[Onthebarricades] ARGENTINA: Unrest over train service cutbacks

Thu May 17 01:29:41 PDT 2007

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May. 17, 2007 2:52
Argentina: Late train sparks large riot
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In one of the largest outbursts of passenger fury over poor service in years, mostly working-class commuters rioted at the Constitucion Plaza station in Buenos Aires after a train breakdown threw Tuesday's departures into chaos. 

Rioters set fires, destroyed ticket booths and looted shops. About 100 police fought back with tear gas and arrested 16 rioters. Another 21 people were injured. 

Passengers on commuter rail lines, privatized in the 1990s under then-President Carlos Menem, for years have complained the new operators are failing to provide timely service on crowded routes. 

On Wednesday, President Nestor Kirchner threatened to crack down on those who do not modernize lines.

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=219434684&p=zy943539x

Commuters riot over train delays
16/05/2007 - 07:04:59 

Commuters enraged by delays in evening train services set fire to one of South America’s biggest stations, looted nearby shops and attacked riot police.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas as rioters pelted them with rocks. The fighting at Buenos Aires’ Constitucion station spilled into a nearby street as demonstrators shattered windows, set fire to a ticket sales area, looted shops and ripped pay phones from walls.

Hundreds of passengers fled the fighting inside the station, one of the largest in South America with an estimated 300,000 users daily.

Twelve police officers were injured by flying rocks, mostly with cuts and bruises to the head and chest, and nine people were also treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, said Alberto Crescenti, a spokesman for emergency medical workers.

Police Commissioner Ricardo Falana reported 16 arrests, including two minors.

He said about 100 police were needed to quell the rioters, who he said threw a “hail of rocks” at officers.

During the disturbances, a motorcycle was set ablaze and angry youths used metal poles to try to break down tall wooden doors to a security office in the station.

Firefighters quickly put out small fires in trash cans and the ticket area. Shattered glass, bricks and sticks littered the hall afterwards.

The fighting threw evening rush hour into chaos, forcing a cancellation of all train service early today.

Fernando Jantus, a spokesman for the Metropolitano train concession, said service was interrupted at the evening rush hour because a train broke down on a key track just outside the station, blocking other trains from leaving the station.

“The problem happened at the worst moment,” he said, noting the rioting began in the peak evening rush around 6.30pm local time.

Passengers have long complained about poor commuter rail service on lines leading from Constitucion station in downtown Buenos Aires to poor southern suburbs of the Argentine capital.

The riot was the second major outbreak of violence at the station since passengers angry over cancellation of train service one day last September set three train carriages ablaze and police made seven arrests.

Buenos Aires area commuter rail lines were privatised in the 1990s under then-President Carlos Menem, but passengers have complained for years about the failure of new operators to provide timely service on often crowded routes. 

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/17/america/LA-GEN-Argentina-Train-Riot.php

Argentina: railroad rage over poor service sparks large riot

The Associated PressPublished: May 16, 2007

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Road rage is common in many countries. But in Argentina, railroad rage was the talk of the town after riots shut down one of South America's busiest train stations during a midweek rush hour.

In one of the largest outbursts of passenger fury over poor service in years, mostly working-class commuters rioted at the Constitucion Plaza station in Buenos Aires after a train breakdown threw Tuesday's departures into chaos.

Rioters set fires, destroyed ticket booths and looted shops. About 100 police fought back with tear gas and arrested 16 rioters. Another 21 people were injured.

Passengers on commuter rail lines, privatized in the 1990s under then-President Carlos Menem, for years have complained the new operators are failing to provide timely service on crowded routes.

On Wednesday, President Nestor Kirchner threatened to crack down on those who do not modernize lines.

"The state is going to give a swift kick where it counts," Kirchner said, calling those who failed to make investments "shameless."

Sergio Taselli, head of the Metropolitano concession that runs trains out of the Constitucion station, rejected the criticism.

"There was a breakdown on just one train," he said on Radio 10. He added that passenger volume on Metropolitano routes had doubled in three years, overwhelming the pace of improvements.

