Rail, Tram and Bus Union Victorian secretary Vik Sharma and national president Victor Moore have drafted a motion for this weekend\u2019s Labor Party state conference to strengthen the upcoming bidding process before the existing Metro Trains contract expires in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n
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As well as calling for an inquiry to improve commuter outcomes, the union wants the government to consider a public bid from the Department of Transport and Planning to run the metropolitan train network, or at least formulate a road map to reliably return the network to public control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe current contract does not grant the government adequate oversight or control over operations of Metro including staffing levels, faults, maintenance and decision-making about the network. Withholding critical information and decision-making control gives Metro an unfair advantage and makes it more difficult to prioritise the public interest,\u201d the draft motion said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reality the system has not progressed under this company service delivery substandard. Over the period very few lines have received ungraded services and maintenance on the network has fallen behind. The system is being run for the operator not the passenger and not the taxpayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union motion on the metropolitan train network calls for an independent inquiry into the current contract to identify gaps in the government\u2019s knowledge. It would also review how confidentiality rules built into the franchise agreement hinders oversight and collaboration between the government and the operator, \u201cwith the aim of strengthening the state\u2019s position and improving public transport outcomes\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n