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The Guardian
7 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Nearly one in five NSW trains ran late in past year, falling well short of own performance target, data shows
Sydney Trains have hit a new low for on-time services with only 82.5% of trains arriving within five or six minutes of scheduled times over the last year. The result, based on data in the year to 30 June, represents a significant slide in performance from the previous year, when 87.9% of trains ran on time. The New South Wales government aims for 92% on-time running, with punctuality defined as running within five minutes of scheduled times for suburban trains within the Sydney metropolitan area and six minutes for intercity trains. 'Whilst Sydney Trains did not reach its own 92% performance target over the past three years in part due to protected industrial action during this period and severe weather events, on-time running in 2022 was 92.1%, 95% in 2021 and 92.5% in 2020,' a spokesperson for Sydney Trains told the Guardian. 'On-time running or punctuality can also be impacted by other unforeseen factors, including fatalities, sick passengers, trespassers, police operations, and maintenance requirements,' the spokesperson said. Sign up: AU Breaking News email The transport minister, John Graham, said: 'Settling the rail agreement means all energy can now be focused on reliability. We have got that message loud and clear.' Punctuality was particularly bad for intercity trains, which include the Newcastle and the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, South Coast and Southern Highlands (Goulburn) lines. Only 70.5% of those trains recorded on-time running. Sydney CBD trains did better, with 84% arriving on time. For the Blue Mountains, the last financial year was the worst on record, with just 69% of services running on time. For the Central Coast, it was also the worst on record, with just 68.7% of services running on time. There are no signs of improvement on either line in the first weeks of July, according to data. The Southern Highlands line is showing signs of improvement but off a very low base of only 60% on-time running. Protracted negotiations with the Rail Tram and Bus union over a new enterprise agreement, which resulted in strikes and work bans, affected the network during the period. Sydney, the Central Coast and the Illawarra were also hit by torrential rain on several occasions including in January, May and June. The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, accused Labor MPs in the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and South Coast of being 'nowhere to be seen' on the deterioration in service. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'Chris Minns, John Graham and every Labor MP in these areas should ride the trains their communities are forced to suffer,' he said. 'If they did, they'd see the delays, the breakdowns, the frustration – and they'd know just how badly they've failed. The truth is Labor thinks they can take these seats for granted.' In response, Graham said 'it was a much simpler task for government running a train network when it was also asking the population to stay behind a locked front door during the pandemic. 'The Liberals understand the challenge because under them on-time running fell to an all-time low of 71% in one month in 2022 and the 92% target was missed in 10 of their last 12 months in office,' he said. Sydney Trains said it had introduced several initiatives to increase reliability of services and enable the network to recover faster from disruptions, such as an adjusted timetable in October 2024 that saw some stations receive increased service frequencies, a new intercity fleet on some lines and a train repair plan. The poor train results come as the state government announced it was shedding 950 jobs from the department, Transport for NSW. It is believed the cuts are not to front line jobs.
Bangkok Post
15-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Zuellig Pharma Expands Thai Distribution Centre with THB 130m
Zuellig Pharma, a leading healthcare solutions provider in Asia, has announced a THB 130 million (US$4 million) investment to expand its pharmaceutical distribution centre in Bang Sao Thong District, Samut Prakan. This strategic move will significantly enhance the facility's pharmaceutical-grade logistics capabilities and strengthen Thailand's healthcare supply chain. The upgraded distribution hub features high-precision temperature control systems that comply with global Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards, ensuring the integrity of life-saving medicines and vaccines during storage and delivery. With a storage capacity of 1,800 pallets and a dedicated low-temperature freezer room (-20°C to -30°C), the facility will support the growing demand for biologics, vaccines, and specialty medicines across the country. 'This investment marks a significant milestone in our journey as an integrated healthcare solutions company,' said John Graham, CEO of Zuellig Pharma. 'It allows us to meet rising healthcare needs in Thailand while reinforcing our regional distribution network.' Smart systems within the facility include automated temperature monitoring, emergency power backups, a certified NFPA 13 fire suppression system, and a fire-resistant structure built to FM 4800 and FM 4881 standards. These upgrades aim to deliver consistent quality, safety, and reliability throughout the supply chain. Zuellig Pharma Thailand also integrates sustainable practices with eZCooler reusable cold chain packaging, energy-efficient air conditioning, and smart LED lighting to reduce carbon emissions. 'The expansion reaffirms our commitment to making healthcare accessible,' said Pucknalin Bulakul, Managing Director of Zuellig Pharma Thailand. 'By ensuring timely delivery and uncompromised product quality, we are supporting better patient outcomes across the country.'
