announced beginning April 28, anyone catching any Eastern Suburbs Sydney Buses routes will no longer be able to purchase Pensioner Excursion Tickets (PET), Family Funday Sunday tickets and MyMulti Day passes.

What is even further stupidity displayed by the incumbents is that from Sunday 1st June all Sydney  Buses operated routes will be going to this new model, meaning anyone requiring PET, Family Funday Sunday or MyMulti Day tickets and passes will now need to pre-purchase these types of tickets and passes before boarding any Sydney Buses operated service.

Now call me stupid but given that most bus stops are within streets where nearby approved shops that sell these pre-paid tickets are far away it begs the question, why isn't the Opal card for concessioners and pensioners not yet active?

Surely this could solve the dilemma of having to first travel great distances just to buy a pre-paid ticket, to only walk again to the nearest bus stop? It just begs the question that given the adult opal card has been officially active and available for everyone who doesn't need a concession or PET version opal card and that the kids opal card has been available for purchase now for over a month, it's just mind boggling that TfNSW nor the incumbent (and quite honestly simple minded dumbness) transport minister will not give an exact time frame for the concession/pensioner Opal card.

What is purely obvious is that this transport minister whilst in opposition was ready to criticize the pervious labor government and promise that if they (the current Liberal/National Government) came into power that the opal card system would be available for all, but yet again we see nothing but pure laziness and blantant lying on Gladys behalf and I would question her intentions or motives for future increases or plans for the Opal Card system as I am sure we haven't seen any plans about future fare increases which is a very strong possibility.

In the mean time if you are a concession or pensioner within the Sydney Buses operation areas, we suggest you contact the ministers office or Transport for NSW to vent your anger at this major oversight!

Gladys Berejiklian - possibly the worst transport minister NSW has ever had or seen

Ok let be honest here, I am not a huge fan of Gladys Berejiklian, in fact I would go as far to say that I despise her simply for the fact she honestly lies and tends to think she is the best thing since sliced bread. In fact I have been known to even call her old Aunty Gladys, Gladys the wicked witch of NSW and ever Gladys Berejerklian or Gladys Itsaberejerliating.

But why would I declare her as the worst transport minister has ever had comes down to a few things that I have obeserved and seen, but also based her lack of consultation process and the way she talks down to us mere commoners, as she seems to think.

These are just some of the reasons why I believe Gladys is the worst transport minister:

1) lies, lies and more lies 

Gladys has touted a number of projects were done by her Government and whilst yes they did ensure they were delivered during her stewardship but they certainly weren't either announced nor started under her control. These projects include:

• The inner west light rail - started and announced under NSW Labor. Delayed for 6 months before re commencement under Liberal/National Government
• South West Rail Link - announced and started under Labor. Somewhat finalized but not opened under the Liberal/National Government 
• Rail clear ways program - started and most projects completed under Labor
• Waratah train project - announced, started and somewhat delivered under Labor but saved and completed under Liberal/National Government

As you can see, most of the top big projects in the last 4 years were either announced with part of the work either started or done under the previous labor government.

2) North West Rail Link - an expensive rail shuttle to nowhere

This has to be the most and quite honestly biggest broken promise provided.

Why? That's simple. The NWRL does not intergrate nor will it ever with the current Sydney rail network. It has become a shuttle service that will push more people to already overcrowded existing Sydney trains services on the North Shore whilst causing crush points in the existing network, namely on the western line as existing ECRL (Epping to Chatswood Rail Line) trains will be forced to use the Nother Shore line which is at over capacity per trains per hour.

Why the NWRL is so bad is because the trains will be smaller in height but also driverless which means there would be no one around to help disabled passengers on or off the train or during an emergency during the train journey.

Also the tunnels are so small in design, the do not allow any safety ramps to be installed along side the rails within the tunnels which the ECRL has in case of an emergency. This also worries me because it would mean in the event of a fire, anyone in a wheelchair met end up loosing their life because they can't get off the train and they would remain stranded.

The other issue is that the NWRL does not go into the city, instead to terminates at Chatswood forcing more people into already overcrowded train services during the peak periods

3) Excuses, excuses, excuses

One issue I have with Gladys is her constant ability to constantly have excuses for why the rail network or indeed the whole transport system is broken - its Labors fault. This is certainly one excuse I think could be used for the first 1-2 years, but being we are now heading into the 4th year of Gladys being the transport minister, using this excuse is pathetic and quite honestly a joke.

Go back to school if you want to use lame and quite frankly childish excuses and antics simply because you don't have a plan to honestly fix the issues.

4) Maintenance - whats that again?

Under Gladys watch, we have seen the rail network continue to crumble and in most cases halt to a screaming stall simply because the lack of maintenance planning on her departments watch.

Yes I get they are trying to streamline the process of how maintenance is carried out but there have been way too many maintenance breakdowns and there has to be a point where we all question what the hell is exactly going on? Are maintenance checks being carried out in time or regularly happening or is Transport for NSW just thinking if its not broken or showing "little" wear and tear, its fine.

Obviously something has to give and then change for things to finally be sorted. 

5) Consultation - thats right, I don't have to be here


This is where my main criticism of the incumbent transport minister really come from. The issue that is at the heart of everything is Gladys inability to actually consult and when I mean consult, I mean actually have various meetings with actual stakeholders, community groups and the public in general and come up with fantastic ideas that will assist and help people who use public transport and have a disability.

However we know that the Minister for Transport has on one occasion stated to a group of residents regarding the announced city light rail project and the issues surrounding Devonshire Street where told that she didn't have to be at the meeting. That to us sounds like a Minister who is too self righteous and quite frankly not really wishing to hear the concerns or ideas or suggestions on how to engage with the public.

