A method designed to reduce overcrowding on South Coast trains is likely not having any effect at all, Wollongong MP Paul Scully said.
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For several years South Coast commuters have complained about trains leaving Central being overcrowded – particularly those with only four carriages.
As a way to address the issue, in October last year Transport for NSW introduced U-stops at Wolli Creek, Hurstville and Sutherland stations.
A U-stop is where passengers are not allowed to get off; however they can get on.
The idea was to tackle the problem of southern Sydney commuters catching South Coast services rather those dedicated to the inner suburban stations.
But it appears nothing is being done to stop people getting off at those stations.
While getting off at a U-stop carries an on-the-spot fine of $100, Transport for NSW said no-one had been fined since October 2016.
Wollongong MP Paul Scully had lodged a similar enquiry with Transport Minister Andrew Constance.
“What prompted my question in relation to that was the suggestion that part of the timetable improvements to address overcrowding had been the introduction of more of the U stops on the South Coast rail services,” Mr Scully said.
“I suspected it was one of those fines that go unenforced and it seems that’s the case.”
Mr Scully said the lack of fines wasn’t because no-one was getting off at these U-stops; commuters had told him they’d seen it happen.
He said the U-stops appeared to be doing nothing to address crowding on the South Coast line.
”If the government wants to use that as a mechanism to assist with overcrowding and making sure passengers on those services are the ones travelling to the South Coast rather than other stations in between, then they should be enforcing the law,” Mr Scully said.
“That means fining people if they are not doing the right thing.”