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Eshays slammed over unbelievable act at a food court as locals fume over infuriating problem gripping their Sydney
A group of eshays have been labelled 'idiots' after footage emerged of them riding e-bikes through a busy food court. A shocked shopper filmed the outrageous act unfold outside George Street Event Cinemas, in Sydney 's CBD. The footage was shared to Reddit on Wednesday and showed four teens recklessly cruising past as shoppers looked on in muted astonishment. Social media users were unimpressed by the incident, taking aim at the infuriating abundance of e-bikes in the city. 'Am I the only person that really hates the things?' one said. 'They have made central Sydney look like a scrap dealer's yard.' 'As great an innovation that they are, e-scooters and bikes are going to cause more and more problems in the hands of idiots,' another said. The rise of share bikes and scooters in Australian cities in recent years has sparked concerns about cluttered footpaths, anti-social behaviour and safety of pedestrians. Last week, a 14-year-old boy died after he fell from an e-bike in Sydney, while accidents involving the modes of transport rose 300 per cent from 2023 to 2024. Lime is the company that operates the e-bikes and more than 1million of them and e-scooters are used by NSW locals, but the government is putting in place regulations after an inquiry looked at their use. It found that parking and pathway obstructions were increasing problems. NSW Transport Minister John Graham said last month that a set of rules would encourage the benefits of e-bikes and e-scooters while ensuring the safety of pedestrians sharing the paths and roads with them. 'We recognise the community's concerns, particularly around device modification, fire risk, discarded shared e-bikes and poor rider behaviour, which is why we're taking action,' he said. There's about 3,000 e-bikes for hire in Sydney while another 1,500 are being used for jobs like food delivery services. Some councils have already taken action due to safety fears with Waverley Council saying it would impound e-bikes if their operators did not reach an agreement to make their use safer and better regulated. Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said at the time it was being proactive rather than waiting for an accident to happen before taking action. 'While share bikes are a State Government responsibility, Council will not stand by and wait for somebody to be injured,' he said. The riders who went through the food court on Wednesday were not going fast and some Aussies stuck up for the e-bikes. 'I love them. I don't have a car at the moment and getting up to the gym takes four minutes on the e-bike compared to 25 minutes on foot,' one person said. 'They'd be awesome in a country where the general population was mature though to handle it,' another said.
