Minns fare-free day gift for commuter chaos woeful - make it a week
The move by the Premier to compensate for the rail chaos which has disrupted Sydneysiders lives for the last two days by offering a fare free day on Monday is woeful and totally inadequate given how much it’s impacted people, said Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and transport spokesperson.
“People have been stuck onboard trains, crammed onto platforms, stuck in queues for hours for replacement buses and forced to fork out for exorbitant Uber fares because of another meltdown on the network,” said Cate Faehrmann.
“The Premier has to be realistic about the impact this has had on people’s lives and wallets. Offering a single fare-free day is totally inadequate when it comes to properly compensating people or restoring public trust.
“It’s all well and good for Chris Minns to advise the public to work from home, but thousands of frontline and essential workers have no choice. Not only are they still forced to brave the wet weather but now they’re also facing long queues and waiting hours to board overcrowded buses, and having to pay for the privilege to do so.
“A full week of free public transport, effective immediately, is the bare minimum that should be on the table.
“The Premier has called for an Independent Review into this mess, yet the Government was handed a Review into Sydney Trains one week after it won office. Has it acted on all of those recommendations, and if not then the public has a right to ask what the hell are they doing.
“Commuters want action, not more reviews Premier. Just get on with fixing the trains,” said Cate Faehrmann.