Page 4371 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019

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In conclusion, implementing the proposed government response will assist us to continue to focus our effort on these agreed government commitments and reform directions to effect system-wide change that will have a further positive influence on the services and referral pathways explored in the report.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Transport action plan—quarterly update

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.32): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:

That the Assembly take note of the following paper:

Transport Action Plan—Quarterly Update—Number 1, dated October 2019.

MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for City Services, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Recycling and Waste Reduction, Minister for Roads and Active Travel and Minister for Transport) (3.32): On 17 September 2019 I released the government’s transport action plan to improve the reliability of weekend bus services. This plan sets out the 10 actions the government is taking to ensure that Canberrans have a reliable public transport system on weekends.

The implementation of the interim weekend timetable on 28 September has resulted in significant improvements to the reliability of weekend bus services for Canberrans. I am pleased to advise that Transport Canberra has met its reliability target on three of the four weekends since the interim timetable was introduced, with a reliability of 99.8 per cent on these weekends.

Today I am tabling the first quarterly update on the government’s progress against the plan. Work has commenced on nine of the 10 actions and overall it is progressing well. The 10 actions of the plan sit under five themes: bus driver recruitment, improving information for customers, improving workforce planning, improving operational business practices and the weekend timetable update. In fact, two actions are already complete. These are action 9, implement an interim weekend timetable to improve reliability, and action 6, increased use of standby drivers.

However, the government recognises that an interim weekend timetable is not a long-term solution. Our goal is to deliver not just reliable weekend services but also more frequent services right across our city. No single action alone is likely to deliver frequent and reliable weekend bus services for Canberrans, and that is why we have identified a range of actions in our transport action plan. The new interim weekend timetable includes provision of six standby drivers across the course of each day at each of Transport Canberra’s depots. These standby drivers offer an immediate backup solution to maintaining service reliability for our customers in the event of unplanned disruptions and driver availability.


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