Page 3849 - Week 10 - Thursday, 27 August 2009
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Labor has a strong record on sustainable transport. Most recently, in the 2009-10 budget, there was almost $18 million allocated to cycling and walking infrastructure. This is the largest ever investment in cycling and walking infrastructure since self-government. This includes $6.4 million for new on and off-road cycle path infrastructure, another $6.4 million for the maintenance of community paths and footpaths. This year alone Labor is investing $6.8 million in cycling and walking infrastructure.
As a member for Ginninderra over the past five years, I have received numerous representations from people about the importance of this infrastructure. It is the Labor government which has the strong record in supporting cycling as a sustainable transport initiative in this city. Since coming to office in 2001, over 400 kilometres of on-road cycle lanes have been implemented. And Labor’s record in investment in public transport is also unparalleled.
Since 2001, the government has committed approximately $100 million for new buses and since Labor came to government 115 new wheelchair accessible buses have been introduced into the fleet, with an additional 100 to be introduced over the next three years. I understand the first of these new buses will be rolled out into the ACTION fleet over the next few weeks. These buses are environmentally friendly, wheelchair accessible and air conditioned. I am pleased to advise that through this latest $50 million investment in buses ACTION will meet the government’s commitment to have 55 per cent of the fleet wheelchair accessible by 2012.
The latest new buses are becoming more sustainable. ACTION currently has 80 compressed natural gas busses and our CNG buses are wheelchair accessible, environmentally friendly and air conditioned, as I said before, providing a more comfortable ride for the user.
To streamline our refuelling process, in 2004 the government invested $1.7 million for new CNG refuelling stations at ACTION’s Tuggeranong bus depot. The station is capable of filling up to 30 buses in an hour continuously. A new 1.5 kilometre high-pressure pipe line will also be installed by ActewAGL to cater for increased gas consumption and to bring high-pressure gas to the site. I understand that the 100 new buses to be introduced will be even more sustainable.
Labor’s commitments to public transport and cycling were merged when the bike racks on buses initiative was launched on 17 November 2005. The initiative was further developed as part of the government’s climate change strategy, weathering the change. It provides an option for less confident cyclists to cycle part of their journey and catch a bus for the rest of the journey, instead of using their car. The ACT government committed $345,000 to trial bike racks on all inter-town 300 series bus routes. Following an evaluation, ACTION deemed the trial a success. Therefore, the government provided $70,000 to install a further 50 bike racks on ACTION buses.
ACTION has also recently introduced a new policy for fold-up bikes. Fold-up bikes, which are designed to be carried on public transport, can be carried on ACTION buses. Bikes must be secured in the folded position prior to boarding the bus and stored in the luggage rack.
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