Page 2769 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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The challenge is to the Greens when it comes to this issue. I have a motion on the table for tomorrow about ACTION. It calls on the government to revert to the level of classification for tertiary students until 30 June this year. The pressure is very much on the Greens to make sure they bring about the outcome that their constituency would actually want. How they vote tomorrow when we debate the motion will be telling.
Those paying cash fares to ACTION are going to see a pretty big fare increase. In fact, there is going to be an increase of 26 per cent. A single trip is going from $3 to $3.80 and a concession single trip is going from $1.50 to $1.90. I think it is a bit much to claim that this fare increase of 26 per cent is because there has not been a fare increase in the last three years.
Despite the priorities laid out in the budget, including the claim that the ACTION network meets its passengers’ travel needs, there have been a number of issues that have come to my attention that ACTION has not resolved. They are:
• reinstatement of bus services on Ainsworth Street in Phillip, north of Hindmarsh Drive;
• reinstatement of services via Clianthus, Dryandra, and Scrivener Streets in O’Connor, as the old route 35 did and new route 8 does not;
• ensuring all services on routes 76 and 77 are covered by wheelchair accessible buses;
• bus services in Gungahlin, namely, 51, 52, and 59 only travel to the city in peak hour;
• commuters from Macquarie are particularly frustrated by route 10 and were better serviced by route 40 and route 41;
• connections at Belconnen through the new arrangements;
• connections between bus routes are not working as well as they should; and
• feedback that suggests that the bus stations are not maintained to the same standard as the interchange, the bus stops are often dirty and the bus stops are uncomfortable.
I am concerned about the lack of detail surrounding the proposed trial of REDEX bus services. I have already asked a number of questions in relation to the benchmarking of ACTION services against other services around the country. (Second speaking period taken.) I am concerned by statements in the estimates committee that ACTION is not operating as efficiently as it could. For example, on page 102 of budget paper No 4, the cost per kilometre has increased from $3.86 to $4.33. We have to be very careful that this trend does not continue.
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