Sensational-Adelaide.com

20pc fewer stepping on the train, tram or bus
By MATT WILLIAMS
16aug05
THE number of South Australians using public transport has dropped by almost 20 per cent in the past two months.

Transport Department figures obtained by The Advertiser show there were 3,607,000 "initial boardings" on the bus, train and tram network in July - down by 18.7 per cent from 4,280,000 in May. The May-to-July boardings fell at almost double the rate of the same period last year, when there was a 9.9 per cent drop from 4,040,000 to 3,677,000.

On July 3, public transport fares rose an average 2.8 per cent, a standard 10-trip ticket rising 3.1 per cent from $22.20 to $22.90.

Although the tram line between the city and Glenelg was closed for upgrading during June and July, the trams were replaced temporarily by bus services.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said winter traditionally brought a drop in public transport patronage.

"People are less inclined to wait at stops and stations in the rain and cold," the spokesman said.

As public transport use has dropped, motorists have been hit by record high fuel prices, but the State Government and the RAA say there is no direct link between the cost of commuting by car and increased public transport use.

RAA traffic and safety manager Chris Thomson said drivers tended to forgo "non-essential travel" during periods when petrol prices were high.

"It takes a lot to prise people out of their car to get on a bus, train or a tram," Mr Thomson said.

"History has shown that people do cut back on their travel, such as weekend drives, when petrol prices rise, rather than forgo the use of their car for a commuter trip."

Mr Conlon's spokesman said the 46.38 million initial boardings were an increase of 2.2 per cent on 2003-04.

So in real terms, the drop is 9%. Factor in the tram closure (it's doubtful that every single tram passenger used the alternative bus route) and the drop isn't as big as the article makes out.

OK, I'll take the bus & train, says Conlon
Renato Castello
25jun06
TRANSPORT Minister Pat Conlon has promised commuters he will experience first-hand Adelaide's ailing transport network as pressure mounts for a complete overhaul.

Mr Conlon has vowed he will accept last week's Sunday Mail challenge to swap his chauffeur-driven car and join the thousands of commuters who each day rely on the city's public transport to get them to work.

Last week, the Sunday Mail reported the public transport network was "ready to burst" under increasing passenger numbers and traffic congestion and asked readers to write in with their experiences - and a mass of you did.

Some frustrations included:

A LACK of night and weekend services.

POORLY-SERVED routes, and then overcrowding when those buses arrive.

ROUTE changes meaning bus trips that once took 20 minutes have now doubled in length.

A LACK of reliable services, including buses not turning up, forcing people to turn back to cars.

ADELAIDE Metro not responding to complaints lodged on its website, despite promises to do so within three working days.

LACK of adequate bus shelters and timetable information.

"I had planned to do that anyway," Mr Conlon said of using public transport.

"I'll be catching buses and trains on several routes during the eight-week parliamentary break as part of our process of reviewing the public transport service - a service which has not been reviewed since 1993," he said.

"We will make sure that we are using the current resources properly before we spend extra taxpayers' funds.

"There are some routes for example that are dramatically under-utilised - and we will have no hesitation in cutting those routes.

"We know there are problems and we are not going to run away from them."

Transport Workers' Union spokesman Ian Gonsalves said Mr Conlon should catch the city-bound 720 service from outside his Edwardstown electoral office, and change for the 216 on South Road, if he wanted a real horror ride.

"We have to make life difficult for him," he said. "Some people probably get up at 5am to catch a bus for 6am to get to work at 7am - it's very easy for him (Mr Conlon) to get up at 6.30 am and have a bloody car waiting out the front. I wish him good luck and if he's fair dinkum he should try that for a week, not just a day, because he'll get pretty well p. . .ed off after a while."

Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union state branch national organiser Ashley Waddell called on Mr Conlon to take a ride on the new Flexity trams during peak hours.

"We have drivers unable to pick passengers up because they (the trams) are so packed during the peaks," he said.

Mr Conlon said on FIVEaa's breakfast program the Government had never stopped planning for increased growth on public transport.

The Government's major overhauls of northern routes improved services and it would do another major review of bus routes in the western and southern suburbs this year, he said. "We'll no doubt get more complaints but it's something that needs to be done," he told listeners.

Joel Taggart, chairman of the Salisbury Transport Advisory Group, said residents in the north need more night services and greater connections to neighbouring Tea Tree Plaza and Port Adelaide. "We have more people working late and studying late, and that's (more night services) a big issue," he said.

