The NSW State Budget contained new tax breaks for business, and a surprise budget surplus, but little to tackle the State’s transport problems.
Funding was provided for extra buses, to continue construction of the South West Rail Link, and to start work on a light rail extension in Sydney’s Inner West.
These projects are welcome, but unfortunately the real needs of commuters have again been ignored.
That’s why the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has today released the Ultimate Transport Report – outlining the findings from one of the biggest commuter surveys ever conducted in Australia.
We asked 3,500 commuters about their travel behaviors, their views on the public transport network, and their priorities for future action.
The message from commuters was loud and clear – they want to see investment in much-needed public transport infrastructure They want genuine alternatives to the private car. They want more frequent services, and better value for their public transport fares. They don’t want to see more money poured into roads, and they don’t want money wasted on projects that aren’t needed. They understand that safe, reliable services are delivered by public transport workers – and absolutely do not want to see more staff cut from the network.
Commuters understand that public transport staff are the backbone of a good public transport system. This was highlighted again recently when the Daily Telegraph reported on RailCorp’s plan to cut back on CCTV monitoring staff - click here to see the story. The comments on this story show that the public will not accept reductions in safety standards on the rail network. By speaking as a united voice, public transport workers and commuters can be powerful force for change. We can make a difference.
Here’s a snapshot of what we found in the Ultimate Transport Report:
• 48% of commuters used trains at least five days a week, and 22% used bus services at least five days a week.
• The most-wanted improvements to services were better frequencies (25%), cheaper fares (18%), and more reliable timetables (16%).
• The most-wanted improvements to transport infrastructure were extensions to the rail network (49%), and a bigger network of busways and dedicated bus lanes (12%).
• Over half of people surveyed (56%) did not feel safe travelling on public transport.
• 70% of commuters thought the public transport network was understaffed.
• 87% of commuters were concerned about further cuts to safety and security staff, 85% were concerned about cuts to maintenance staff, 83% were concerned about cuts to cleaning staff on trains and buses, 77% were concerned about cuts to cleaners at stations, and 69% were concerned about cuts to ticket sellers.
• 73% of commuters thought the Labor Government’s performance on public transport was poor, but 57% thought the Liberal Opposition would be no better or worse.
Click here for the full details of the Ultimate Transport Report.
Finally, I’d like to thank all the RTBU members who gave up their time to hand out flyers promoting the survey at stations and around their local communities.
The onus is now on both sides of politics to react to the demands of commuters, and to explain their policies for delivering better transport services in the future.
