Thursday, 16 September 2021

Gippsland East electorate

Mr T BULL (Gippsland East) (6021)

My constituency question is to the Minister for Public Transport and the information I seek is: what COVID checking practices are in place on V/Line services to Gippsland?

It has been brought to my attention that only very limited, if any, effort is being made to check that passengers boarding trains to East Gippsland from metropolitan Melbourne are doing so in accordance with COVID restrictions on travel.

The state government has put a strong onus on business operators to check IDs and accommodation houses, to check the home residence of those booking in—but it does not seem to be applying the scrutiny it demands of others, to its own services.

A lot of vulnerable people use the train to access important medical appointments in the metropolitan area and they deserve to have a higher level of protection.

A further issue is that the wearing of masks is also not enforced.

I ask the minister to outline what checking practices are in place that cover all V/Line services.