Page 4976 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 26 November 1991
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I hope fervently that the Minister will encourage ACTION to take another look at that issue and will make sure that people, particularly the elderly, will not lose access to that small group centre, which has developed quite nicely over the years and which has extensive medical facilities. It was suggested that they could walk the couple of hundred metres from Sternberg Crescent; but I think that a slight deviation on the part of the bus would add very little to the time and would provide a much more appropriate service, particularly when we are seeking to increase the number of people using ACTION.
It also seems to me that the Erindale Centre provides a perfect opportunity for a park and ride facility for people in that part of the valley.
Mrs Nolan: I am not sure where they are going to park.
MR JENSEN: There is usually parking available during the day, Mrs Nolan; but certainly not on weekends, when that place is really humming. I think it is appropriate to consider a park and ride facility for that area. That may be another reason why ACTION may consider maintaining some of the services for that area instead of decreasing them almost to two.
MR STEFANIAK (10.49): I have a few points, Mr Speaker. Firstly, I note that the subsidy is still significant, and that is an area that any government has to look at. Public transport systems invariably lose money; but when one looks at the ACTION subsidy - from current receipts it is some $46m out of $69m - it is a very significant part of the transport budget, which is around the $80m mark.
A number of things, I think, can be looked at. The question of privatisation certainly comes into it; as do the question of the rationalisation of bus routes and the question of cutting your cloth according to your financial means. Certainly, the bus service is subsidised to a very great amount. I have travelled around Canberra at night, sometimes on buses but more recently driving, and I have seen buses going off with one passenger in them, if they are lucky. A couple of times I thought it was probably a bus going back to its depot, but it was actually on a route. The other night I followed one and it did just go around its route and no-one was - - -
Mr Connolly: What were you doing out following buses at night? Haven't you got something better to do?
MR STEFANIAK: Funnily enough, I was actually intrigued, Mr Connolly. I had been speaking that day about how - - -
Mrs Grassby: What would you have done if you had caught one?
Mrs Nolan: You should have taken a ride on it.
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