Page 1331 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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numbers at Transport Canberra at the moment, but we do need 820. Noting that we may have some attrition, we want to recruit another 27 over the coming period to see improvement to frequency on weekends.
Of course, during this time we are currently not welcoming people back onto public transport. The message remains the same now as it has been throughout the pandemic and through each stage of the COVID-19 recovery plan.
Mr Coe: A point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Minister, resume your seat.
Mr Coe: Miss Burch’s question was: how many prospective bus drivers have undergone driver training to date? I do not think that the minister has answered that.
MADAM SPEAKER: There was also this part: how many have been trained, and employed or recruited? I think the minister has spoken about the number that have been recruited.
MR STEEL: Our advice remains the same, which is to avoid travel during peak times. We are not currently seeing crowding on public transport on the weekends. The focus for the government is to align the increase in services that we have announced, a 17.5 per cent increase in the number of services across the city, which will be focused on weekdays, when there are concerns that we might see crowding, and the obvious health risks that that presents for the community.
MISS C BURCH: Minister, perhaps you need to take this on notice: how many drivers have undergone training since you announced your recruitment blitz, and, of those, how many remain employed by Transport Canberra?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for her question. As I have noted, the amount of training that we have done has brought us up to 813 drivers. I am happy to take on notice the exact number that have been recruited. We will be undertaking further recruitment over the next period, until term 4. There has been a slowdown in training over the pandemic period. That is because the training has a face-to-face component. That has meant that it has taken longer than usual to recruit and train drivers. But we are very keen to make sure that we have more drivers on board. I would like to thank all Transport Canberra bus drivers for the work that they have been doing to deliver reliable services, essential services, during the pandemic, for the public who needed to use them.
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, your colleague is seeking the call.
MR PARTON: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Minister, this is not the network Canberrans were promised over 12 months ago. When will Canberrans get this network?
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