SOUTH Australian taxpayers have paid more than $51,300 in taxi fares for rail workers and stranded passengers in the past two years, despite all TransAdelaide staff being entitled to free public transport.

The figures, obtained by The Advertiser under Freedom of Information laws, sparked criticism yesterday from the State Opposition, which declared it a "vote of no-confidence" in an inefficient and unreliable public transport system.

But TransAdelaide said the taxis were used for transporting passengers "as a result of unforseen train and tram service disruptions" and for staff transportation such as covering work at remote depots or when relief staff was required at short notice.

TransAdelaide spent $10,146 getting stranded passengers home in cabs during the past two financial years, the FoI documents show.

Managers and operations supervisors spent $18,500 on cabs from the Suburban Taxis company, using a phonecharge facility whereby "authorised officers in TransAdelaide phone up for a cab and give a PIN".

The Suburban cab bill is on the rise, increasing from $11,835 in 2005-06 to $12,691 last financial year.

Rail workers primarily use Cabcharge dockets, with just $1893 of the $24,563 Cabcharge bill over the past two years used to get stranded customers home.

TransAdelaide has spent $2226 on Access Cabs for stranded disabled passengers since July, 2005. Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said it was curious staff and customers were using so many taxis because trains and trams were so unreliable.

"I don't know why managers and staff are using cabs - it is like a vote of no-confidence in their own public transport system," he said.

Spending on cabs for rail staff varied from month to month according to the FoI documents, from as little as $840.37 in January to as much as $5419.86 in March last year.

TransAdelaide general manager Bill Watson said this could be a result of a lot of interstate travel by staff or a high rate of staff injuries in a certain month.

He rejected claims the system was unreliable.

"We use taxis for when we have customers inconvenienced, elderly people who are disorientated or young kids late at night."

Transport Minister Patrick Conlon, in an emailed statement yesterday, said: "There wouldn't be a serious organisation in South Australia that doesn't use taxis."

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22154963-910,00.html