By Vanessa Chircop
ALTONA commuters are not giving up the fight for a better train service, with a meeting being held last week to discuss where their service needs to improve.
As reported by Star previously, Metro released a new timetable earlier this year which sees the Altona loop lose direct city access.
Spokesperson for the Altona Loop Action Group, Sandra Wilson said last week’s meeting was a success with several residents turning up to voice their concerns.
“We have an ongoing connection in the community,” she said.
“Everyone is very passionate about this issue – it’s a point of engagement.”
Ms Wilson said this issue was about a community standing up for what they believe in.
At the meeting the group decided to write to the Minister for Transport Terry Mulder to address problems that have not been fixed since the new timetable was rolled out.
Ms Wilson said that the group accepts that there has been some improvement to the statistics but this issue was more than just statistics.
“There has been some improvement of what has been a bare minimum service,” she said.
“This is an issue of people, quality service and values – statistics will never deliver the true story.”
Ms Wilson also said residents were unhappy that the bus timetable had still not been matched to coincide with the new train timetable, leaving many commuters waiting in the cold and rain for their connecting service.
“My husband is getting home 20 minutes later in the evening because they’re not coinciding.”
“He misses the bus he would normally get and has to wait to get the next one – my son has given up catching the train all together.”
