RWC opening night train debacle: blame the French!

RWC opening night train debacle: blame the French!

by Pattrick Smellie

Sept. 11 (BusinessDesk) – French multi-national public transport provider Veolia Transdev has been left red-faced for failing to anticipate demand for train services on the opening night of the Rugby World Cup 2011, in Auckland.

The privately owned, Paris-based operator of public transport systems describes itself as "the world's leading private public transport operator" and employs 119,000 people in 27 countries.

It runs the Maxx public train services in Auckland, on a contract from the municipal funder, Auckland Transport, and has public transport services in major cities throughout the world, including most of Europe, Russia, North America, India, China, Australia, and New Zealand, generally in partnership with local governments.

Some 2000 passengers reportedly were affected by trains being delayed, a small proportion of the total 60,000 who descended on the train network, when Maxx management had anticipated just 30,000, according to reports in the New Zealand Herald.

Many had booked to take public transport to the opening ceremony and match as part of the cost of the ticket.While the total train fares for 2000 passengers could end up totalling less than $20,000, the cost of the match tickets, at an average ticket price of $347 for an adult, refunds could be worth closer to $700,000.

However, people who arrived late for the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup but who still made the game will be ineligible for compensation, due to be announced today by Auckland Council, the ultimate owner of the public transport system that failed on the opening night of RWC 2011 to cope with some 200,000 people heading into the city.

Whatever compensation is paid is likely to be paid against tickets that weren’t scanned at the gate. Tickets bought unofficially are also unlikely to be honoured.Ferry services run by Fullers were also affected. Fullers is owned by Wellington-based Souter Holdings Ltd.

RWC 2011 will also be on the look-out for ticket cheats when they administer claims from disgruntled fans who missed the opening ceremony, and in some cases the game, because of foul-ups in the Auckland train, ferry and bus systems.

Veolia Transdev is only responsible for the train service.

“There is a registration process they will have to go through,” said RWC 2011 communications manager Mike Jaspers, who handed BusinessDesk on to Auckland City public relations staff, who are formulating what the promise “we will put it right” means.

RWC 2011 Minister Murray McCully told TV3’s “The Nation” he would not apologise for Auckland’s transport woes on Friday, but vowed to to make improvements in two key areas: the preparedness of the train, ferry and bus services for a massive crowd and the management of crowds in Quay Street, beside the Party Central site on the wharves, which proved far too small a venue on the first night of the six week world tournament.

However, crowds may not be so unmanageable for other games. Saturday’s North Harbour clash between France and Japan went off without incident.

No cost estimate for the evening’s delays has yet been made, Auckland City spokesman Simon Roche said.

Veolia Transdev operates Sydney’s light rail and many bus services, and services in Queensland and Western Australia,In 2010, global turnover for the group was 9.2 billion euros.

(BusinessDesk) 15:57:38

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