Page 2826 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 August 2005
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information system for Canberra’s bus network. It is a major initiative of the sustainable transport plan and is designed to assist in encouraging Canberrans to choose public transport, while walking or cycling for at least some of their journeys.
Real-time information systems have a number of benefits. I would like to provide members with some information on this. First of all, obviously they minimise the uncertainty of catching a bus, by providing passengers with up-to-date information on display screens at interchanges and at key bus stops. The arrival time will be displayed as close to real time as possible. One of the specifications that the government is focusing on is that the accuracy of the system will, on average, at each stage and at each location, predict bus arrival or departure time to within one minute.
The system will also need to integrate with ACTION’s Hastus system, which is our existing scheduling system for timetables and for drivers, and its existing ticketing system and be capable of being integrated into future ticketing systems without any need for hardware changes. The system will also provide ACTION with information about the progress of each bus service, to allow ACTION to provide real-time information for ACTION customers through its SMS technology, another initiative implemented by the government, or through a website timetable. It will also—and this is a very important element of real-time information—allow buses to have priority at traffic intersections. The same technology that is used for real time is the technology that is used to allow buses priority at traffic lights.
There is a range of benefits. On completion, we anticipate that this system will have the capacity to provide real-time information and traffic priority to support a minimum of 500 buses, 300 traffic signal intersections and 3½ thousand passenger information displays.
Stage 1 of the roll-out of real-time information will be the delivery of an operational corridor, which is proposed in the Gungahlin area. Services will need to operate in that corridor without any hiccups for a one-month trial period. Stage 2 of the implementation will involve the fitting out of the entire ACTION fleet with the relevant technology, installation of the remaining passenger information display systems and configuration of the system to give priority at relevant traffic signal intersections.
The Liberal Party has been quite critical of this initiative but has overlooked one really important fact: it is that those routes that have real-time information will see increases in patronage. That is the experience around the world. Indeed, world-wide experience—
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MR CORBELL: It is just opposition for opposition’s sake; they just cannot help themselves. They cannot acknowledge it as a positive; they cannot acknowledge any implementation that makes a difference and improves public transport in Canberra. All they can do is criticise. Worldwide experience shows that patronage on routes serviced by real time increase by up to 20 per cent.
Mrs Dunne: If you have decent transport.
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