V/Line abuse apology

A Warragul woman and her grandmother have won an apology from V/Line after a confrontation with a coach driver at the entrance to Warragul railway station earlier this month.

Kathyryn Tubecki said her grandmother was abused and sworn at by the driver while she was parked waiting to collect her from a train.

Ms Tubecki said her grandmother, who has a disability parking sticker, was parked legally in a parking bay but said the driver appeared to believe only buses could park there despite having the car parking sign pointed out to him.

A complaint was lodged by phone to Public Transport Victoria by Ms Tubecki citing the registration number of the bus but it was more than two weeks later before V/line ‘phoned her.

A follow-up email offering an apology for the driver’s behaviour was received the next day, last Wednesday.

In it a customer relations officer with V/Line said she was sorry for the distress the incident caused Ms Tubecki and her grandmother.

The letter pointed out that internal disciplinary action had been taken and the staff member reminded of his duty to provide an excellent standard of customer service in all circumstances.

Ms Tubecki said that on the day she was abused at the railway station her grandmother, who is disabled, has multiple illnesses and prone to panic attacks, had been to see a specialist and told to report to hospital and be admitted.

“She didn’t because she needed to pick me up from the train,” Mr Tubecki said.

Gran always put me before herself, she added.