The President's Message
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Welcome to 2012 friends and members of the St Marys Outpost.
I hope that you all had a trouble free and enjoyable holiday break.
We are well and truly geared up now for the 2012 year with planning well under way for the first major event of the year that is the Annual General Meeting.
The AGM is to be held on Sunday 26th of February at 01100 hrs. There is a Members and Family BBQ to be held at the RSL Club after the AGM and we would like to see as big a roll up as possible.
There are some issues coming up this year regarding “Best Funding” which may affect the running of "The Train" over the next year or so and we need you’re in put into how we handle this is, remember "It’s Your Association".
If you can attend and are also bringing along family members it would be greatly appreciated if you could supply the office with numbers so that we can adequately cater for you all.
Other than the AGM planning is well under way by the new RSL Sub Branch Committee for ANZAC Day 2012. This brings up the point, that we are still looking for extra volunteers to take part in the ANZAC Day schools presentations, as well as badge selling.
In regards to the badge selling we will call on volunteers much closer to the day. However as for the "Schools Presentation Program" we would like to have a few people step up to the plate now. Remember you do not necessarily have to speak at these events; you can just go along as an assistant. If however you feel up to making a 5 minute address that is even better.
Addresses are always on the ANZAC Spirit or a like subject and are never about personal experiences and should be kept to about 5 minutes.
Regards All
Greg Cant
President
14 February 2012
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There have been a number of problems arising over the past few weeks in relation to DVA Transport and the new changes being instigate.
This is not only happening in our area but right cross the Sydney basin.
The Train has been cataloguing these problems and called on the DVA to come up with some solutions.
The result of this was a meeting held at the Train on Thursday 5th April.
The following is a breakdown of the major points discussed:
- Held at the St Marys Outpost with: Greg Cant. Gary Fizzell, Sam Vecchio and John Foeken together with: Brent Morgan, Director of Transport (DVA); Tim Hollingsworth NSW Manager of Transport (DVA); Stuart Palmer, Chief Operations manager of Premier Cabs.
- Sam and Gary handed out a letter which had previously been prepared and sent to DVA Re: a list of the complaints received so far in March.
- Brent acknowledged that there were problems with the Transport system which is being addressed by DVA/Cab Company/Hire Cars and now with the input by the Outpost. Brent was particularly pleased that the Outpost had gone to the trouble of compiling the list and requested we continue with this task, it seems we are the only ones who have made the effort to do so, without this intelligence from ground level DVA have nothing to work on.
- The discussion was a lengthy one lasting over 3 hours, however, we felt that in the end we have achieved some outcomes, the DVA and the Cab company together have already begun to put in place some initiatives to address the complaints:
- DVA have a 1300 550 455 number to call. This is the only number that goes direct to the DVA Transport for bookings, members practitioners should be made aware of this number.
- DVA can help us to overcome transport problems if we help them by resisting the temptation to call cabs/hire cars direct and to book your transport through the 1300 number.
- We realise that many members have had the opportunity to call Hire Car companies direct and that in the past they have provided a good service, however, the system has changed and the hire cars and taxi company will be allocated jobs through DVA.
- Brent has assured us that if members use the system correctly, over time, hopefully within a couple of months the system will work more efficiently and the number of complaints would be expected to drop.
- Members & War Widows who live in outlying areas such as Warragamba, which are not very well serviced by Cabs/Hire Cars, provided DVA is advised of these circumstances, they will make special arrangements for these people to be picked up and returned home.
- Stuart (Premier Cabs) is putting into place a system whereby a fleet of trained and accredited drivers will be allocated DVA transport as part of their Corporate Client list, there will be times of course, where one of these cabs may not be available and the job allocated to a General Purpose cab, this would be unavoidable but hopefully rare.
- Within the Cab network, there are cabs on ‘pirate’ networks of their own, i.e. a number of cabs in phone contact and offloading jobs between each other, this is not something that can be controlled by either DVA or the Cab Company, however, should a complaint come as a result of this practice, the job allocated to the accredited cab would ultimately be responsible to answer the complaint and receive whatever penalty the cab company issued.
- One particular complaint resulting from our list which was produced for DVA will result in the driver that took the job, being reported to the police by Premier Cabs.
- The Hire Car companies are also part of the problem, apart from the Cabs, in that they too, are not accepting “Short Trips” So it is not only the Cabs doing this.
- We can all make the DVA Booking System work, if we work within the system, be patient; don’t make private bookings direct with cab company or hire cars; document complaints and advise the Outpost; advise your practitioners to only call 1300 550 455 number for bookings; advise the DVA if there are any special requirements prior to pickup i.e if you need assistance or incapacitated in any way. This info will be passed on to the drivers before they accept the job. Accept the fact that you may not always get a Hire Car, we are interested in you getting to and from your appointment on time, with courtesy and as safely as possible whether it is a Hire Car or Cab.
- On the 3rd May we have been invited to attend the Premier Base at Granville to meet again with Stuart Palmer for further briefings.
- Brent has advised that as from May 2012 members will be able to book cars through DVA on line, practitioners who are registered with Medi-Care on line can already do this, however, many elect not to do so.
- From May 2012 a system will be put in place where once the Client has “Identified” them self and opened an on-line account with DVA, they will be able to lodge applications for reimbursements of travel expenses on line. (No medical or hospital authorisation will be required; however the trip will be cross checked against both hospital and doctor’s bills requiring payment).
- Premier Cabs are also working on a new system that will allow the user to ring either the Taxi Company or a particular driver direct if the clients Doctors or Hospital appointment goes beyond 1700hrs when DVA Transport closes.
Greg Cant
President St Marys VVAA
11 April 2012
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