MORRIS COUNTY — New Jersey Transit riders have faced incessant delays and poor service over the course of the year, and that has led many to come to the same conclusion as some Republican lawmakers: commuters deserve refunds.
“New Jersey Transit needs to be held accountable,” said Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco (R-Morris). “The problems seem to be getting worse for commuters and all they get is the same crummy service full of delays and cancellations. The bottom line is that they aren’t getting what they paid for.”
Bucco and Assemblywoman Nancy F. Munoz sponsor a bill (A1786) with other Republican members that gives passengers a free ticket for a N.J. Transit delay of over one hour. Commuters who face those delays may request a refunded ticket with a receipt.
“This year has been worse than the so-called summer of hell and there is no real relief on the horizon for commuters,” said Munoz (R-Union). “Commuters depend on N.J. Transit to be on time and provide adequate service. If they aren’t able to make it to work on time then they could be losing income. N.J. Transit needs to take responsibility and provide refunds.”
Last week was particularly abhorrent for commuters, who aired their grievances on social media.
On Monday a train that lost power stranded 1,500 people for two hours, while Tuesday and Wednesday were bereft of commuter trains for over an hour-and-a-half because Amtrak’s Portal Bridge was impassable, and on Friday delays lasted over an hour when a train was derailed in a Hudson River tunnel.
On Thursday, NJ Transit commuters were given a ten-percent discount that is effective until January 31, 2019 for recurring train delays and cancellations.
