Page 2765 - Week 08 - Thursday, 11 August 2016
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Last month we turned the first sod on the first stage of our city-wide light rail network, a huge milestone that will create 3,500 jobs and free up 1.2 million kilometres of bus travel that we will be able to redeploy across our city. With light rail, we add significantly—(Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hinder.
MR HINDER: Can the minister advise when the new ACTION bus timetable will start and what changes the public can expect to services?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Mr Hinder for the supplementary. The new weekday bus timetable will come into effect in just a couple of weeks on 29 August. There will be a number of major improvements to services. A new Weston line is being introduced to increase service options between Cooleman Court, Woden town centre and the city. It will provide a direct service between Cooleman Court and the Molonglo Valley with the city via the Cotter Road, introduce an all-day service for the north Weston park and ride and introduce services to John Gorton Drive.
There will also be changes to Xpresso services in the new timetable. These changes are driven by strong passenger demand. The introduction of additional route 744 and 743 services from west Belconnen will reduce the strain on the blue rapid service. There has been an additional 783 Xpresso service introduced for the new suburbs of Wright, Coombs and Molonglo Valley. Since the introduction of services into the area in 2014, the service has been steadily gaining new passengers. The introduction of additional high density housing in the area requires additional public transport.
The new timetable also introduces improvements to weekend services. The changes to the weekend timetable will come into effect from Saturday, 27 August, two days before the weekday timetable on Monday the 29th. In that there will be adjustments to route 981, which will now service the new tourist information centre at Regatta Point and Westside Acton village and will align with the weekday route 81.
Residents in Coombs will also have a weekend service introduced to the suburb through the extension of route 983 which, along with the changes to the weekday timetable, provides a seven-day-a-week service to Woden and Cooleman Court. There have also been adjustments made to route 980 to provide improved access to people working in and around Fyshwick.
The government is committed to improving public transport and creating an integrated network that can be used by all Canberrans. The changes in the new timetable, along with new initiatives like the city loop, will make transport more convenient, quick and reliable. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Coe.
MR COE: Minister, how will adding 40,000 people to the corridor and more than half a dozen new signalised intersections on Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue actually help congestion?
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