❓ Ms Saffioti questions the Minister for Transport about the cancellation of late-night train services, requesting data on passenger numbers and the threshold for reinstating the services. The Minister provides a lengthy response, detailing low patronage, a review process, and a temporary free service to encourage ridership.
AnsweredQoN 43Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LATE-NIGHT
TRAIN SERVICES — PATRONAGE
43. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the
Minister for Transport:
I refer to the minister's
decision to cancel the late-night trains.
(1) Will the
minister table today the advice that he received from the Public Transport
Authority regarding passenger numbers for these services?
(2) Will the
minister inform the house how many people would need to catch the train for him
to reinstate or not cut these services?
TRAIN SERVICES — PATRONAGE
43. Ms R. SAFFIOTI to the
Minister for Transport:
I refer to the minister's
decision to cancel the late-night trains.
(1) Will the
minister table today the advice that he received from the Public Transport
Authority regarding passenger numbers for these services?
(2) Will the
minister inform the house how many people would need to catch the train for him
to reinstate or not cut these services?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
Two issues came up yesterday. One regarded patronage numbers and the other was
about the free service. I will start with the free service and reiterate what I
said this morning.
Point of Order
Mr
W.J. JOHNSTON : No element of the question related to the price of
the train. It regarded patronage and the advice. The minister has talked about
questions asked yesterday. Clearly, he needs to answer the question asked
today.
The
SPEAKER : Minister, address the question asked today.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.C. NALDER : I
was talking about patronage, but the opposition also asked about price
yesterday, and I wanted to reiterate that.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.C. NALDER : If
members opposite do not want to hear about it, I will leave that out.
I have received a tremendous amount of additional data; there
is no question about that. We have diced it every which way, but it does not
matter whether we look at the numbers for summer or winter or whether we look
at the 1.15 am or the 2.15 am train, the numbers are low—they are too
low to justify the late-night service. We have said that they are too low to
justify for the community in the sense that we have a finite amount of
resources and we must identify public transport that meets the greatest needs
in our community. The numbers on the 1.15 am and 2.15 am services do not
justify having the service. We have said that, but we have not shut it down
immediately as was implied this morning. What we have said is that we intend to
shut it down. I support the PTA's recommendation to shut it down in
April. But we also said that we will reserve that decision based on patronage
and if it increases in a sustainable way in that period, we will review the
matter all the way through. The reason that patronage is important is that an
issue raised was that a number of people did not realise there was a free
service. I had advice from the director general and from the PTA—the
PTA put it out in a press release—that those services were free, and
that is the basis on which I was commenting on the two free services. I had an
apology this morning from the director general. I am unhappy that I was not given
correct advice and I corrected it this morning, but I went a step further. The
PTA advised me that the reason it said the service was free was that it is not
enforced and the majority of people still catch the train for free.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr D.C. NALDER : On
that basis, I asked why the fact it was a free service had not been formalised.
Everyone is taking it for free anyway, so formalise it. It was agreed to do
that on my instructions, so from this weekend both services—the 1.15 am
and 2.15 am services—will be free for the remainder of the time until
April. We want to encourage people to use this service. If the people vote with
their feet and use this service, we will review that decision.
Two issues came up yesterday. One regarded patronage numbers and the other was
about the free service. I will start with the free service and reiterate what I
said this morning.
Point of Order
Mr
W.J. JOHNSTON : No element of the question related to the price of
the train. It regarded patronage and the advice. The minister has talked about
questions asked yesterday. Clearly, he needs to answer the question asked
today.
The
SPEAKER : Minister, address the question asked today.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.C. NALDER : I
was talking about patronage, but the opposition also asked about price
yesterday, and I wanted to reiterate that.
Several members interjected.
Mr D.C. NALDER : If
members opposite do not want to hear about it, I will leave that out.
I have received a tremendous amount of additional data; there
is no question about that. We have diced it every which way, but it does not
matter whether we look at the numbers for summer or winter or whether we look
at the 1.15 am or the 2.15 am train, the numbers are low—they are too
low to justify the late-night service. We have said that they are too low to
justify for the community in the sense that we have a finite amount of
resources and we must identify public transport that meets the greatest needs
in our community. The numbers on the 1.15 am and 2.15 am services do not
justify having the service. We have said that, but we have not shut it down
immediately as was implied this morning. What we have said is that we intend to
shut it down. I support the PTA's recommendation to shut it down in
April. But we also said that we will reserve that decision based on patronage
and if it increases in a sustainable way in that period, we will review the
matter all the way through. The reason that patronage is important is that an
issue raised was that a number of people did not realise there was a free
service. I had advice from the director general and from the PTA—the
PTA put it out in a press release—that those services were free, and
that is the basis on which I was commenting on the two free services. I had an
apology this morning from the director general. I am unhappy that I was not given
correct advice and I corrected it this morning, but I went a step further. The
PTA advised me that the reason it said the service was free was that it is not
enforced and the majority of people still catch the train for free.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr D.C. NALDER : On
that basis, I asked why the fact it was a free service had not been formalised.
Everyone is taking it for free anyway, so formalise it. It was agreed to do
that on my instructions, so from this weekend both services—the 1.15 am
and 2.15 am services—will be free for the remainder of the time until
April. We want to encourage people to use this service. If the people vote with
their feet and use this service, we will review that decision.
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