Transport Minister Andrew Constance MP should stop being petulant and to start doing his job by addressing overcrowding on the South Coast Line.
Keira MP, Ryan Park and Wollongong MP, Paul Scully have consistently raised the problem with the Minister in speeches in the Parliament and numerous representations.
Recently, to highlight the overcrowding on the South Coast Line, the Labor MPs invited the Minister to ride on peak afternoon services from Central to Wollongong and see for himself that commuters are forced to stand in carriage isles and, in some circumstances, have brought their own seats so they can sit down.
Mr Scully recently told the Parliament that commuters are even lining up on train station platforms 45 minutes prior to leaving so they can secure a seat.
The Minister has not only refused to accept the invitation from the Labor MPs, but dismissed their complaints as “juvenile”.
Mr Park and Mr Scully said they would not let the petulance and temper tantrums of the Minister stop them continuing to raise the need for the Berejiklian Government to address overcrowding on the South Coast Line.
He has tried to hide behind standard responses for months and now that he has been called out has resorted to name calling.
Comments attributable to Ryan Park:
“I don’t think anyone who has had to stand up for part or all of a train trip to Wollongong would consider our offer to Minister Constance to be “juvenile”.
“He would rather stamp his feet and act petulantly rather than take seriously the constant complaints of commuters who are just sick and tired of being stuffed into a four car service from Central to Wollongong.
“The Minister needs to take up our invitation to hop on the train, talk to passengers and see for himself that the overcrowding problem must be addressed now.”
Comments attributable to Paul Scully MP:
“The Minister just has to realise that commuters are paying money for a service that is simply not up to scratch.
“Commuters are continually stuffed into overcrowded carriages on the South Coast Line and their frustrations need to be addressed now.
“This is a problem that can solved very easily by just hitching another four carriages to the overcrowded services.
“The Government did this in November 2014 and it can do it again now – all that’s missing is this Minister’s political will.”
