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‘Poor decision’ questioned

Metro-Link CEO Giuseppe Oliveri claims the NSW Government lacks credibility over its tendering process

November 9, 2012

Here is an unedited letter sent to Australasian Bus and Coach magazine in response to this week’s results from the Transport for NSW bus tender process in Sydney contract regions 1, 3, 12 and 14. Metro-Link operates in Region 3, encompassing Liverpool and Fairfield in Sydney’s outer west. Metro-Link lost its contract to operate in the region through the just-completed round one tender process, with the winning tender awarded to Transit Systems Australia.

Giuseppe Oliveri’s letter reads as follows…

SAD DAY FOR CUSTOMERS AND FAMILY BUS OPERATORS

Thursday,
November 8, 2012

Metro-Link Bus Lines is a family based public transport provider for the Liverpool and Fairfield area, and employs over seventy staff each year. Their business of providing future public transport has now been terminated by the Liberal Government’s recent tender results for the Region 3 Area.

I am disappointed and discouraged that the NSW Government has discounted our business, and its impact on the local communities in Liverpool and Fairfield.

The Government has no credibility in their alleged numbers, savings or in costings recently quoted, especially when the Government makes adverse decisions affecting the local community and private family businesses.

The State Government was nowhere to be seen in the 1950s when south-western Sydney needed public transport. It took a family business to bring social transport equity to the west, after growing services in the area for over fifty-eight years. It is this State Government that has capitalised on the back of goodwill generated by this family business for no compensation what so ever, and they are further profiting from the community’s goodwill. Shame, shame on you Minister Berejiklian!

What should state and local communities look forward to if the State Government seeks short term profits at the expense of local businesses who are the primary creators and contributors?

Does the government not know we are still in a global financial crisis? Why sacrifice a business of fifty-eight years of service and dedication, for what can only be due to the Governments lack of foresight or consideration of the impact it has on local economies such as Liverpool and Fairfield?

News of this loss of contract was discovered by this family in a newspaper article dated November 7, 2012, and to date no contact has been made with us by Transport for NSW or Minister Berejiklian.

Yet I note in the Minister’s media release that savings were achieved by this process, the majority of which no doubt came from the over-costed State Government Transitway T80 service now included in one of the Regions. How can the Government presume no savings could have been achieved if they negotiated with the existing operators, if the Government failed to consult with said existing businesses prior to, during or after the Tender?

The Government would be aware in the Tender review that the existing operators’ submissions were well and truly below current funding costs, and their savings would have been achieved.

The fallacy of ‘improved and positive outcomes for customers’ due to a change in two major Regions (1 and 3) away from the existing operators is not only naïve, but insulting to the community’s intelligence. What the Minister failed to consider is the major impact on some ninety-five schools and disorientation of over 47,000 primary and high school students in Region 3 alone that will occur from day one of the new services.

The general public can be assured its children will get home safe, as normal, while our family business is in control of the route and school services. Our efforts over this transition period is to attend to our customers and staff, both of which can remain confident with us more so than the Government’s alleged promises.

Giuseppe Oliveri – CEO, Metro-Link Bus Lines

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