Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 346 i Australasian Bus & Coach

The suppliers of the bus industry are integral to offering important services to the travelling public. Without the support – which comes in many shapes and forms – of many, operators would not be able to do what they do best. And nothing highlights the importance of our suppliers more than our annual parts and accessories annual feature (p34). In 10 years, TransGlaze has built a strong position as the leading supplier of windows for buses, trams and trains in Victoria, Australia and around the world, and the joint managing directors Darren Laidler and Robert Giannotti are only too keen to pay tribute to the various stakeholders who made it all possible. The partners created the company after many years in the industry; Laidler in sales and Giannotti in glass…

Cyclists in Parramatta will soon have access to 50 extra secure spaces, following the announcement of the construction of a new Opal activated bike shed. New South Wales Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee says the use of the bike sheds will be free for cyclists and can be accessed using their Opal cards. Lee says the bike shed is a great win for Parramatta cyclists who catch public transport as part of their daily commute. All customers need to do is link their Opal card through the bike lockers website and they’ll have access to any of the other bike sheds introduced in the future as well. These facilities are part of the Bike and Ride initiative, which is identified in Sydney’s Cycling Future, Transport for NSW’s plan to make…

The Victorian Government will upgrade major bus stops across Shepparton as part of last month’s Victorian Budget 2016/17 announcement. Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan visited Shepparton railway station recently to discuss the improvements. The budget funds improvements to the waiting area at the station and better shelter at major bus stops across Shepparton. The budget includes $280 million for 27 new VLocity carriages, $141 million for critical maintenance, and $198 million to rebuild V/Line, so it can deliver better services for Shepparton and across regional Victoria. Allan says the government is delivering new trains, more services and better bus infarastructure for Shepparton. The extra daily service will mean less time on platforms waiting for the train, and more time at home with family and friends. She says government is…

Christchurch City Council has approved the Greater Christchurch Public Transport Committee to provide an improved collaboration in public transport decision-making for the area. Mayor Lianne Dalziel and councillors Phil Clearwater and Pauline Cotter have been appointed to the committee. Council also resolved the members would raise the option of adding a Canterbury District Health Board and youth observer to the Committee. In addition to the Christchurch Mayor and City Councillors appointed, the committee will include an independent chair, three representatives from Environment Canterbury (Rex Williams, David Caygill and Tom Lambie), and one each from the Selwyn District Council (Sarah Walters) and Waimakariri District Council (Kevin Felstead). The New Zealand Transport Agency will take up an observer role. Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee chair Phil Clearwater says forming a joint committee…

“The value of membership cannot be underestimated” Michael Apps BIC National Secretariat PO Box 6171, Kingston ACT 2604 P: 02 6247 5990 F: 02 6273 1035 E: admin@bic.asn.au Over the last two months, Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) Chairman Wayne Patch and I have been meeting with federal, state and territory ministers, shadow ministers, director generals and senior officers in every jurisdiction. We have also met with the CEOs of Infrastructure Australia, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the National Transport Commission. Although we meet with governments and national jurisdictions throughout the year, the BIC has been running these targeted, two-month ‘industry briefing’ campaigns around Australia for more than a decade. It is now part of the norm that governments and jurisdictions expect to see us (and welcome us) at this time…

“Our guys are specialists in that field” It may be one of the smallest suppliers in the bus industry, but hundreds of operators around the country would have difficulty meeting their statutory requirements if Bus Parts Plus was not here to support them. Every day its staff of two despatch vital supplies to operators as far away as Darwin, and as close as Sydenham, from their parts-cave in Melbourne’s west. “It’s a business that can pretty much be run over a website,” says John Louder, a branch manager in Victoria for CMV Truck and Bus. CMV houses and manages Bus Parts Plus on behalf of its owner, the Bus Association of Victoria (BusVic). Bus Parts Plus (BPP) dates back a fair while to when the Victorian bus industry was comprised…

