2019-08-14
Canberrans are flocking to Network 19’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 9,013 in June 2018 to 12,535 in June 2019.
“The expanded bus network has seen more Canberrans use public transport on weekends than ever before – which is great news for our environment,” ACT Greens Transport spokesperson Caroline Le Couteur said today.
“That said, the expanded bus network has left many passengers frustrated by weekend services that simply don’t arrive when they should.
“We’ve heard from many in our community that they rely on these buses to get to work, and to get around. For those working weekends, families, the elderly and those on lower incomes, it’s been especially challenging.
“That’s why the Greens are pleased today have secured an urgent action plan from the Government, that must be delivered within one month, that will immediately investigate a range of ways to improve the network experience on weekends.”
Ms Le Couteur’s amendments call 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 Network 19 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.
(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.
Statement ends