Illawarra rail commuters may start driving to other stations on the South Coast line to try and get a seat on trains under the new COVID-19 restrictions.
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On Monday Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance announced changes that would see capacity on public transport slashed to allow for social distancing.
Green dots will be placed on train and bus seats to offer a guideline as to how many people can fit on board.
READ MORE: Public buses may drive past your stop
The new recommended capacity for trains is 32 people per carriage - or 256 on an eight-car train.
An eight-car train can normally seat around 900 people, which means more than 600 will miss out.
JohnPaul Zappia has been commuting between his home in Dapto and the Sydney CBD for the last eight years.
Having caught the train from Dapto and seen how many commuters are already on the train at that station, Mr Zappia is concerned that some people will take drastic measures to get a seat.
"Even at Dapto, a big stop that's early on in the commute, the train is still around one-third full," Mr Zappia said.
"By the time it gets to Wollongong I have the feeling people will be forced to miss out catching the early train or a peak-hour train because it's going to be packed.
"The feeling I get is people will drive further down the line to stations to try and get a seat. We could see an explosion in Dapto or in Coniston or Unanderra because people are trying to get a seat on those early trains."
Mr Constance has asked people not already on public transport to avoid it and look for other ways to get to work, which includes driving.
The government has also been advocating that those people now working from home continue to do so if possible.
Mr Zappia is one of those working from home at the moment and he had no scheduled date for when he has to return to the office.
But when he does, he plans on catching the train.
"I'm a bit of an optimist so I will go on the train just to check it out, just to see what it's going to be like," he said.
"[Premier] Gladys Berejiklian and Andrew Constance have said there are going to be green dots on the seats [as a social distancing measure] - I would love to see how that goes.
"I'm also very intrigued to see how it's going to pan out when we get to stations like Sutherland and Hurstville, because they are massive hubs on the South Coast line.
"I would love to see how many people get onto the train at those stations during peak hour."
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
