Media Release: Newcastle commuters continue to suffer from bungled transport projects

Transport workers are slamming the NSW Government over a revelation that Newcastle’s new trams will be running only every 10-15 minutes from day one, instead of every 7 and a half minutes as promised.

 

The Rail Tram and Bus Union’s Tram and Bus Division Secretary, David Babineau, said “It is absolutely disgraceful that workers and commuters are being forced to suffer with an inferior service from day 1 on Newcastle’s light rail.

 

“The NSW Government sold this glorified Newcastle Revitalisation project, but all Novocastrians are getting are shambolic projects that fail to meet the standard that the Newcastle community deserve.

 

“The light rail had no business case to begin with, nor was the community consulted. Now, we’re hearing the NSW Government can’t even come through with their own plans that they’re forcing tax payers to fork out millions of dollars for.

 

“Once again the community of Newcastle are bearing the cost of a Government who can’t be trusted to deliver on public transport.” Mr Babineau said.

 

“The Minister has been out spruiking about how successful the Newcastle’s Revitalision project is, yet what do we have to show for it yet? How can we ‘transform’ the city if the trams are running half as much as the Government said they would?

 

“It makes us wonder if the NSW Government have even written the contract correctly – they say they forgot to add inflation to the tune of $84 million dollars to the Newcastle bus contract so what makes us have faith that they’ve got our trams right?

 

“Just like the privatisation of Newcastle’s buses, this is yet another transport fail by the NSW Government.

“Workers and commuters deserve better than constantly being put a distant second to political point scoring from a government desperate for re-election.” Mr Babineau said.