Letters

The Age

Monday April 7, 2008

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

For passengers, it's a constant losing battle

CLAY Lucas' article ("Tram passengers winning ticket challenges", The Age, 5/4) has informative value but has failed to address broader issues of the cost of a poorly administered public transport fines system. The article reports that 3382 out of 10,609 contested fines were downgraded to warnings, while another 213 were waived. Contrary to comments by Metlink chief Bernie Carolan that warnings "did not mean that ticket inspectors had made a mistake", these 33.8% of fines were likely poorly substantiated or unnecessarily issued.

Serving poorly substantiated infringement notices on passengers leads to a distressing and time-consuming process for those who pursue a justified outcome, and a costly administrative role for the Department of Infrastructure. The costs to the DOI are public, borne by taxpayers. This is a triple jeopardy for taxpaying public transport users, who suffer not only generally poor services but harassment by ticket inspectors, the inconvenience of challenging fines and having their taxes wasted on public transport "dis-service".

This is not to mention other fines of a similar nature, which aggrieved passengers have simply paid. As such, this clearly is not a winning situation for tram passengers, but a constant losing battle with a severely challenged public transport system.

Marisa Tan, Cheltenham

'Computer says no'

I READ with interest about the boy who fought the ticket system and won ("Take note: with persistence, commuters can find justice", The Age, 5/4).

I also had the experience of dealing with over-zealous inspectors who treated me like a thief when the weekly ticket I had purchased was faulty.

Attempting to seek resolution through a complaints hotline to Yarra Trams was equally frustrating. I felt like I was dealing with Carol from Little Britain, who is infamous for her line: "computer says no". I was told that my complaint wasn't accepted as valid and would not be recorded. Perseverance paid off and Yarra Trams eventually conceded that the ticket was faulty. But this didn't alleviate being publicly humiliated by two officious males. I can only assume the system will change when a politician's mother or grandmother is falsely accused, as I and so many others have been.

Antoinette Brandi, South Melbourne

Tickets on themselves

FOR exactly what self-serving purpose does the Department of Infrastructure keep claiming that "the overwhelming majority of public transport patrons do the right thing and pay the appropriate fare for their journey"? Do these bureaucrats never ride the trams in Melbourne? Get on any tram at any hour and watch: only a small percentage of passengers will purchase or validate a ticket.

David Hancocks, Carlton

There is an alternative

THANKS to Weldon (The Sunday Age, 6/4) for reminding us, amid the debacle of the myki ticket system, that there is an alternative - bringing back conductors and other staff. They would be cheaper than the automated system being forced on us, they help passengers and make transport safer. Conductors are also indicative of the type of employment we need to invest in as we move to a low-carbon future - jobs that are socially useful while being of minimal environmental impact.

Cam Walker, Northcote

Racism? Or is it discrimination?

CAROL Nader and Dewi Cooke ("We're not racist, but . . .", The Age and Insight, 5/4) should work out what they mean by racism before they write about it. The majority of the cases they discuss are examples of religious discrimination or of discrimination based on country of origin, not based on ethnicity of individuals.

While most people accept that assuming a person's abilities, values and worth based on race is always wrong, religious beliefs are just that - freely expressed beliefs - and will inevitably result in differences from people without those same beliefs. Further, where you grew up has some impact on what kind of person you become.

It is true that unjustifiable discrimination may occur based on religion and country of origin, but please don't poison discussion of these important issues with the tag "racism" just because it's a shorter word.

Will Ross, Parkville

Jobs to do first

IT'S got me beat why Mr Rudd is swanning around the world as if he is some kind of elder statesman. He has only been in the job a few months. I can still hear his endless and passionate support for Australian "working families" during last year's election campaign.

How is dragging one plane-load of bureaucrats and another of journalists around the world helping Australian working families, Mr Rudd? Instead of saluting the President of the US, you should be back here fixing the problems you promised you would fix. We want the lower food prices, the lower petrol prices and the lower house prices you said you could deliver.

There will be plenty of time to inflate your ego after you have delivered on the promises that got you the job in the first place.

Stephen Hartney, Highett

Hail fellow, well met

RECENTLY I went on a trip to my old rural stamping ground. As I walked down the main street, I was saluted a couple of times by acquaintances from the old days.

