MEDIA RELEASE | Tueasday 29 July 2014
PENNY SHARPE MLC | Shadow Minister for Transport
TRANSPORT MINISTER WASTING COMMUTER TIME AND TAXPAYER MONEY BY BANNING OPAL CARD SALES FROM TRAIN STATION TICKET WINDOWS
Shadow Minister for Transport Penny Shar
pe today said that Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian is wasting the valuable time of commuters and taxpayers’ money by banning train station staff from selling Opal Cards from ticket windows.
“The decision to prevent train station staff from selling Opal cards to commuters clearly demonstrates that providing good customer service is not a priority for the Liberal Government,” Ms Sharpe said.
“Gladys Berejiklian is wasting taxpayers’ money on temporary staff and pop-up kiosks to sell Opal Cards at pre-determined locations and times – instead of using the existing station staff and ticket selling infrastructure to give commuters choice of when to buy tickets.
“The Minister has a team of professional and experienced staff on train stations across Sydney but she is refusing to allow them to do their job and provide service to their customers – instead Gladys Berejiklian is wasting taxpayers’ money on duplicating their roles.
“The question for the Transport Minister is why would you design a train ticket that can't be bought at train stations?
“I’ve been told by train station staff that they are frequently on the receiving end of the anger from commuters having difficulty with Opal Cards - but station staff are simply unable to help them.
“The Opal Card is supposed to make using public transports easier. Yet there is nothing easy about having to be redirected hundreds of metres to an ‘authorised seller’ by train station staff who have been forbidden from selling you an Opal Card.
“This is a short-sighted decision that will hurt pensioners, tourists and people with less mobility.”
Ms Sharpe said that the Minister’s policy of forbidding train station staff from selling Opal Cards and helping commuters adjust to the new system raises serious concerns that the long term plan is to sack station staff across the network.
“Commuters appreciate the help that they can receive at their local train station if they have a question or are having difficulty with the ticketing machines and gates.
“Gladys Berejiklian’s long term plan is to sack more station staff and leave commuters in the lurch at the ticket gate if their Opal Card fails to work properly.”
MEDIA CONTACT: PENNY SHARPE 0413 386 104