Page 3962 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 15 Sept 2009
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In the interests of safety, there are four CCTV cameras on each bus, and each bus is fitted with a speed limiter, ensuring a top speed of 85 kilometres per hour. In addition, there is a security panel near the driver’s cabin.
We are continuing the highly successful and highly used bike racks on buses initiative. All of ACTION’s new clean diesel buses will have bike racks, giving Canberrans greater sustainable transport options.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Burch, a supplementary?
MS BURCH: Can the minister tell us how these buses will help the government meet its commitment for fully accessible public transport by 2025 under the Disability Discrimination Act?
MR STANHOPE: I thank Ms Burch for her supplementary question. The ACT government are committed to meeting our requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act. We have had in place a strategy and a range of sequential action plans to ensure that we meet our accessible public transport targets, with the next of these action plans to be released shortly.
The government has a commitment to have 55 per cent of the ACTION fleet accessible by December 2012. This is, I believe, a standard or a target that has been adopted by all Australian jurisdictions. Currently, including the new MAN clean diesel bus introduced into the fleet today, 116 of ACTION’s 394-strong fleet are accessible buses. To put it another way, 29 per cent of ACTION’s fleet is currently accessible.
To help meet this target, the government committed $49.5 million in the 2008-09 budget for a fleet replacement program to be rolled out over the next three financial years to acquire 100 new accessible buses. The introduction of the new MAN Euro 5 clean diesel bus brings the government close to that DDA target.
In addition, the 74 low-floor buses are fully accessible and, as they roll out, will become a welcome addition to the fleet. And the 26 Scania steer tag buses also to be rolled out over the next two years as part of the fleet replacement program will be fully accessible low-floor buses.
The government are ahead, and we do believe, on the basis of this significant investment of just on $50 million over the next three years, that we will meet our target of 55 per cent of all ACTION buses being disability Australia standard compliant by 2012.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Hunter?
MS HUNTER: Yes. I was wondering, with this announcement of the 74 new Euro 5 buses to the ACTION fleet, what percentage of the ACTION fleet will now be low-emission buses, that is either with clean diesel or CNG powered.
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