Page 2896 - Week 13 - Thursday, 23 November 1989
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The statement is said to focus on commuter travel and major employment centres, with Civic as the initial priority. The statement is almost exclusively about Civic. Other major employment centres scarcely rate a mention. I would have thought it would have been appropriate to have addressed these centres as well as Civic.
The objectives of Transport ACT include encouraging the development and use of a high-quality public transport system and provision for freight and essential private car movements at minimum cost. This is to be achieved by discouraging commuters from using their own transport. It is difficult to understand how it would be possible to discourage the single-car commuter on the road without affecting multi-occupant vehicles, delivery vehicles, and other essential vehicle movements.
There can be no argument with the aim of a more efficient use of public transport and a reduction of the single-occupant commuter car travel. However, the statement that effective action is required to overcome the perception that travel by private car in Canberra is quicker and cheaper than public transport is one for concern. Travel by private car in Canberra is quicker and cheaper than public transport. The proposal to increase car parking fees by 50c per day while the adult cash bus ticket will only increase by 10c will cause little change to the current situation.
Canberra must have an efficient public transport system but it must be based on what is affordable by the community. Will school children be provided with adequate school bus facilities to travel to school? Planning in this area has been slow, and as yet announcements relating to next year have not been made. Can we afford a high-quality system? How do we provide a service that will comply with the principles of social justice? What is meant by addressing environmental issues in an equitable and socially just manner? These terms may be interpreted in many ways. Is it socially just to stop concession fares during peak periods? Will school children be permitted on proposed express buses? The words "equitable" and "socially just" must be tempered by what is affordable by the community.
The Liberal Party would consider aspects of public transport not canvassed in the consultation paper. We would encourage the development of private bus services in the ACT to supplement or replace some ACTION operations. There is merit in considering using taxis and minibus taxis to provide transport services on poorly patronised bus routes. The Sunday services, currently costing $1m and patronised by about 800 patrons, is an area that could justify such a provision on some routes. Peak-hour usage of buses requires virtually all available existing buses. This must place a heavy demand on resources, particularly at times of industrial unrest when large numbers of buses are suddenly found to have developed faults. Private enterprise may be a cheaper and quicker way to keep the buses on the road.
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