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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 1725 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

the difficulties of integrating a private bus system in Queanbeyan and a public bus system in Canberra. My foreshadowed amendment to the motion requires the Government to report back to the Assembly on the outcome of the trial. If the Government wishes to continue with this new service, it will need the approval of the Assembly, which is consistent with my original motion, to which Mr Kaine wants to make some amendments.

What the Greens want in the ACT is a demand-oriented bus service, and the Government has now said that the Graham report, which they tabled yesterday, is consistent with the sorts of changes they want to make. They have said that they want to implement all the recommendations of that report.

Mrs Carnell: So did the Labor Party.

MS HORODNY: Yes, and that is a good thing. At this stage we do not know what the demand is along the Deane's bus routes, so I am definitely not against the trial. Let us have the trial. The information we get from that trial can only help the restructure of ACTION and may create the impetus for ACTION to provide better services, particularly along certain routes. Let us see what the trial produces and then let us see how we can use that information to improve our bus service for all Canberrans and improve the service between Canberra and Queanbeyan.

I move as an amendment to the motion:

Add "and that:

(1) the proposed 8 weekend trial by Deane's buses to pick up and set down passengers within the ACT proceed;

(2) the Government provide a report to the Assembly on the outcomes of the trial, including information on patronage levels achieved by Deane's buses on these services, and any impacts on patronage levels on related ACTION routes;

(3) if the Government wishes to continue this service on a permanent basis then it must also provide a report to the Assembly on how this service would integrate with the implementation of the Graham Review of ACTION's services and other options for improving public transport services between Canberra and Queanbeyan, eg whether ACTION could provide this service;

(4) the Government must receive the support of the Assembly before entering into any further agreement with Deane's Buslines to allow its buses to provide services within the ACT.".

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