Margaret Dingle, chairwoman for transport lobby group, People for Public Transport, welcomed Mr Conlon's commitment to ride public transport.

"It will be good for him to get on the public transport," she said. "There are some north-east routes through Payneham and Magill which are overcrowded.

"The Government has got a target of doubling public transport by 2018. Well, they've got to do something about it.

"We need to spend more money on public transport and review whether they need a tunnel through South Road and other huge road works."

Expand rail network.

Better timetables.

Southern O-Bahn.

Transport inquiry 'essential'
August 31, 2006 12:15am
The Advertiser

PARLIAMENT has been asked to hold an inquiry into how to fix the state's public transport system.

Opposition transport spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith has moved for a select committee to hold the inquiry because "there are so many problems" with bus, rail and tram services.

"There is a clear public call for improvement," Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

He said if the Government supported the inquiry in the Lower House, it would have the majority of MPs on the committee and control of the inquiry.

He also introduced a private member's Bill aimed at providing compensation for business owners severely affected by roadworks projects such as the South Rd underpasses.

He said the Bill would give business people the right to take action against a road authority if it failed to take reasonable steps to minimise adverse effects of the roadworks on business.

Do we need a transport inquiry? Take the poll.

Cheers

I'm truly sick of all these inquiries. I just reckon it's another stupid money wasting exercise which will result in a shitload of extra red tape and no progress. Take the Victoria Square bs - they decided to close the damn thing and then a change of councillors and another inquiry and it was all over. North Terrace had multiple consultations and O'Connell Street had the ultimate - consultations about consultations!!

Commuters in the Adelaide Hills will reap both short and long term benefits from a significant funding boost to the region’s public transport network.


Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said a strategic review and subsequent expansion of services will not only address overcrowding but also provide a framework for future development of the network.


'Services in the hills have remained relatively unchanged since the mid eighties so we’ve expanded and restructured to ensure we meet demand in a constantly growing region,' he said.


'We have worked closely with the bus provider and have been able to align services to the needs of the travelling public.


'This additional funding from the $10.08m over four years in this year’s State Budget will also deliver faster, more frequent and more efficient services that are where the most people need them to be.'


The service changes will take effect from Sunday February 25, 2007 and will feature:


- Increase in direct AM services from Mt Barker to CBD from 4 to 10

- Increase in AM services from Mt Barker to CBD via Aldgate from 6 to 9

- Increased frequency of services between Mt Barker and CBD from hourly to half hourly

- A new interpeak express service between Mt Barker and CBD

- Two additional services between CBD and Mt Barker on week nights (last bus 11:30pm)

- Two feeder services within Mt Barker connecting to the Park 'n Ride

- Increase in direct AM services from Aldgate to the CBD via Crafers from 14 to 17

- Interpeak connections - Mt Barker, Hahndorf, Verdun, Bridgewater, Aldgate and Stirling


New timetables are expected to be available in early February.


Executive Director of DTEI’s Public Transport Division, Heather Webster said a comprehensive information campaign would begin immediately.


'Commuters and related stakeholders will be engaged between now and February 25 next year ñ that will include Federal, State and Local Government, schools and special interest groups,' she said.


'We will try to ensure that everyone affected by the new timetables is aware well in advance of the February 25 start date.'


The campaign will also feature a detailed brochure distributed to affected areas, extensive media and internet advertising, temporary information signs at bus stops, email and SMS alerts.

[/quote]
sourced from http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au

thanks for that. this is really good news

the current service is pathetic.

Public transport hub
A public transport hub will be operating in Mt Barker by mid next year, providing a much-needed boost to bus services in the region.
To be built next to the Mt Barker Railway Station, the Park 'n' Ride will be the biggest facility of its kind operating in the Hills, starting with 112 car-parks with room to expand to 200.
The project will be fully funded by Australian Transit Enterprises, parent company of Transitplus, which provides the Hills bus services.
The news comes five years after the idea was first mooted and follows lengthy negotiations between the transport operators, State Government, the Mt Barker Council and SteamRanger.
Council chief executive Andrew Stuart said the news was terrific for the area's public transport users.

http://thecouriernews.blogspot.com/2006 ... t-hub.html

$2bn to overhaul public transportMICHAEL OWENKIM WHEATLEY
March 03, 2007 01:15am
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A SECRET Government report reveals a complete overhaul of the city's public transport system would cost up to $2 billion.

