Page 500 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 February 2020
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Supplementary answer to question without notice
Housing—affordability
MS BERRY: I wanted to clarify that my office has received a letter from Mrs Kikkert about a constituent. However, it would be helpful if, with the permission of the constituent, she could be identified so that my office could make sure that she was supported. But I confirm that I have received a letter from Mrs Kikkert.
Transport Canberra—network 19
Debate resumed.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for City Services, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Recycling and Waste Reduction, Minister for Roads and Active Travel and Minister for Transport) (3.01): In my first press conference as the Minister for Transport, I said:
We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of journeys being taken across our public transport network compared to this time last year. So we’re starting from a very good position. We’ll continue to monitor how the transport network is operating and to make sure it meets the needs of all Canberrans.
The starting point for the network is seeing a significant increase in the number of people using the public transport network so that’s a very good outcome but we need to listen to feedback and see how we can further improve the network to make sure it meets the needs of all Canberrans.
We are continuing to see more and more Canberrans using public transport. There were 7.1 per cent more journeys made on public transport in the three months ending 31 December compared to the same time period in 2018. This reflects the high take-up of 10 rapid services that were implemented, the seven-day-a-week network and the greater span of services to better connect Canberra. However, we have also been closely monitoring the MyWay data, how the public transport system is being used, particularly over the first six months of operations, and how it can be improved, particularly local bus services to the suburbs.
During the first six months of bus operations we made 136 tweaks to the network. From term 2 we are now making more significant changes in our network update to some routes as a result of community feedback on network 19 and analysis of patronage data, changes designed to encourage even more Canberrans to catch public transport. We have heard that the residents of Tuggeranong want to be able to access the Canberra Hospital more easily, and, as of term 2, three local route services from Erindale will travel through to Woden via the hospital and a bus will travel through Wanniassa to Woden on Athllon Drive as well.
We heard that the R4 was very busy during the peaks. That has been the case for a longer time period than network 19 has been in service, and we are adding extra capacity by making sure that R5 services are available on the same direct route to Civic as the R4, which will further increase the capacity of those services and also
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