Hidden victims

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
YARRA Valley hoteliers are suffering in their trade because the valley’s public transport cannot be counted on.
Hoteliers say they cop the flak when taxis don’t arrive or the bus run finishes before customers realise and then they feel obliged to drive the customers home themselves.
They are trying to give locals the ability to get home safely rather than risk their lives on the road after a few too many drinks.
The hoteliers said a dangerous precedent was set two weeks ago when a magistrate dismissed a Sydney woman’s drink driving charges because she lived in an area with no public transport.
The woman told the magistrate the taxi fare home was much too expensive and there were no viable transport options to get her home to Cattai, in north Sydney.
Sam Knott owner Kerri Beal said the transport problem is “shocking” along Warburton Highway.
“There are no reliable taxis on the Warburton Highway on any weekday or weekend, and people don’t know whether or not they can get home easily,” she said.
Ms Beal said buses stop running after 8 to 9pm, which cuts out all the locals who want to have a drink or two with their meal.
“People get stuck here that I’ve had to drive home personally,” she said.
Ms Beal said customers wouldn’t go out when they knew a taxi could be an hour wait or knew from previous experience that it may not show up.
She said they didn’t allow customers to leave the hotel without a lift because “even though they’re not intoxicated they could still be over the limit”.
“And that’s where we’ve had to escort them home. I’m not going to have anyone’s blood on my hands,” she said.
Healesville Grand Hotel manager Kim Jackson said they ended up purchasing a courtesy bus for customers within the Healesville area.
“We pay for it and don’t charge, but it’s only for our patrons. We’ll pick them up from home and take them back,” she said.
“The transport is so bad a lot of people will drink drive.”
Ms Jackson said transport was not just a problem in the evening.
“There are no taxis during the day around 2pm or late at night when people are trying to get safely home,” she said.
“Four young guys out for a night will have a few drinks and say call me a cab, with four blokes over the limit what can you do? I can’t throw them out – they’re our responsibility,” Ms Jackson said.