Is this another example of a monopoly taking advantage of it's customers? or just a rant.....

Is this another example of a monopoly taking advantage of it's customers?

I've blogged before that I catch the train everyday.  Have been doing so, from my current stop for about 7 years.

My story begins a couple of months ago, a text comes out of the blue Epuni Station will be closed for asbestos testing" - this was 14 May 2008.

So I rock on down the next morning, and there is a bus there waiting to take little ole me to the next, and main, station on the Hutt Line.

I  go to the the inquiries desk and they tell me a couple of days for testing.

Monday, I rock on down, expecting the bus to be there, what its not? Why wasn't I told? And even the station at this point has no external signs, only after going under the subways do I see the boards over the stairs.

So at this point I start taking the bus to the main train station.  I ask at the station, send emails to tranz metro, and get I don't know from the ticket office, and no reply from tranz metro.

Fast forward a month and there is an article in the local newspaper saying, yes asbestos was found and they will rebuild the station.

This continues with no word, no communication (and what looks like no progress) until the middle of July where its announced the station will re-open end of July.

31 July I ask the man at the inquiries desk, and he tells me that no it wont be open (tomorrow - Thursday) but also no hint that it would in fact. open in 2 weeks.

11 August, text comes out saying it will be open on the 12th.

So imagine my surprise when I get down to the station on the 13th to find that in 3 months, the only noticeable  change is the fact the internal stairs are still blocked and that there is no roof.

Epuni

So I could just make this a rant against tranz metro, and I kind of have, but the story does serve a bit of a point of how a monopoly can through lack of communication, leave a sour taste in the mouths of everyone concerned and because they are a monopoly, the consumer has no options but to take it, as they cannot take their business elsewhere.

Monopoly = Fail.

 

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