Page 2199 - Week 06 - Friday, 27 June 2008
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Mr Barr: How are you and the Liberal Party—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order, Mr Barr! You will have your turn as well.
MR PRATT: I would like to read an email sent to me by a person who received this from the NRMA. The NRMA said in a recent email, dated June this year:
Just thought I would bring your attention to a new green lane that has appeared on Barry Dr.
This is written by the NRMA, ACT branch. It goes on:
This lane is situated at the exit ramp to Frith Rd behind the CSIRO, this section of Barry Dr, and has a posted speed of 80 klms/hr, this section of road is uphill.
The concern is that it is quite feasible for a car to travel at speed up this hill, however attempting to exit they would need to content with a cyclist who would be labouring across the exit, possible struggling to achieve 10 klm/hr.
That is a really good point. That is a point that we have constantly made about some of the green lanes in the city. By the way, I should also point out—so much for Mr Hargreaves’s assertion in the estimates hearings in recent weeks that the NRMA are entirely supportive of the government’s policy on green lanes—that is just bloody bunkum. And this email puts a lie to that.
The point is this: we support on-road cycle lanes but we are deeply concerned about green lanes, particularly on 80 kilometre an hour stretches. We do not believe they are safe for cyclists, and they put drivers in the position of either colliding with other cars to avoid cyclists or possibly killing a cyclist and having to wear the memory of that for a long time. We think it is very poor policy; we think it is very unsafe policy. It needs to be reviewed.
On the ACTION front, the most significant outcome of this year’s budget is undoubtedly the introduction of network 08. I note there has been a net increase in peak-time services and an increased frequency for popular routes. However, community feedback has indicated that some routes remain overcrowded and unnecessary route changes have reduced the convenience of, and access to, the public transport network.
Overall, many network 08 services will still operate at less frequent headways than they did prior to the 2006 cuts. Do not forget this program is only repairing the damage rent by the government in 2006 to the bus network. Network 08 is certainly welcome but we are really only going back to what was a reasonable standard in early 2006. There are some new services, which we welcome, but the government has a long way to go. We will watch to see how 2008 rolls out; we reserve our judgement on that.
The government, however, has failed to implement adequate a fleet replacement strategy. I note that expressions of interest were invited in March for the supply of
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