Technology

Commuters have taken to social media to voice frustration over an SA Government decision they say has led to breaches of social distancing on public transport, with photos showing rail passengers packed into carriages.

Commuters fear their health is being put at risk on Adelaide’s crowded public transport network, prompting a warning from authorities to avoid busy trains, trams and buses.
Key points:

  • The number of train services has been slashed, meaning remaining services have been packed
  • Health authorities are urging people to avoid public transport where possible
  • The Opposition is calling for incentives to spread patronage across the day

Photos posted on social media in the last few days show passengers on peak-hour services on Adelaide Metro trains in clear breach of social distancing requirements prompted by coronavirus.
It comes one week after the South Australian Government took 50 of the network’s 70 diesel trains out of operation due to a mechanical fault.
Regular commuter Corey Wolf, who posted a photo taken during his journey along the Gawler line on Tuesday, said he was concerned for the safety of himself and other passengers.
“It was packed, it was pre-COVID shoulder to shoulder, full-carriage packed. It was a bit of a shock to be honest,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning.
“It was really uncomfortable.”
Coronavirus questions answered
Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC’s Coronacast podcast.
Read more
Mr Wolf said it was a “strange sensation” being so close to other people and that he would “definitely not” catch the train until he was sure it was safe to do so.
“I heard a few people talking, as you do, saying how it was ridiculous and it just seems so contrary to everything else that we’ve been told and everything else we’ve been encouraged to do,” he said.
“I won’t be hopping on a train until that’s changed I’ve got a dad who’s quite sick and I don’t want him to get COVID.”
Another commuter took to social media to voice her frustration.
“Adelaide Metro doing less trains and carriages due to COVID-19 was by far the stupidest decision,” she wrote.
Others tweeted that the State Government was forcing people to take “huge health risks” by not boosting capacity, and that “Adelaide Metro will single-handedly be responsible for the second wave of COVID-19”.
“Ruby Princess crisis just waiting to happen again,” another wrote.
Coronavirus update: Follow all the latest news in our daily wrap
Government urged to release passenger advice
SA Health guidelines state a minimum distance of 1.5 metres should be kept between people, while enclosed spaces should leave four square metres for every one person.
In response to the flurry of concern, Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said it would be safer for passengers to avoid public transport in some circumstances.
“I think it would be much safer to avoid getting on any public transport where you can’t do the social distancing,” Dr Spurrier told Adelaide radio station FiveAA this morning.
People crowded onto a citybound Outer Harbor train at 8:30am one morning last week.(Twitter: ALP SA)
Dr Spurrier said it was not always possible to practise social distancing while travelling with other commuters, and her team was working the the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure on the issue.
The problem has been compounded by cuts to the number of rail services operating, after a mechanical fault was identified on 50 of the state’s 70 diesel trains.
Services on the Outer Harbor, Gawler and Belair lines are now running half-hourly, while Grange rail services have been replaced by substitute buses.
But Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said extra carriages had been added to some services to make up for the shortfall, and there are now at least 28 trains in operation.
Addressing concerns over social distancing, he said the State Government had followed public health advice.
“A lot of it does depend on how long people are in contact with each other and certainly the circumstances, the cohort, the types of people that are using public transport,” he said.
“All of these factors would weigh in.”
Mr Knoll said train passengers were only at 20 per cent of their usual patronage, and the Government would continue to follow health advice as that number rose.
Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis called on Mr Knoll to release the medical advice that indicates it is safe for people to travel on public transport.
“It’s Government advice make it available to the community so they can know exactly that it’s safe to be on a train,” he said.
He said the Government also needed to consider substitute buses and incentives to catch the train at off-peak times, such as early bird tickets, in order to spread patronage across the day.
This chart uses a logarithmic scale to highlight coronavirus growth rates. Read our explainer to understand what that means and how COVID-19 cases are spreading around the world.
How effective and how safe is the COVIDSafe app?