MAIN >> CITY LINK >> WHAT PEOPLE SAY >> TRANSURBAN

I found contacting a representative from Transurban extremely difficult. Phone numbers I got from media releases and City Link Authority brochures were never answered, I now suspect these numbers have been disconnected. I decided that if I call the City Link tolling hotline I may be able to be put through to someone who could help me. The operator I spoke to said she would have to find the number of someone to put me through to. After being left on hold for almost twenty minutes I was finally put through to the office of Ms Melinda Blake, Corporate Relations Officer at Transurban.

Ms Blake did not answer the phone so I left a message on her answering machine. A few days later I was called back and told to look at the Transurban website, and then if I needed any more help, to call her back. At the Transurban website I found absolutely no information at all on noise barriers, community consultation, landscaping or any other issues relating to my assignment.

I called Ms Blake back and explained my assignment topic, asking her if she could answer a few questions. I was told my assignment was "contentious" and that because of political troubles there had been in the past Ms Blake said she was unable to answer any questions without authorisation from senior management. She said this was because the answers would be available to the public through this website. I was asked to send through my questions with a letter outlining exactly why I wanted the information and what it would be used for.

Throughout my dealings with Ms Blake I was constantly told that business took priority over student enquires and that Transurban would only deal with me when they were ready. A few days after sending off the information that had been requested of me, I was called back again by Ms Blake. She told me the woman who could answer my questions would be away until after the due date of my assignment. All Ms Blake would say is that was that Transurban had recently been "bringing up (the noise barriers) to feasible (visual) standards for residents who have to look at them everyday".