Page 2775 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 June 2010
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Fewer people are getting on ACTION buses—1.33 million people fewer than expected. I do not know how that goal can possibly be met. Goal No 5:
Ensure the transport system helps make Canberra a more socially just city.
Tell me what is socially just about increasing the cost of parking and increasing the cost of a ride on a bus when services and parking spaces are getting worse. There is nothing strategic and there is nothing just about that way of running the show. Goal No 9:
Price transport use to make it efficient, equitable and transparent.
Again, this is a government that for the last two years has increased the cost of parking and has increased the cost of getting on a bus. There is absolutely nothing strategic about doing that. It is all very well for Jon Stanhope to say, “We’re going to increase the cost of parking to try and get people onto buses.” It is a two-edged sword because he also increases the cost of getting on a bus. Why? Because this government is unable to manage its expenditure; it is unable to curb its wasteful spending.
Finally, goal No 10:
Change community attitudes and behaviours to support sustainable transport throughout the city.
This government has failed. It has failed because 1.33 million people fewer than this government planned are getting on an ACTION bus. This all translates to fares representing only 20.1 per cent of the cost of ACTION and the cost per passenger being $6.30 per passenger boarding.
In addition, just last week we saw a story that got exposed through a question on notice where three in 100 passengers are riding free of charge on an ACTION bus because of faulty ticket machines. That equates to $547,000 per year, which is being lost because of faulty ticket machines. This problem did not happen overnight. Mr Stanhope may well say, “Well, we’re getting a new ticketing system.” But this ticketing system is running late. This ticketing system is overdue. It is a ticketing system that was called for years ago and, in fact, the Chief Minister said it would be delivered years ago. It still has not happened.
Also through a question on notice I requested information about dead running. We heard that each day an ACTION bus drives 12,665 kilometres empty, going from the depot to where it starts its route, and a further 3,500 on Saturday and 2,500 on Sunday, totalling 69,190 kilometres every week—more than 1½ times the world an empty bus goes around.
At 6 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.
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