“WHEN IT'S LATE, IT'S LATE”

Anthony Roberts MP, Member for Lane Cove, today pledged to support moves to end Labor's meaningless on-time running measurements and begin a straightforward approach to calculating if public transport is running on-time.

"After twelve years of Labor, local commuters are sick of Labor's on-time running con, where a train running up to ten minutes late is counted as being 'on-time'," Mr Roberts said.

"Our straightforward approach is simple: when it's late, it's late," he said.

"Morris Iemma and part-time Transport Minister John Watkins think a CityRail train running five minutes late is close enough, I disagree.

"Commuters are sick of being told their train is 'on-time' when it actually arrives late, resulting in them either missing their connection, being late for an important appointment or having less time to spend with their families.

"It's time commuters were told exactly how their public transport network is performing and whether it's capable of getting them where they need to go on-time."

Under a NSW Liberal/Nationals Government a service will only be considered 'on time' if it arrives within the minute it is scheduled to arrive.

Specifically we will:

• Immediately change the on-time running definition for CityRail & CountryLink such that a train is late if it does not reach its destination at the scheduled time;
• Immediately change the on-time running definition for Sydney Ferries such that a ferry is late if it does not reach its final destination at the scheduled time;
• Immediately change the on-time running definition for State Transit buses such that a bus is late if it does not reach its final destination at the scheduled time; and
• All services that skip scheduled stops to meet timetable deadlines will automatically be classified as late, regardless of the time they arrive at their final destination.

"It's time to return truth to public transport timetables," Mr Roberts said.

"For too long Labor has hidden behind artificial definitions in an attempt to hide how bad things really are.  But the reality is, when a transport service is late, it’s late.