Daily Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Daily Telegraph
‘Idiots': Teens filmed riding e-bikes through food court
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A group of teens have been blasted as 'idiots' after they were filmed speeding on e-bikes through a busy Sydney food court. The footage, uploaded to Reddit on Wednesday, showed at least four teens riding Lime e-bikes through the George Street Event Cinemas complex, sparking a flood of angry comments. 'Am I the only person that really hates the effing things?' one person wrote. 'They have made central Sydney look like a scrapdealer's yard.' Another said, 'As great an innovation that they are, e-scooters and bikes are going to cause more and more problems in the hands of idiots and the immature.' 'I've seen the same with idiots seeing how fast they can go through the crowded pedestrian walkways of Barangaroo and Darling Harbour,' a third wrote. Spokespeople for the City of Sydney and NSW Transport Minister John Graham declined to comment. NSW Police and Lime have been contacted for comment. The proliferation of share bikes and scooters in Australian cities in recent years has sparked growing concerns about cluttered footpaths, anti-social behaviour and safety of pedestrians and riders. Last week a 14-year-old boy died in hospital after he was critically hurt falling from an e-bike in Arncliffe Park, in Sydney's south. Earlier this year, The Daily Telegraph reported e-bike and e-scooter injuries had risen 300 per cent at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, from six in 2023 to 24 last year, The majority of incidents involved riders hitting stationary cars or being hit by moving vehicles. More than 3000 e-bikes are estimated to be available for hire in the city. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers While Lime, the longest-operating 'micro-mobility company' in Australia and New Zealand, states riders must be over 18, the bikes have exploded in popularity among children and teens who flout the rules and rarely wear helmets. More than one million e-bikes and e-scooters are used by residents in NSW and the government is now preparing regulations in response to an inquiry that examined their use across the state. The inquiry found that while shared e-bike operators claimed to have technology and staff to manage parking and pathway obstruction issues, the reality was far different, as problems increasingly persisted. It was recommended the state work with councils to include e-bike parking on roads and allocate existing car spaces for e-mobility parking in some areas. Mr Graham said in a statement last month there was still a lot of work to do, but a sensible set of rules would promote the benefits of e-bikes and e-scooters while protecting the safety of everyone sharing the paths and roads with them. 'We recognise the community's concerns, particularly around device modification, fire risk, discarded shared e-bikes and poor rider behaviour — which is why we're taking action,' he said. The City of Sydney estimates more than 3000 e-bikes are available for hire in the city, and another 1500 are being used by citizens and food delivery services. Designated parking areas for e-bikes have been allocated in some parts of the city but only accommodate up to 25 bikes, leaving areas cluttered with bikes. In April, the City supported a recommendation made by the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee to reallocate road space for bike parking to maintain footpath space along Victoria Street. The state government has acknowledged concerns about poor rider behaviour. Picture: Reddit The committee found the number of food delivery and share bikes parked on footpaths had significantly increased. A City of Sydney spokesman previously said about 60,000 share bike trips were taken each week in their local government area, with 20,000 trips starting or ending around Victoria Street. The City provided 13 designated share bike parking areas on footpaths last year that accommodate between four and 10 bikes and was working with operators to update its apps so users parked in designated areas. The first on-street bike parking was implemented in Haymarket, with nine other sites approved for installation in the coming weeks that will accommodate up to 25 bikes in Potts Point, Millers Point, Chippendale, Zetland and Paddington. 'Data provided by share bike companies show that in 2024 more than 20,000 share bike trips started or ended on Victoria St or on nearby streets,' a spokesman said. 'We are proposing to add a further four designated on-street bicycle parking areas on a trial basis in Potts Point. 'While the City of Sydney doesn't have any regulatory control nor enforceable powers, we are engaging with bike share operators so they can address the concerns of the community regarding the parking of their assets.' Some councils have already taken action on safety concerns. In March, Waverley Council — which covers suburbs including Bondi, Bronte, and Dover Heights — announced bikes would be impounded if the operators did not reach an agreement to make their use safer and better regulated. Lime and HelloRide subsequently signed onto the memorandum of understanding, which set a maximum number of bikes available at any one point in time, provided designated parking locations and restricted parking zones, and implemented geofencing technology to define no-go zones. Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh declared at the time that 'enough is enough'. 'While share bikes are a State Government responsibility, Council will not stand by and wait for somebody to be injured,' he said. 'Impounding bikes that are causing a safety risk will immediately reduce the likelihood of harm to residents and visitors.' — with NCA NewsWire Originally published as 'Idiots': Teens filmed riding e-bikes through food court
