Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has praised Kiama MP Gareth Ward after he criticised her and her department in parliament on Tuesday.
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Mr Ward has been campaigning for extra carriages on the 4.24pm Central to Kiama service, including launching a petition against his own government.
In his parliamentary speech, Mr Ward said the service had more passengers than seats and that he had passed on the ‘‘consistent stream of complaints’’ to Mrs Berejiklian and Transport for NSW.
‘‘The response I have received from the department is simply inadequate,’’ Mr Ward said in parliament.
‘‘In language that would make Sir Humphrey Appleby blush, I am told that Transport for NSW is ‘monitoring’ the situation. Is it really? Has the department monitored people having to stand for uncomfortable distances on a daily basis? Is it monitoring customer frustrations as calls for change are made without any reply? Is it sympathetic to the cause of commuters or is the talk of delivering a timetable with commuters in mind rich on rhetoric and thin on substance?’’
When asked for her response to Mr Ward’s speech, Mrs Berejiklian said ‘‘Gareth Ward is doing his job and working hard for his community’’.
She also highlighted that Mr Ward’s concerns about the 4.24pm service had not fallen on deaf ears.
‘‘I have always said we will look closely at services to see where improvements can be made,’’ she said.
‘‘Overall results show the new timetable is working well, but I have committed to look closely at the 4.24pm service following feedback from the community and the local MP.
‘‘Also good to note the latest customer satisfaction index showed 90 per cent of South Coast customers were satisfied with their service – an increase from the previous year.’’