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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2057 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

The explanatory notes to the bill refer to savings not realised from the enterprise bargaining exercise of $700,000 and to ACTION facing increases in workers compensation insurance costs and employee expenses of $2 million. I am concerned that there have been increases in workers compensation insurance costs. I suspect that they are being put down to the unacceptable amount of driving that these drivers are being asked to do. I would like to pay tribute in this instance to the amount of work that the drivers and the remaining mechanics are doing just to keep the fleet on the road. In a sense, my heart goes out to them because they are, in fact, carrying these changes.

Mr Speaker, when changes were introduced to the network and to the zoning arrangements for fares, the government intended to reduce costs by $10.5 million, but it has not achieved that. It said that it was going to increase passenger boardings, but it has not achieved that. We are now seeing evidence of that in the downward trend in fare returns of $2.3 million. I notice that in the latest increases many fares have increased well above the 12 per cent which I would have thought would be reasonable.

I do not believe that the lack of achievement in enticing people onto buses should be compensated for by jacking up fares by more than 12 per cent. In many cases it is 20 per cent, which translates into 20c, but that does not necessarily mean that it is a small amount of money. Indeed, Mr Speaker, when that 20c is translated into the cash fare tickets of pensioners and other people who have no alternative but to travel on the buses, those people are at a considerable disadvantage.

I take the opportunity to congratulate the government on the provision of buses for handicapped persons. I look forward to seeing more of those buses in the fleet.

Mr Speaker, I have some reservations about the way in which we are turning over the buses. I understand that not long ago-in fact, a matter of days-there were four buses destined for sale. Actually, I believe that they were sold and have been picked up by some gentlemen and taken to Wollongong. On that very same day, the ACTION people were four buses short, so network changes were needed to accommodate that.

I am a bit concerned that, instead of being proactive about the changes to the network and trying to entice people onto buses, what is happening is that because these targets have not been achieved people are starting to become a little bit reactive. I must say, Mr Speaker, that I think that the staff of ACTION have done all they possibly can to achieve the changes and to try to make the network work, but they are up against it because the nature of the zone fare system has caused a deterioration in the number of passenger boardings, if the number of people who have contacted my office to complain about it is any indication.

Mr Speaker, I conclude by saying that I think we have to pass this appropriation bill because, basically, the government has failed to meet its target; but if it has failed to meet its target and is prepared to own up to it, as it has in the explanatory notes to this appropriation bill, then I say, "Fine, let's give the government the money to get on with it."

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