Malcolm’s complaint
Malcolm*, who lives next to a train station, had complained several times about very loud station announcements.
Malcolm lives next door to a metropolitan train station. He believed that announcements made by station staff between 6.30am and 9.00am were excessively loud. He also thought certain announcements seemed unnecessary.
Why did Malcolm complain to the PTO?
Malcolm had complained to Metro on several occasions. He said the situation would improve for a few days, but the announcements would soon return to their previous volume.
How did we handle Malcolm’s complaint?
We asked Metro to respond to Malcolm’s concerns about the volume and necessity of announcements made by station staff.
Metro arranged a technical check of the station’s public address system, which was found to be operating in line with EPA noise guidelines. However, Metro did agree to make some practical changes to help limit the impact of the announcements on Malcolm.
What was the outcome?
Metro changed the angle of one of the station’s speakers, so that it faced away from Malcolm’s home. Metro also instructed station staff not to make any announcements before 7am, except for announcements about train delays or safety.
Malcolm was happy with the outcome of his complaint. He reported an improvement in his experience of the announcements.
* Names and other identifying details have been changed
The Public Transport Ombudsman respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we operate our services. We pay our respects to the ongoing living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to Elders past and present.