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Public Complaints

Number of public complaints reported

Complaint categoriesSub-categoriesExampleNumber of Complaints 2021-2022
Professional behaviour Staff attitude Failure to demonstrate values such as empathy, respect, fairness, courtesy, extra mile; cultural competency 2,882
Professional behaviour Staff competency Failure to action service request; poorly informed decisions; incorrect or incomplete service provided 1,895
Professional behaviour Staff knowledge Lack of service specific knowledge; incomplete or out-of-date knowledge. 26
Communication Communication quality Inadequate, delayed or absent communication with customer. 99
Communication Confidentiality Customer’s confidentiality or privacy not respected; information shared incorrectly. 0
Service delivery Systems/technology System offline; inaccessible to customer; incorrect result/information provided; poor system design. 1,653
Service delivery Access to services Service difficult to find; location poor; facilities/ environment poor standard; not accessible to customers with disabilities. 1,124
Service delivery Process Processing error; incorrect process used; delay in processing application; process not customer responsive. 2
Policy Policy application Incorrect policy interpretation; incorrect policy applied; conflicting policy advice given. 116
Policy Policy content Policy content difficult to understand; policy unreasonable or disadvantages customer 0
Service quality Information Incorrect, incomplete, out dated or inadequate information; not fit for purpose. 104
Service quality Access to information Information difficult to understand, hard to find or difficult to use; not plain English. 26
Service quality Timeliness Lack of staff punctuality; excessive waiting times (outside of service standard); timelines not met. 5,053
Service quality Safety Maintenance; personal or family safety; duty of care not shown; poor security service/ premises; poor cleanliness. 1,737
Service quality Service responsiveness Service design doesn’t meet customer needs; poor service fit with customer expectations. 320
No case to answer No case to answer Third party; customer misunderstanding; redirected to another agency; insufficient information to investigate. 99
  Total 15,136

Note: the Department has improved processes to more effectively identify, report and action complaints this financial year which contributed to the increase in complaints recorded compared to last financial year.

Additional MetricsTotal
Number of positive feedback comments 851
Number of negative feedback comments 15,037
Total number of feedback comments 15,888
% complaints resolved within policy timeframes 85%

Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/public-complaints-received-by-the-department-of-planning-transport-and-infrastructure

Service Improvements

Some of the improvements include:

  • The metroCARD website has been upgraded making it more mobile friendly, user friendly and secure. The new website allows users to name each metroCARD in their account, activate two factor authentication for greater security and easily update bank card details associated with Auto Recharge.
  • ‘See it? Report it!’ was introduced to allow public transport users to report incidents quickly and anonymously by scanning a QR code. This data will be used to help improve safety on and around public transport.
  • Rail Care volunteer maintenance concerns are now captured in the Customer Relationship Management system and assigned to the relevant area for action.
  • Established monthly Voice of Customer feedback report to highlight trends and customer sentiment over time, share meaningful insights and reveal areas that require the most attention across the South Australian Public Transport Authority (SAPTA).
  • Utilised customer data and insights to assist SAPTA in prioritising areas for improvement and building multiple business cases to help improve customer experiences and provide greater value.

Service improvements resulting from complaints or consumer suggestions:

  • Following community pushback against plans to flatten bike jumps along Railway Terrace Edwardstown, the Rail Care team were engaged to assist in consultation and transforming the site into a community friendly space.
  • Outer Harbor line commuters and local residents raised concerns about the shared pathway leading from Glanville Railway Station to the nearby bus stop. The Rail Care team coordinated contractors to fix the path which had been lifted by large tree roots making it unsafe for commuters.
  • Members of the community contacted Rail Care regarding unused departmental land near Largs Railway Station. As the space was not accessible, the Rail Care team installed an access gate and cleared the area of vegetation to enable safe and easy access to volunteers who will plant and maintain the area.
  • After years of complaints and requests to remove graffiti along the railway fence at Penno Parade Glenalta, the Rail Care team commissioned street artist Adam Poole-Mottishaw to design and paint a 200 metre long mural commemorating Mitcham’s ANZAC history.
  • Following customer feedback, Integrated Service Planning made changes to streamline bus services for Unley and Mitcham Girls High Schools. Departure times and locations for Urrbrae High School services were also altered in conjunction with the Cross Road and Fullarton Road intersection upgrade.
  • After concerns were raised about the visibility of Stop Codes, Integrated Service Planning increased the size of the Stop Code as seen on the new style bus stop plates.
  • Public transport users have provided feedback in relation to bus stop locations and as a result, the Integrated Service Planning team have relocated Stop 7 Duthy Street (east side) and reorganised bus stop locations in Colonnades Centre Interchange to improve safety.
  • Timetable changes implemented on 1 May 2023, appear to have resulted in a decrease in punctuality complaints.
  • Tap and Pay rollout allowing customers to use Visa, MasterCard or enabled smart devices extended to cover all trams, O-Bahn buses and commencement of the remaining fleet of buses.

Compliance Statement

The Department is compliant with Premier and Cabinet Circular 039 – complaint management in the South Australian public sector. Y
The Department has communicated the content of PC 039 and the agency’s related complaints policies and procedures to employees. Y