Image: NSW Labor promise free phone charging at Sydney's busy stations under opposition plan. Photo: Luke White unsplash
By ERIN MODARO
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns announced a plan to install free phone charging stations at several major train stations across Sydney to “make life a little bit easier for the commuters of Sydney.” The plan is an election promise that will be fulfilled if Labor is elected into state government at the next state election.
Minns described the promise as a “common sense measure to make sure that you’ve got access to emergency charging on these big metropolitan transport stations”, and quoted a recent survey stating that 80% of people in NSW own a smartphone.
The chargers are set to be installed at 15 major train stations around Sydney, including Central Station, Wynyard Station and Town Hall Station.
Previous success in Victoria
Phone charging stations were installed in Victoria at major Melbourne train stations in 2021, with the facilities having the capacity to charge up to 168 phones at a time. The program in Melbourne has been constituted a success, as the Victorian state government reported that the charging units have been used more than 9000 times.
Victorian Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll backed the Victorian program, saying “phones are an integral part of getting on with our working and personal lives and this initiative will help take the stress out of your travels.”
In NSW, the installation of charging stations will go into effect if Labor is elected at next state election which will be held in March of 2023.
