Roadworks company whose employee sent enraged message to an Adelaide resident stays silent over ‘really, really bad’ abuse

The roadworks company that sent an abusive tirade to an Adelaide resident has apparently taken down its website as a peak industry body urges it to make a public apology.

The response sent from Chevron Traffic’s ‘contact us’ number to city resident Mel Haynes.

Chevron Traffic Management has taken down its website less than 48 hours after one of its employees sent an abusive tirade to a city resident who inadvertently drove on to a roadworks site.

The traffic control firm is still yet to provide a public statement to explain the abusive messages sent to Mel Haynes.

Ms Haynes and her partner were labelled “f****** idiots” by an employee after they accidentally drove their car on to a roadworks site on North Tce.

When they complained to the company, they received an even more abusive text message that began “Hey, open ya f***** eyes and look at the signage ya dumb c***”.

The industry’s peak body, Traffic Management Association of Australia, has condemned the abuse and called for an explanation.

“They are not a member of ours, but our industry’s image does not need this ... this abuse is really, really bad,” executive officer Louise Van Ristell said.

“If they were a member, we’d be contacting them straight away and advising them to issue a public apology and an explanation.”

Ms Van Ristell said she had never seen anything like this during her 10 years working in the industry.

“It is usually the other way around and it is one of our members that has been subjected to this sort of abuse,” she said.

“There is often a misconception among people about what we do and this publicity only makes me more concerned and anxious that our people may be subjected to vitriolic attacks.”

While Chevron Traffic Management is yet to formally apologise to Ms Haynes and her partner, the pair have expressed their wish for the employee to be educated rather than sacked.

“I don’t want to see them fired the week before Christmas,” Ms Haynes said.

“I think some anger management classes and maybe donating their Sunday pay to Hutt Street Centre would be fair.”

The pair first came into contact with Chevron Traffic Management workers after leaving their nearby apartment on Austin St on Sunday night, which travels in one direction towards North Tce.

With roadworks signs only placed at the start of the street, they were unaware that a section of North Tce adjacent to Austin St was closed.

“The man we first spoke to was polite and after we explained to him that we didn’t see the signs he asked us to perform a U-turn,” Ms Haynes said.

“We heard another employee on the site call us ‘f****** idiots’ and we expressed to him that we didn’t think that sort of abuse was acceptable.”

After leaving the area, Ms Haynes sent a text message to the ‘contact us’ phone number listed on the company’s website to make a complaint.

“Hi, we were just verbally abused by your staff because we are residents on a side street and couldn’t see the signage. I don’t thinking being called “f****** idiots” is very professional,” she wrote.

The response she received left her appalled.

“Hey, open ya f***** eyes and look at the signage ya dumb c***,” the response said.

“Ya can’t fix stupid with duck tape (sic) mate, how stupid is stupid, did your f****** husband ask you to write this, workers on the road f******, obey the signage looser (sic).”

The abusive messages came from the same number listed on the company’s website, on a page where it claims to deliver the “highest standard of service”.

The company’s branch manager Michelle Hall has since responded to a complaint made by Ms Haynes via the website’s online feedback form.

In an email sighted by The Advertiser, she confirmed that they are “currently investigating” the allegations.

“We at Chevron hold high standards in all matters regarding safety including public consultation and take these kind of complaints seriously,” Ms Hall said.

“With the detailed information provided we are currently investigating and will take immediate action accordingly.”

When contacted by The Advertiser, Ms Hall confirmed that an investigation was underway. She said she was “currently unable to comment any further at this stage”.

Adelaide City Council declined to comment.