Broken air conditioning, dirty carriages top list of complaints against Romanian railway operator CFR
More than 1,000 people completed an online form meant to highlight the problems that passengers of trains operated by the state-owned railway company CFR have experienced, interim transport minister Radu Miruta announced. The top problems reported were related to air conditioning and cleanliness.
A week after the launch of the form, the official said that 86% of those who completed it would not recommend their journey to others. Among the most significant issues reported, the acting minister said, were broken air conditioning and the lack of cleanliness in toilets and train cars.
"65% say the air conditioning is not working; 29% say the second biggest problem is cleanliness in the toilets and train cars; 86% of passengers would not recommend the journey they took to someone else. 70% of passengers traveled on InterRegio (IR) trains, where air conditioning is a mandatory standard,” Miruta said.
As a result of the findings, the acting minister invited the head of CFR Călători to the Ministry of Transport on Monday, July 13.
He also said that an additional section has been added to the form, where CFR must provide the necessary explanations within two days of receiving each complaint.
"We are working to shine a light on the cause: in the table containing every case reported by passengers this week, we have added another column in which CFR must provide an explanation within two days. Every complaint must receive a response. And where there are those at fault, there must also be consequences," Radu Miruță also said.
The minister announced the launch of the form last week after he personally called the CFR call center to ask how many complaints had been received.
“Typically, on paper, things look almost fine. The problem is that people do not travel on paper. That is why I want us to see reality exactly as it is and apply the law wherever we find irregularities, including sanctions in cases where maintenance is being paid for but, in practice, is not being carried out," the minister said last week in a Facebook post.
(Photo source: Jerome Cid|Dreamstime.com)
