Page 3250 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 21 August 2018
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of destinations; and it is this independence that they have told me they will lose under the new network. Taking away regularly scheduled bus services from retirement village residents takes away their independence and their dignity.
Losing the bus stop outside their village will mean that residents will face an up to 700-metre walk to the nearest public transport stop. I have heard from residents who are getting quite frail and who would find it difficult, if not impossible, to walk that far, particularly if they are carrying shopping bags.
Elderly residents have told me that they can manage public transport if they do not have to walk too far. Residents have also told me that they are concerned about having to walk so far in the cold of winter or the heat of summer. They are even more concerned about having to walk in the rain, and, with the poor quality of footpaths in their suburb as well, one fall can lead to life-altering injuries for an elderly person.
Residents have also told me about the frustration they have experienced when they have tried to use flexibus services. The problem is that they have to be booked two days in advance. The second problem is that they operate only on weekdays, and residents cannot use them for unexpected situations or spontaneous outings with friends. Residents have told me that when they have called to book, the phone menu is difficult to navigate or that the lines are often busy. They just do not have the confidence that the flexibus will meet their needs.
Residents are particularly concerned that they will lose direct bus services to Belconnen. The current route 7 bus provides Girrahween Lodge residents with direct access to Calvary hospital and the Ginninderra medical centre. This will be lost with the new network. Retirement village residents rely heavily on public transport for easy access to medical services. Losing this access has left them fearful for their health and their independence.
We have heard many times how little regard the Chief Minister and his government have for anyone over the age of 60. Perhaps that is why no members of his government showed up at the Girrahween Lodge when Transport Canberra gave a briefing. They were invited; they just could not find the time. The residents of Girrahween Lodge feel as though they have been ignored by the government, that they are out of sight and most definitely out of mind.
It is not just the residents of Girrahween Lodge who will be affected by these cuts. The route 7 bus also transports homeless men from the city to the safe shelter provided by St Columba’s Church, and to the nearby Salvation Army. Organisations who help homeless men in Civic and Braddon know that if they can get those men onto the route 7 bus, it will drop them right outside either of these shelters. These shelters provide safe shelter for homeless men, protecting them from harsh Canberra winters. Taking away the route 7 service, and taking away the bus stops near St Columba’s Church and the Salvation Army, will make it all the more difficult for clients of these services to access these vital shelters.
In conclusion, the Labor-Greens government’s changes to bus services will have severe impacts on the independence and dignity of some of our most vulnerable Canberrans.
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