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- News.com.au
‘Idiots': Teens filmed riding e-bikes through food court
A group of teens have been blasted as 'idiots' after they were filmed speeding on e-bikes through a busy Sydney food court. The footage, uploaded to Reddit on Wednesday, showed at least four teens riding Lime e-bikes through the George Street Event Cinemas complex, sparking a flood of angry comments. 'Am I the only person that really hates the effing things?' one person wrote. 'They have made central Sydney look like a scrapdealer's yard.' Another said, 'As great an innovation that they are, e-scooters and bikes are going to cause more and more problems in the hands of idiots and the immature.' 'I've seen the same with idiots seeing how fast they can go through the crowded pedestrian walkways of Barangaroo and Darling Harbour,' a third wrote. Spokespeople for the City of Sydney and NSW Transport Minister John Graham declined to comment. NSW Police and Lime have been contacted for comment. The proliferation of share bikes and scooters in Australian cities in recent years has sparked growing concerns about cluttered footpaths, anti-social behaviour and safety of pedestrians and riders. Last week a 14-year-old boy died in hospital after he was critically hurt falling from an e-bike in Arncliffe Park, in Sydney's south. Earlier this year, The Daily Telegraph reported e-bike and e-scooter injuries had risen 300 per cent at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, from six in 2023 to 24 last year, The majority of incidents involved riders hitting stationary cars or being hit by moving vehicles. While Lime, the longest-operating 'micro-mobility company' in Australia and New Zealand, states riders must be over 18, the bikes have exploded in popularity among children and teens who flout the rules and rarely wear helmets. More than one million e-bikes and e-scooters are used by residents in NSW and the government is now preparing regulations in response to an inquiry that examined their use across the state. The inquiry found that while shared e-bike operators claimed to have technology and staff to manage parking and pathway obstruction issues, the reality was far different, as problems increasingly persisted. It was recommended the state work with councils to include e-bike parking on roads and allocate existing car spaces for e-mobility parking in some areas. Mr Graham said in a statement last month there was still a lot of work to do, but a sensible set of rules would promote the benefits of e-bikes and e-scooters while protecting the safety of everyone sharing the paths and roads with them. 'We recognise the community's concerns, particularly around device modification, fire risk, discarded shared e-bikes and poor rider behaviour — which is why we're taking action,' he said. The City of Sydney estimates more than 3000 e-bikes are available for hire in the city, and another 1500 are being used by citizens and food delivery services. Designated parking areas for e-bikes have been allocated in some parts of the city but only accommodate up to 25 bikes, leaving areas cluttered with bikes. In April, the City supported a recommendation made by the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee to reallocate road space for bike parking to maintain footpath space along Victoria Street. The committee found the number of food delivery and share bikes parked on footpaths had significantly increased. A City of Sydney spokesman previously said about 60,000 share bike trips were taken each week in their local government area, with 20,000 trips starting or ending around Victoria Street. The City provided 13 designated share bike parking areas on footpaths last year that accommodate between four and 10 bikes and was working with operators to update its apps so users parked in designated areas. The first on-street bike parking was implemented in Haymarket, with nine other sites approved for installation in the coming weeks that will accommodate up to 25 bikes in Potts Point, Millers Point, Chippendale, Zetland and Paddington. 'Data provided by share bike companies show that in 2024 more than 20,000 share bike trips started or ended on Victoria St or on nearby streets,' a spokesman said. 'We are proposing to add a further four designated on-street bicycle parking areas on a trial basis in Potts Point. 'While the City of Sydney doesn't have any regulatory control nor enforceable powers, we are engaging with bike share operators so they can address the concerns of the community regarding the parking of their assets.' Some councils have already taken action on safety concerns. In March, Waverley Council — which covers suburbs including Bondi, Bronte, and Dover Heights — announced bikes would be impounded if the operators did not reach an agreement to make their use safer and better regulated. Lime and HelloRide subsequently signed onto the memorandum of understanding, which set a maximum number of bikes available at any one point in time, provided designated parking locations and restricted parking zones, and implemented geofencing technology to define no-go zones. Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh declared at the time that 'enough is enough'. 'While share bikes are a State Government responsibility, Council will not stand by and wait for somebody to be injured,' he said. 'Impounding bikes that are causing a safety risk will immediately reduce the likelihood of harm to residents and visitors.'
