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Transport industry calls on Federal Government to fix urban congestion


With congestion costing more than $10 billion a year, passenger transport groups have presented an action plan to fix our transport networks to Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese.
 
‘Moving People – Solutions for a Growing Australia’, is an action plan developed by the Australasian Railways Association, International Association for Public Transport and the Bus Industry Confederation of Australia, the three major bodies representing passenger transport in Australia.
 
Co-author of the plan Professor Stanley, from the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, says only leadership by the Federal Government can achieve the massive change needed to reverse the deterioration of Australia’s land transport systems and resultant congestion of freight corridors.
 
The plan identifies seven key actions the federal, state and territory governments and industry can put into practice to make passenger and land transport in Australia more efficient including improving freight capacity, investing in public transport, increasing the fuel efficiency of cars and reforming our road pricing and taxation system.
 
Professor Stanley says business as usual is no longer an option.
 
“Greenhouse gas emissions in our major cities are 2-3 times higher than London and rising, congestion is choking our economy and the overcrowding on our public transport systems is as much a symptom of road congestion as traffic snarls.
 
“We believe state-based land passenger transport policies have failed and this action plan outlines what we believe should be the role of all levels of government, including the Federal Government, in delivering passenger transport that not only meets existing demand, but also provides solutions to the growing problems of congestion, pollution and increasing greenhouse gas emissions in our cities,” he says.
 
Bryan Nye, chief executive of the Australasian Railways Association says the recent announcement from the Prime Minister about changes to the health system opens the door for some clear thinking about the role of the Federal Government in land transport.
 
“If we are going to move to a national model for our health system we also need to take a serious look at the role the Federal Government should play in overseeing the way Australians utilise transport. An efficient land transport system is a key requirement for economic growth.
 
“Our mobility connects us to our jobs, our services and to our society. The Federal Government can no longer say public transport is a state responsibility. We need to move to a more co-operative approach in developing infrastructure and offering mobility options for all Australians be they rail, bus or car,” he says.
 
“We have a national freight strategy and now we are calling for a parallel moving people strategy to be developed by the Federal Government,” Nye says.
 
Professor Graham Currie, chair of Public Transport at Monash University says significant investment and leadership from the Federal Government is needed to guarantee the future prosperity of our cities.
 
"Australian cities have neglected ageing urban bus and rail infrastructure for decades and now face major challenges in upgrading services while overcrowding problems are growing. 
 
“The answer from worldwide experience is investment in quality infrastructure and services to 'future proof' our cities from the challenges of climate change, oil dependence, an ageing population, population growth and growing urban traffic congestion,” he says.
 
Michael Apps, executive director of the Bus Industry Confederation, says our growing oil dependence is an issue that needs to be fixed now.
 
“An efficient public transport system not only reduces our greenhouse gas emissions, but goes a long way towards improving our energy security.
 
“What we’re calling for is the Federal Government to take the lead in ensuring the quality of our transport networks is improved and future development of this system is undertaken in a coordinated and concerted manner,” he says.
 
Peter Moore, executive director of the International Public Transport Association, a Brussels-based group with branches across the world says after steps have been taken to fix public transport systems, a thorough examination of congestion charging in our major cities is an essential prerequisite to undertaking a reform of the system.
 
“First we need better public transport systems, then we need a more accurate road pricing system that reflects the real costs of road travel, including congestion, health costs, air and noise pollution. We think that this new system should include congestion charging after a full investigation into where it would apply and how the system would work in Australia,” he says.
 
Peter Moore, Executive Director, International Association of Public Transport, 0404 052 635
Michael Apps, Executive Director, Bus Industry Confederation, 0418 487 930
 
A seven-point national plan
  1. Increased investment in public transport. Continue to increase ongoing funding by all levels of government in public transport to meet existing and future demand, through increased service levels, improved connectivity (urban and regional) and wider transport choice.
  2. Freight capacity investment and efficiency improvements. Invest in freight infrastructure to reduce road congestion, and improve road safety, urban amenity and the environment.
  3. Road pricing reform. Replace existing excise and registration charges with charges that better reflect the real costs associated with road travel, including congestion, accidents, health, road damage, air pollution and noise. Allocate generated revenue to improved public transport services.
  4. Improved accessibility for all. Provide adequate mobility choices that provide reasonable and equitable access to family and friends, jobs, shops, services and recreation.
  5. More compact, walking and cycling friendly urban settlements. Improve the long term integration of urban and transport planning to deliver mixed use, cities with multiple activity centres and higher development densities along urban public transport corridors. Aggressively pursue walking and cycling strategies.
  6. Improved fuel efficiency. Set mandatory fuel efficiency targets to align Australia’s vehicles with European standards within the next five years.
  7. Improvements in transport research and information. Implement an integrated national transport research program that consolidates and extends existing knowledge of transport around Australia. 
Copies of the report are available at www.ozebus.com.au or www.ara.net.au.

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