Page 2774 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
service standards. If service standards are going to improve then I think people would expect to see an increase in the cost of catching a bus. But there is nothing reasonable about increasing service charges at the same time that services are obviously going backwards.
On 7 May the Chief Minister put out a press release saying, “Benchmarking shows room for bus efficiencies”. This is the independent benchmarking assessment which the government refused to release last year. Simply because it was in their interests politically, they chose not to do so. In the Chief Minister’s own words, the press release stated:
ACTION drivers are paid well above efficient benchmark—costing ACTION $8.5 million more per annum;
ACTION drivers spend 14 per cent of their time not driving …
ACTION employs more mechanics …
ACTION mechanical staff, including mechanics, cleaners and refuellers, are paid well above the efficient benchmark …
ACTION drivers take more leave than the efficient benchmark …
ACTION’s higher proportion of air-conditioned buses than the efficient benchmark costs ACTION $1.1 million more per annum;
ACTION has a higher level of minor bus accident repair …
ACTION services operate longer hours than the efficient benchmark, with about 23.3 per cent of ACTION’s bus hours delivered after 7 pm on weekdays and on weekends and public holidays, compared to the efficient benchmark of 17.7 per cent …
By the Chief Minister’s own words, there are efficiencies to be made—$30 million per year. If that $30 million were extrapolated over his time in government it would be in excess of $250 million, perhaps, of waste within ACTION. Yet Mr Stanhope has been unable or unwilling to take any action. At some point Mr Stanhope must show leadership. He must exercise some control, step up to the TWU and reform ACTION. There are many ways of doing that without cutting wages. I urge Mr Stanhope to consider those.
One of the many reasons why I think the government needs to reform ACTION is its own commitment to the sustainable transport plan which it published some years ago, I think when Simon Corbell was the minister. When you go through the different modes as listed in the back of the document, you see just how much this government has failed when it comes to ACTION. Goal No 2:
Shift the balance of travel from private vehicles towards greater use of walking, cycling and public transport.
How does that tie in with the fact that modal share has actually gone backwards and that fewer people are getting the bus as a proportion of overall transport than did so last year? Part of the government’s goal No 3 was to complete the conversion of the ACTION bus fleet to CNG fuel. That got axed. That was another one of Mr Corbell’s less than bright ideas. Goal No 4:
Ensure the transport system contributes positively to the ACT economy.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video