Even though Sydneysiders quite regularly get called crims by Brits for our convict colony past, it turns out we’re actually a pretty honest, law-abiding bunch after all.
In stats released by Transport NSW this week, it has been revealed that during the three-week long Sydney train strikes led by the rail union, 90 percent of Sydney commuters continued to tap on, even though they technically didn't have to.
Striking rail workers intentionally left all the gates open during the lengthy industrial action, meaning that commuters were able to pass through if they wanted to, although they were warned that there was still a chance of them being fined by non-union public transport officers and police.
Transport NSW has since reported that Opal and credit card transfers on the turnstiles dropped by only 10 percent during the last week of the three-week strike, with the data saying that this revenue loss is expected to come to $1 million for that one week alone, a cost that, according to the Financial Review could have been far greater if it wasn’t for the concerted effort of Sydneysiders, who kept on a-tapping on their way through the turnstiles.
Despite this part of the August strike action having wrapped up for now, Sydney Trains will reportedly continue to push back against the State Government by putting a ban on 'switching duties' which means that trains will not be powered down when they've ceased running, a fact that will block essential maintenance measures, including clearing out hard rubbish. So, get ready for some pretty icky PT rides in the not-too-distant future.