Page 5143 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


Omit all words after “That this Assembly notes”, substitute:

“(1) the ACT Government’s $1 million trial of Redex between Gungahlin to Kingston, which will run to 30 June 2010;

(2) that the Redex trial follows advice of transport planning experts and is in line with the Government’s draft Strategic Public Transport Network Plan;

(3) that the Redex service offers a new transport service to Canberrans, including:

(a) a new concept in the ACT of limited-stop, 15-minute frequency services all day, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays travelling from Gungahlin to Kingston via Mitchell, the city, Russell and the Parliamentary Triangle;

(b) a comfortable ride on the new MAN Euro 5 clean diesel buses, which are fully accessible and air-conditioned; and

(c) improved passenger information through the use of on-board information screens, which display information about upcoming stops and other ACTION services; and

(4) that the Government will review the Redex service during the trial to consider its expansion as part of the Sustainable Transport Action Plan, in consideration with the finalisation of the Strategic Public Transport Network Plan.”.

The government has provided $1 million in 2009-10 for ACTION to introduce the Redex, a rapid transit service. The concept of rapid transit services such as the Redex will complement the government’s long-term transport plan. The Redex trial commenced this week and will operate to 30 June 2010. A review of the trial and community feedback about the new services will inform the future of Redex and its potential growth within the ACT. The route between Gungahlin and Kingston via city, Russell and the parliamentary triangle is one of the key rapid transit routes identified in the draft strategic public transport network plan.

As background, in 2004 the ACT government released the visionary sustainable transport plan to set targets to help us increase the percentage of people using sustainable transport like public transport, walking and cycling in the future. We remain committed to these goals in 2009. Transport accounts for a significant proportion of the ACT’s emissions. We need to respond quickly and effectively to the dual pressures of declining fossil fuel reserves and rising carbon emissions by making sustainable transport options more attractive and accessible for more Canberrans.

Our sustainable transport goal articulated in the sustainable transport plan is to increase the percentage of people walking, cycling and using public transport to work from 13 per cent in 2001 to 20 per cent in 2011 and to 30 per cent in 2026. This requires 16 per cent of work trips by public transport, seven per cent by cycling and seven per cent by walking in 2026. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates we are well on the way to achieving these targets but there is, of course, as we are all aware, still an awfully long way to go.


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video