My emphasis

Lets be honest here. Gladys Berekerklian (yes I know, I spelt her surname wrong but its an appropriate title) is incumbent and whilst some of her lets say concepts may be worth some little merit, there is a lot she & Transport for NSW need to actually do to really transport public transport.

Concepts are one thing, but it remains to see whether her concepts will actually pay off or whether yet again transport in Sydney & NSW will suffer again another stuffed up project.

New Opal cards for students & kids launched, but still no Pensioner/Concession Opal card availability

The NSW Transport Minister earlier this week launched the availability of Opal cards for Students & Kids, which can now be used as of yesterday (Friday 10th April 2014), but the question remained, what about the Pensioner/Concessioner Opal Card?

Well thats where a totally seperate press release was made a few hours later from Transport for NSW, in which the Transport Minister, (who in our own opinion is totally incompetent) Gladys Berejiklian stated that:

“I am pleased to confirm the Gold Opal Senior/Pensioner card will be available before the end of the year and fares for seniors and pensioners will remain capped at $2.50 for the day. I want seniors and pensioners to know that they will never pay more with a Gold Opal Senior/Pensioner card. They will have the same entitlements as the current $2.50 Pensioner Excursion Ticket.”

But it gets more interesting, the Minister then states this:

Customers will need to buy their Pensioner Excursion Tickets before they travel on buses from more than 1,600 ticket sellers across Sydney, including news agencies, 7-11 convenience stores, Australia Post and selected Woolworths stores.

It certainly seems that the Transport Minister doesn't live in Western Sydney or South Western Sydney, where most of these shops are far away from most bus stops and in deed most people with disabilities. Currently Pensioner Excursion tickets are valid from the day they are purchased and run out at 2am that night. Therefore the idea of pre-purchasing bus tickets is ludicrous and utter major stuff up from her office & Transport for NSW to say the most!

This certainly seems that little has been done to really think how this may impact and have operational issues for people who require and are entitled to the Pensioner Excursion Ticket/Fare, especially people with disabilities or the elderly who cannot walk or travel great distances to get these pre-pay tickets before trying to even board their bus service.

TfANSW has sought comment from the Ministers office and still awaiting any feedback regarding this matter, but also if the Pensioner Excursion ticket maybe be effected for all train travel on both Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity services.

You can read the full press release regarding the pensioner/concession Opal card availability here. You can also read about the Student & Kids Opal Card press release here.

Do you think the Transport Minister has through this out properly or do you think she should consult the disability and mature aged community regarding this change? Do you think the Concessioner/Pensioner Opal card should have been rolled out before now?

Opal card now active on all Sydney Trains lines - NSW TrainLink by the end of next week but not ETA for Concession or Students cards

Opal Card certainly has been successful in its rollout, with the new ticketing system now available and operational on all Sydney Ferry routes and all Sydney Trains suburban lines, with NSW Trainlink availability to become fully operational by the end of next week (11 April 2014). However one question yet remains to be answered - when will concession card holders and students get their own cards?

Now whilst most people might see this as a petty move, it actually isn't. For example, since October last year, the Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink, Transport for NSW and the Transport Minister, Gladys Berijiklian announced that anyone needing to get concessional fares from the stations ticket windows after 9am, on weekends and public holidays, this caused major frustration and anger within the disability community, as this would make things a little more harder for people with disabilities.

For example, someone in a wheelchair, walker, or using walking sticks has to travel from Blacktown to Richmond or to Cambelltown cannot get a ticket from the Richmond line concourse, they need to head over to the main concourse to get their ticket, then travel all the way back to Richmond Line concourse to get on their services.

Now whilst Blacktown is only one "minor" case according to the Transport for NSW, there are similar issues at NSW TrainLink Stations such at Tuggerah, Wyong, Morisset on the Newcastle & Central Coast line, Mt Victoria on the Blue Mountains Line, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Bowral, Bundanoon on the Southern Highlands Line with Dapto, Albion Park, Dunmore, & Thirroul on the South Coast/Illawarra Line having similar issues.


Transport for All NSW has sought comment from TfNSW and the Transport Ministers office along with Cubic who run the Opal Card system on behalf of the NSW Government and we are so far still awaiting to hear or be given a reply in regards to this matter.

Inner-west light rail extension issue

With the inner west light rail extension currently being built in preparation for it's opening in early 2014 (the current NSW Liberal/National Government have not given a firm date/month as of yet), which is a boost for people with disabilities within the area who currently only have access to wheelchair accessible bus services operated by Sydney Buses, it would seem that if you require to go to Dulwich Hill Interchange to catch a train service to either Bankstown, Liverpool, Sydenham or beyond, then your in for a very rude shock.

It would seem that whilst the interchange tram stop at Dulwich Hill will in fact be wheelchair accessible with a lift and ramps, it would seem the current CityRail (soon to be Sydney Trains) Station will not be getting an upgrade to become wheelchair accessible if the artist impression is to go by:

It would seem there is actually nothing stating if the train station would be made accessible anytime within the next five years or so, yet the next station down the road, Marrickville station, is currently earmarked for an upgrade and early preparation/consultation analysis is being undertaken.

Given that the current Transport Minister, Gladys Berjiklian has stated on numerous times, she and her so called team at Transport for NSW (TfNSW) are fixing the backlog of projects and have undertaken and will ensure the delivery of the inner-west light rail project will be delivered without any real additional concerns nor issues such as this, as they were ensuring they got it right the first time, you only have to ask yourself this - who is she trying to kid?

Surely this is an oversight that can be easily corrected immediately with works also being looked into for an upgrade of Dulwich Hill Station, to make it too accessible to all?

TfANSW will be putting the issue to the Minster for comment and will advise via this blog and our Facebook/Twitter/Google+ pages of the outcome when it comes to us immediately.