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2- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 19, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com No GO for Oakville woman's petition By Kim Arnott SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER She may not have convinced GO Transit to offer a fare rebate for delayed trips, but Oakville commuter Patricia Eales has certainly brought attention to concerns with the transit service. Last Friday morning, Eales presented the GO Transit Board of Directors with the names of nearly 11,000 people who joined her crusade to improve service for commuters. Eales, who rides the GO train out of Bronte station each morning to get to her downtown Toronto job, launched an online petition in February after a frustrating week that saw her arrive late to work every morning. The petition called for passengers to receive a 50 per cent rebate on fares for trips that arrive more than 20 minutes late at their destination. It also asked GO to provide better notification about cancelled or delayed service. But while her concerns were echoed by riders across the GTA, and picked up by newspaper, radio and television reporters, Eales isn't sure all the attention will result in much in the way of immediate improvements to the system. RON BULL / TORONTO STAR MAKING A POINT: Oakville resident Patricia Eales presented her 11,000-signature petition to the GO Transit Board of Directors last Friday. "They listened to me, and I'm thankful for that, but I still feel there's a difference between being listened to and being heard," she says. The board declined to either offer a fare rebate, or delay the fare increase that took effect last Saturday. Eales says the board also appeared "self-congratulatory" about a report suggesting about 89 per cent of its trains run on time, despite the fact that its own goal is to achieve 95 per cent ontime reliability. She believes the service's on-time performance is considerably lower during rush hour. "I think it's time to invite our MPPs and our municipal officials to ride the rails ­ not just for a photo opportunity, but to ride when we ride, to see if they think the system is effective," she says. "Come and see what we really experience in the morning." Her crusade has resulted in some changes at GO, including the decision to hire a board member with customer service experience, and to establish a reliability advisory committee that will include public representative. "These are positive steps, but I think people have to keep putting this forward so we can get the service we need," says Eales. She hasn't yet decided whether to take an offered position on the advisory committee, noting that details about how the committee will function haven't yet been decided. Although Eales' petition (www.ipetitions.com/petition/go_ on_time) has now been presented, it is still attracting attention from frustrated GO riders. By press time, the number of signatures was up to 11,364, with many people adding comments detailing problems with the service. Get the SPRING back into your feet Paul Ginsberg, D. Ch Registered Chiropodist Marathon & Ultra Marathon Runner Dine i in Style GENERAL FOOTCARE INCLUDING · · · · · · · Corns Callus Ingrown Toenail Sports Injuries Senior Foot Care Pediatric Foot Care Prescription Orthotics Selection of Dinettes Wood/Metal/Glass Made in Canada 217 Lakeshore Road East Downtown Oakville Since 1953 www.swissinteriors.com PROUDLY SUPPORTING CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS Incorporated Call 905-845-2291 · 232 South Service Rd. E. Oakville 905.844.3530