Page 3147 - Week 08 - Thursday, 25 June 2009
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decommissioned within a year, is an extraordinary example of government waste and irresponsibility by the government. By saving just over $50,000 from the ACTION budget, the government could have avoided the need to increase the price of the shoppers off-peak daily. We could have avoided all the fare increases and more if ACTION could have found those efficiencies of $4 million or $5 million that were flagged by officials in the estimates hearings.
The hopes of ACTION’s Belconnen’s commuters have been dashed with another basic service delivery failure of this government. Yet again, this government is running ACTION for its own convenience rather than that of the travelling public. The “temporary” arrangements that will be in place for around two years do not meet the service standards that commuters expect. These arrangements are a significant frustration to commuters.
Commuters now endure a situation that is very substandard indeed. Commuters now face the following challenges: shelters that do not allow any protection from the weather; the distance from Westfield via the “red bridge”; no bathrooms; bus stops that are dirty and are not cleaned regularly enough; too few seats while waiting for a bus; difficulties with the timetable and meeting connections; buses departing from different bays; a lack of passenger assistance and signage; and a walk to the Belconnen community services, the government shopfront or the library that is simply too far.
I wrote to the minister on 5 June 2009, asking him to adequately provide for ACTION bus commuters. I look forward to his response and to the minister taking action on behalf of Belconnen commuters. It is about time, Mr Mayor, that you faced up to the task, concentrated on your portfolio and started to get the basics right for ACTION commuters.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 2.11 am until Tuesday, 18 August 2009, at 10 am.
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