Page 2922 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 14 August 2019

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(a) 27 percent more journeys on public transport were recorded over the first 10 weekends of the new network, compared with the same weekends in 2018;

(b) the additional Rapid routes available on the weekends are offering a more direct route and keeping Canberrans connected;

(c) an additional 1377 weekend services have been put on since the commencement of Network19;

(d) Transport Canberra are currently undertaking rolling recruitment for new drivers; and

(e) average weekend reliability is 89 percent and the Government has acknowledged this is not meeting community expectations;”.

Amendment agreed to.

MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (3.59): I now move the amendment to the amended motion that has been circulated in my name:

Omit all text after paragraph (1)(e), substitute:

(f) Canberrans are flocking to Network19’s expanded weekend bus services, with average Saturday journeys rising from 12 768 in June 2018 to 16 985 in June 2019, and average Sunday journeys rising from 9013 in June 2018 to 12 535 in June 2019; and

(2) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) acknowledge that many Canberrans have been impacted by weekend bus reliability;

(b) commit to improving weekend services reliability provided by Network19 and restoring weekend reliability rates;

(c) release, within one month, an action plan that:

(i) examines how more timely cancellation information for passengers could be provided;

(ii) examines better ways of notifying passengers of service cancellations;

(iii) improves weekend bus reliability by increasing bus driver numbers through continued bus driver recruitment;

(iv) considers short-term actions like incentives that can be provided to drivers to encourage them to deliver weekend services, whilst the recruitment of more drivers continues; and

(v) provides the community with a timeframe for when weekend service reliability will improve; and

(d) report to the community and the Assembly on weekend service reliability and progress on the action plan quarterly until reliability on the weekends is restored.”.

As shown by the way I voted, I very much support Minister Steel’s amendment. It is great to have some numbers in debates like this as to what is actually happening.


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