The report recommends six options to "transform" Adelaide's public transport system during the next decade, including expanding the use of trams, converting to a light rail network or completely replacing existing rail services with buses.
The Transport Department's strategic review - prepared as a confidential document in December, 2004, but never released publicly - offers a range of strategies "to meet the State Strategic Plan target of doubling the use of public transport to 10 per cent of weekday travel by 2018".

The 41-page report, a copy of which was obtained by The Advertiser, outlines the Government's options as:

EXPANDING the existing diesel train service at a cost of $1.76 billion.

CONVERTING to a "light metro" system for $1.73 billion.

EXPANSION using a tram system at a cost of $1.97 billion.

NOT expanding rail services but increasing bus services at an estimated cost of $1.89 billion.

REPLACING rail services completely with buses at a cost of $2.23 billion.

USING a "European-style" hybrid tram-train system that allows mixed use, which could cost between $1.73 billion and $1.97 billion, depending on the mix.

The report rejects expanding Adelaide's existing diesel rail service because it "is not seen as being able to provide the market edge to attract the required number of passengers away from cars, and achieve the targets in the most cost-effective, safe and robust way".

In an interview with The Advertiser last month, Transport Minister Patrick Conlon spoke of his vision for new urban projects that incorporated light rail, as has happened in Western Australia.

He also told The Advertiser of his personal vision to completely overhaul the metropolitan public transport system.

Mr Conlon said yesterday the report was one of a variety of options papers developed by the department.

"It's absolutely natural that a transport department works up options for the future on a range of things," he said. "It's not a question of sitting on them. It's what you do that builds your store of knowledge about what you're going to do in the future."

Opposition transport spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith said he was disappointed the paper had been kept secret.

"I'm disappointed there hasn't been more of a public process. These are fairly significant propositions. There should be some public consultations," he said.

"Instead, it seems like they're planning behind closed doors and I think that's regrettable."

He also said one of the most expensive options was to develop trams and "in light of that it's curious that they've gone ahead with the tram extension".

The report also refers to the WA model, noting "an initial assessment (for potential growth) is based on the expansion of the rail system following a similar decision by the WA Government to pursue a mass transit public transport policy to compete with car travel".

In discussing the light rail option, the report also refers to German-made Bombardier vehicles used in Perth, serving places including Fremantle and the northern suburbs. SA has already bought 11 Bombardier trams.

The report recommends pursuing the light rail option and urges it be "considered in more detail".

"Initial financial estimates indicate that the costs of conversion to an electrified system and conversion of the vehicles would be recovered by savings in energy, maintenance, future vehicle purchase cost and additional fare revenue," the report states.

The report also suggests that adopting such proposals "opens up other strategic opportunities", such as further tram extensions.

"If the light metro option is selected for the North West Corridor, then a short on-street tram system linking Semaphore, Glanville, the Port redevelopment, Port historic precinct and eventually to Commercial Rd bridge," it says.

So this report was prepared in 2004. It is now 2007 and all as we have is a pathetic $10 million in extra public transport spending and the tram extension and a few station upgrades. Currently the vote on the Advertiser website says 89% are in support of spending $2 billion on the system. I am definately one of those people. I reckon the state government may hold out on any big decisions until the next election or a year or so before. I wish they would hurry up and do something about the train network. I caught a train yesterday where you couldn't see out even one of the windows, that is a disgrace! Normally it is one or two windows, not the whole damn train. Considering petrol prices more people should be catching trains or other public transport, I am seeing less on my train lately.

its all good to no we need a $2 billion revamp but whos gonna pay for this? would wall street really lend the government enough to make it a reality?

Cruise Control wrote:its all good to no we need a $2 billion revamp but whos gonna pay for this? would wall street really lend the government enough to make it a reality?

The government could easily raise 2 billion dollars worth of funds over 10 years... not a problem, hell they managed to pay off 6-7 billion dollars of debt (whatever state bank was) in about that time anyway.. and thats debt we didn't get anything from

On a side note it makes sense for governemnts to borrow for infrastructure, rather than have private development as governemnts will inevitably have a lower cost of capital than a private company (esp with a AAA credit rating)

hmm.......the state has a surplus of 11billion..........

Tom, I think you're thinking of federal, not state.