Look, there's a story today that more than 400 station jobs are going to be axed in a secret plan by CityRail. And that this will create what are described as lengthy delays on the already beleaguered train network, and that there's a draft hit list of redundancies, plans to dump ticket sellers and barrier attendants. And at stations on the City Circle line we're told there could be 111 job losses if CityRail management gets its way.
43 jobs to go at Central, 23 at Town Hall. 17 at Wynyard, 16 at Circular Quay.
We also hear that metropolitan stations will cop the axe as well, Blacktown to lose 10 staff including two ticket sellers. Just queue up, even if you miss the train.
Parramatta 11, including two ticket sellers. Strathfield five. Penrith seven. Campbelltown five. Hurstville, Liverpool, Gosford, Newcastle, Hornsby, Bondi Junction.
This when ticket queues are already out of control. When and where does this rubbish end?
We're told that the job cuts won't affect services. It really has reached the point where it's impossible to find anything in relation to transport whether it be bus, train or ferry in this city that you could give a tick to.
I had a note from a father whose son is an apprentice at Garden Island. To get from Ourimbah by train to work at Garden Island, the young lad has to catch a 4.40am train from Ourimbah to get to work at half past seven, if he's lucky. Then you've got all this corruption at RailCorp.
Money wasted on ICAC inquiries. ICAC have already made 41 recommendations to the Minister, Watkins in relation to systemic weaknesses, but the corrupt conduct continues. 94 per cent of contracts worth 2.2 billion dollars didn't have the appropriate paperwork, and 55 per cent of the time RailCorp officers didn't seek a second quote before awarding the contract.
But ICAC has made 41 recommendations to Minister Watkins in relation to RailCorp's contract management, none of them implemented. Incompetence and corruption given the green light.
40 per cent of contracts by RailCorp offices were approved by people who didn't have the authority. And basically now job cuts to CityRail which are virtually forcing people into their cars and onto the roads, because public transport can't deliver the service the public seek.
You cut back on ticket sellers and people are queued up when their train arrives. They miss the train, they're in strife, they catch the train without a ticket and they're in strife.
Wherever you look, whether it's T-cards, ferries, trains, the whole system is racked by crisis and scandal and incompetence and stupidity.
And then you've got the maintenance question. Breakdowns everywhere, on average more than two trains breaking down each day. Where does this end?
It won't.
Quite frankly, if those in charge, including the Minister, can't do better, they should give their guernsey to someone else who could at least make a more satisfactory fist of things.