Commuters say the service has never been worse: delays and cancellations are regular annoyances aboard packed trains, as are ripped-up seats, broken windows, trash and graffiti.

"The trains are just ruined," said Daniel Marchese, a private security guard and daily commuter. "You travel really badly, all packed together and there's no security."

Critics also say that with highway crossing accidents and serious crimes together claiming about one life a day on routes used by hundreds of thousands, it's no wonder rioting erupted.

But passengers have few options: public buses can take up to three times longer than the train, and train tickets cost as little as 30 U.S. cents — a price affordable to most.

"By train, I can get to work in 40 minutes. By bus, it takes me an hour and a half," said Mirta Ojeda, 48. "The train is much cheaper ... but we travel worse than cattle."

Others say the state is lax on regulatory control, failing to force investments or boost low fares.

Taking office in May 2003, Kirchner promised to revive the commuter rails. Years later, the concessions still benefit from some US$83 million (€61.2 million) in annual subsidies while complaints continue.

British companies founded the railroads in the late 1800s to ferry dried hides and salted beef to Europe-bound ships. But the proud symbol of Argentina's cattle and farming wealth began to crumble over ensuing decades.

In the 1940s, then-strongman Juan Peron took state control of the railroads. Slowly, lines were abandoned, tracks went idle and finally Menem, in the early 90s, ordered the trains turned over to private concessions.

Now, in a presidential election year, leading opposition candidate Roberto Lavagna has put the blame on Kirchner's government, saying the riots underscored the "enormous incapacity" of public transport planners to manage the railroads.

In November 2005, 29 people were hurt in rioting at Haedo station on the capital's outskirts after passengers set rail cars ablaze. Last September, passengers also burned a rail car at Constitucion after a train was canceled.

"If the government doesn't take charge of this problem," warned opposition leader Margarita Stolbitzer, "there is going to be a social explosion not even the military police can stop."

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/americas/news/article_1304991.php/Commuters_riot_at_Buenos_Aires_station_clash_with_police

Commuters riot at Buenos Aires station, clash with police
May 16, 2007, 3:51 GMT 

Buenos Aires - Thousands of angry commuters went on a rampage, taking out their anger over continuous delays in Buenos Aires' antiquated train system by vandalizing the city's historic Constitucion station. At least 21 people were hurt and 16 arrested. 

Rioters threw rocks and bottles at police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. At least 12 officers and nine passengers were hurt. 

The unrest broke out Tuesday after travellers who had already boarded a train bound for the suburbs during the evening commute were ordered by loudspeaker to leave the train after a defect was found. 

The commuters, who often spend up to four or five hours per day getting to and from work on outdated trains in the city of 13 million people, set fire to the ticket windows and offices in the downtown station, broke windows and looted stores. 

ITN News:

Argentine commuters riot over delays
13.01 Wed May 16 2007
Furious commuters have ran amok through a railway station in Argentina after one delay too many sparked riots.

Officers responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas into the angry crowd
Parts of Constitucion station in the capital Buenos Aires were set alight, nearby shops were looted and police were pelted with rocks and stones.

Officers responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas into the angry crowd.

Hundreds of passengers fled the fighting inside train station, one of the largest in South America with an estimated 300,000 users daily.

Twelve police officers were injured by flying rocks, mostly with cuts and bruises to the head and chest, and nine people were also treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, according to the emergency medical service.

Police Commissioner Ricardo Falana reported 16 arrests, including two minors.

He said about 100 police were needed to quell the rioters, who he said threw a "hail of rocks" at officers.

Firefighters quickly put out small fires in bins and the ticket area.

Passengers have long complained about poor commuter rail service on lines leading from Constitucion station in downtown Buenos Aires to the capital's poor southern suburbs.

Buenos Aires area commuter rail lines were privatised in the 1990s under then-President Carlos Menem but passengers for years have complained about the failure of new operators to provide timely service on crowded routes.
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