Page 510 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
of investments, all designed to give Canberrans better transport choices, better public transport services and better amenity in the infrastructure they use every day.
MS PORTER: Supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: What else is the government doing to increase public transport usage in Canberra?
MR CORBELL: Of course, the government currently is finalising its transport for Canberra policy which will set out the long-term targets for improving and continuing to grow the number of people who use public transport, walking and cycling here in the ACT. In addition to that in terms of what actions the government is taking right now, of course, the government has focused very strongly on improving the network of buses running through the main corridors, in particular the Red Rapid and Blue Rapid services.
We have invested significantly in new additional park and ride and bike and ride facilities. This morning I was very pleased to see the bike and ride facilities on Melrose Drive. A very large number of bikes are now using that facility on a day to day basis. Cyclists are clearly seeing the value of being able to cycle a short distance from home, park their bikes in a safe and secure storage facility and then get on the Blue Rapid service to head north or south. That is a great example of this government’s investments making a difference.
Of course, there are the park and ride facilities at Mawson and at EPIC. It is worthy of note that we have had strong support from our colleagues on the crossbenches in relation to these measures. I thank them for their support and their advocacy of those proposals.
These are all part of the government’s commitment to continue to improve the provision of public transport services and infrastructure in the city. I am very pleased to remind members that this year a park and ride facility will open in the new Molonglo development, with new stops on Streeton Drive and the Cotter Road. This will provide people living in that new area of the city, as well as people in Weston Creek more generally, with the advantage of a park and ride facility so that they too can avoid the need to pay parking fees in the city or the town centres and use the bus instead. (Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, you have the call.
MR COE: Minister, you said that proposals and options would be on display at the weekend at Curtin shops. If those options and proposals are already available, is $200,000 not extremely expensive for concept plans that are perhaps already drawn up, and it does not include construction of any bus stops?
MR CORBELL: I simply pose the question in response: does Mr Coe think that consultants do this work for free?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video