Page 2888 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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distance, according to the minister? Walking distance is 800 metres. Eight hundred metres is much too far for many people; 800 metres is an additional 10 or one-minute commute for the average person. Of course, for those with mobility issues it will be incredibly difficult to handle an 800-metre walk on cold winter days or hot summer days, particularly when carrying shopping bags.
Taking away easy access to regular public transport takes away independence and choice from the people who need it the most. I have heard from many seniors who have moved into retirement villages and given up driving because they did not feel confident on the roads anymore but knew that they could rely on having a bus stop nearby. Public transport is their lifeline to shops, doctors, hospitals, and community services. This is being taken away from them.
While community buses provide a valuable service, they do not completely bridge this gap. Accessing community buses requires planning two days in advance, travelling between 9 am and 1 pm, and wanting to go where the bus takes you. It does not offer seniors and people with limited mobility the independence and dignity they need and deserve.
The Xpresso buses are another area where the government is slashing services that are highly valued by the people who use them. If we are going to increase patronage on public transport, we need to look more closely at what might attract people to using public transport. For commuters, this is a fairly simple calculation: how can I get to and from work quickly and reliably?
The proposed new network appears to sacrifice one for the other—it may get you there, but it will not get you there as quickly as your current services. Taking away the Xpresso services will mean that for most current users it will be quicker to drive to work, and that is what they are telling us they will do. They are not going to take three buses; they are not going to wait at interchanges. They are going to drive. They are willing to sit in traffic every morning and every afternoon and they are willing to pay for parking rather than spend an additional 7.5 hours a week on the bus. This will reduce public transport patronage, not increase it. This will result in fewer Canberrans catching the bus, more cars on our roads, more congestion, and more inconvenience for Canberra families.
Perhaps the most unpopular change to the new network is the fact that the government has chosen to prioritise rapid bus services over children’s safety. Families with school children will bear the brunt of the government’s changes as they slash dedicated school buses across our city: 109 routes are being cut to 47, with 59 schools and 49 primary schools to be without dedicated buses. Like so many aspects of the government’s so-called consultation, it has not been up-front with schools about these cuts.
We have heard from school principals in the public, Catholic and independent sectors who became aware of the cuts only very late in the consultation period. We have heard from principals who have been told that their school buses would not be cut, only to find out the truth much later. Parents, principals and teachers alike are worried about the safety of children on the general public network.
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