In both instances the guys' salutes took the form of a hand raised to the brow accompanied by "How're you going?" or similar. Mind you, I didn't realise at the time that I was being saluted. I just thought they were politely acknowledging my return. It wasn't until I saw the pictures of Kevin Rudd's "salute" to the US President that I grasped the subservient admiration one or two of my former townsfolk had for me.

Really? Of course not - not at home or abroad.

Alannah McIntosh, Chatswood, NSW

The nuclear view

THE announcement last week of the Otway carbon dioxide storage project is a critical step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Although this pilot involves the storage of 100,000 tonnes of compressed gas, eventually such geosequestration must manage hundreds of millions of tonnes of emissions annually - just in Australia - and the technological and environmental hurdles ahead remain formidable. By comparison, the mass of spent fuel from a network of 25 nuclear reactors producing a third of Australia's electricity is about 2500 tonnes each year. If located in one spot, this mass would occupy a volume growing by about the size of a small apartment annually - for the sum of all our reactors. While the Otway project involves storage at two-kilometre depths in a large depleted gas cavity, most designs of long-term nuclear storage facilities require engineered spaces about 500 metres underground and the technology questions have now been answered. We must continue to give priority to cleaning up the fossil fuel cycle, but the practical challenges of nuclear power are simpler and the technology is available.

Ziggy Switkowski, Toorak

Meanwhile, out west

LAST week Premier John Brumby and Education Minister Bronwyn Pike announced plans for a new 800-student selective secondary school in Wyndham Vale (and another in Berwick).

Just weeks ago we were told by the Education Department that our child's enrolment in Western Autistic School would be cut from five years to four because of a lack of resources. We now find our tax dollars are to be spent on a lavish new school for students who, by definition, need no extra help.

We have lived in the west for about nine years and witnessed the massive growth in housing in this area. Thousands of houses and dozens of schools have been built - but when was the last special school built in the western suburbs? Existing special schools are capping enrolments. Western Autistic will (hopefully) get a new campus - but this only replaces older buildings, with no increase in places.

Our much-vaunted autism plan is turning into an ongoing excuse to do nothing - and other disabilities continue to be ignored. Somehow we can find the money for high achievers (and for that matter, car races in the park, pre-election advertising . . .), but not for the disabled.

Mark Websdale, treasurer, Autism Alliance Association, Laverton

More than money in airport rail link

THE lack of leadership displayed by Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky and Melbourne Airport chief executive Chris Woodruff regarding a future airport rail link ("Rail link way down the track", The Age, 4/4) is disappointing. Given the debate surrounding transport infrastructure, this is an issue not to be dismissed on economic grounds alone. Indeed, where in Mr Woodruff's comments did questions of service provision and the environment appear?

Of the 22.5 million passengers who use the airport as an entry to Melbourne, I am sure many would appreciate an efficient alternative to a significant taxi fare or $26 return Skybus ticket. Similarly, we need to consider the environment when making decisions that will keep millions of cars on a freeway each year. Heathrow - and even smaller airports such as Oslo - has got it right. Why can't Melbourne step up and show leadership that transcends the confines of the purse strings?

David Humphreys, Warragul

Blow me down

IT HAS blown and rained down on us, and Graham Price and Christina La Ponder (Letters, 5/4) and others complain that they don't get electricity restored to their homes instantaneously. For that, power companies would have to keep hundreds of employees on standby for, what, 50 years before another storm of that magnitude.

Gee, these people's lives were disrupted and they could not go on living and consuming in their normal way. So their freezers went off and some food spoiled - big deal. Get real and think about the hundreds of millions of people who don't even have any electricity. Be thankful you have electricity nearly guaranteed non-stop, and don't forget ambulances within seven to 10 minutes when most of the world doesn't even know what one looks like.

Al Rozefsky, Mansfield

Laugh? I nearly cried

MORE people die from motor vehicle-related pollution than car accidents; motor vehicles generate more than 26% of Melbourne's pollution; using public transport is more cost-effective than driving. I can only attribute the timing of Peter Surkitt's letter (5/5) suggesting that we would be in a parlous state had the Monash and Eastern freeways not been built to the fact that the comedy festival is on.

Mick Kir, Wantirna

© 2008 The Age

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