Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou has criticised the NSW government’s decision to offer fare-free travel today, arguing it falls short of compensating commuters and businesses for last week’s major train delays.
The disruption, caused by a live cable falling across a train during high winds, brought Sydney’s rail network to a halt, stranding thousands of commuters.
In response, Premier Chris Minns announced fare-free travel for today, a move Nicolaou says misses the mark.
“Current data, supported by business feedback, indicates that office occupancy on Mondays and Fridays averages between 50 and 60 per cent, in contrast to 80 to 90 per cent on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays,” Nicolaou said.
“A fare-free Monday is a nice gesture but it’s not enough on its own. What we need is targeted, long-term investment and incentives to encourage public transport use.”
He warned that last week’s chaos damaged confidence in the city’s transport system.
“We can’t afford more meltdowns like last week’s – it was a big setback to the recovery of the city because it has shaken confidence so badly,” he said.
Nicolaou’s concerns were echoed by others, including former transport minister David Elliott, who suggested the fare-free day be held on the weekend to benefit families and boost local businesses.
Source: Daily Telegraph.
