Page 2912 - Week 13 - Thursday, 23 November 1989
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of transport issues underpins successful economic development, and the Government is proposing a range of strategies.
Civic, in particular, does have some transport problems, but they can be solved. Some 60 per cent of the workers in Civic travel to work in single-occupant cars. The ACT Government is proposing to the people of Canberra that changing this emphasis to more bus travel, to more people per car, to more people riding bicycles or walking, and more park-and-ride from non-town centre locations will benefit them and the community as a whole. It will cost less, improve amenity and have less negative environmental impact.
To bring such objectives to life requires a number of positive steps. The Government has approved a major program of bus purchase for ACTION in 1989-90. Some 49 buses will be bought at a cost of some $11m. ACTION will improve its service in a number of areas. Already network 88 has seen a significant improvement in services and an increase in patronage on inter-town services. Building on this, ACTION is now seeking public comment on a range of new express bus services to outer suburbs.
ACTION has been consulting this week with Tuggeranong residents concerning services in Tuggeranong to both existing and new suburbs. Most importantly, these services include new express bus services. These services will provide a fast alternative for people in those areas needing to travel to Civic. For example, residents of Theodore will be able to catch one bus to the city taking 45 minutes, instead of two buses taking 60 minutes. Such services will also provide opportunities for park-and-ride at a number of locations such as Chisholm, Erindale, Kippax and Charnwood.
ACTION will also be reviewing the way that it structures its fares to ensure that journeys involving transfers are not penalised. Service improvements to public transport can also be significantly enhanced by a number of road system and traffic management measures. Public transport will be given priority over commuter traffic at a number of locations. This can be achieved by giving buses priority at traffic signals and by providing more bus-only lanes. This does involve some difficult decisions as such arrangements will congest those roads for car commuters. However, we will be examining the possibility of taxis or cars carrying three or more passengers being able to use bus lanes as well as providing an attractive public transport option. In the longer term, this policy will benefit the whole community.
Many of the difficult issues of service and road use come together when considering the needs of the Civic bus interchange. I am committed to having a bus interchange arrangement in Civic which is attractive to commuters, is convenient and easy to use, and facilitates efficient bus
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