Graeme McDonald A member of the Money Resources Group P: 03 8699 5000 F: 03 9690 9484 M: 0401 189 160 E: graeme@ moneyresources.com.au It’s that time of the year when finding somewhere warm to hide away on a cold afternoon on the weekend or night out often sees many people turning to the cinema. I, for one, am easily swayed by the thought of a movie, along with a bag of popcorn and a drink, to escape the Melbourne cold at times. Over recent weeks, I have seen a couple of good movies. The first one worth mentioning was Eddie the Eagle, a feel-good movie and a great laugh as well. The other is not everyone’s cup of tea: The Big Short. It focuses on a series of…

The Connected Autonomy in Smart Cities Summit and National electronic Tolling Conference (NeTC) in Brisbane recently showcased some of the world’s most innovative transport technologies to connect and enhance smart cities. Nearly 400 ITS leaders showed an appetite for the latest ITS developments, converging to hear over 55 speakers at two back-to-back events. Autonomous cars, new transport technologies, consumer demand, heavy vehicle charging and user pay road systems were among the presentations discussed by local, interstate and international industry experts across four days. The two events were a sample of what delegates can expect later this year at the 23rd ITS World Congress, to be held in Melbourne this October. “We were delighted with the level of support and participation for these two significant events,” ITS Australia chief executive officer…

Melbourne’s South East could be on the verge of becoming Australia’s largest manufacturing centre, despite recent setbacks to the automotive industry and other manufacturing sectors. Smart Manufacturing ‘16 – Dandenong and South East Melbourne on Show was held recently to showcase the area’s potential for manufacturing. The show included a display of a 25m VLocity train, along with caravans, trams, buses, and trucks. Committee for Dandenong chair Gary Castricum says the biggest threat to manufacturing in Australia is a ‘crisis of confidence’ which, if remained unchecked, will curtail investment, destroy jobs and hinder ambition. “We have to be ambitious when it comes to manufacturing. We have to champion people and growth,” he says. “The reality is that Australian manufacturing is in many instances a success story of leadership, innovation, commercialisation…

Western Australia’s State Budget 2016-17 has bought about a major public transport project worth nearly $50 million. The state’s first dedicated bus corridor will improve a vital public transport link between Ellenbrook, its neighbouring communities and the Midland Line. Transport minister Dean Nalder says the $49 million Ellenbrook Bus Rapid Transit (EBRT) project will provide a nine-kilometre connection for buses between Ellenbrook Town Centre and Marshall Road, delivered through separate dedicated lanes to provide uninterrupted travel. “The project will lead to shorter, more reliable bus journey times” he says. “It will reduce the average bus journey time between Ellenbrook and Bassendean Station by up to 10 minutes in morning peak hour, with three new bus stations along the route to provide an important public transport connection and lessen commuters’ reliance…

More double decker buses have hit the roads in Auckland recently, meaning more seats on busy routes in the region. The new, larger buses are now operating along Mount Eden Road on the 277 route Waikowhai to the city return, and the 274 route Three Kings to the city return. Auckland Transport’s bus services manager Brendon Main says there will be 12 double deckers on the two runs, with three more joining from the middle of June. He says these routes are busy, so people will welcome the extra capacity, and they will also appreciate the new buses that have USB chargers, better climate control and great views. Main says that at the end of June, double deckers will also join the popular 881 service that operates from Albany to…

Go Transit Media Group has confirmed an important addition to the Brisbane-based team this month. Chief operating officer Rick Chapman has announced the appointment of senior media representative Brett Nielson as the firm’s Brisbane-based digital strategy and acquisition director of Go Transit, which is involved in bus advertising. Nielson has 20 years’ experience in the media industry, including the past four and a half years at oOh Media, initially as the business development director and more recently in the role of agency sales director. Previous to this he was the general manager at Starcom and also held senior sales management roles at both Channel 7 and 9. Chapman says the appointment continues Go Transit’s aggressive growth into OOH advertising across regional Australia. Nielson has been tasked with focusing on aligning…

Commuters in New South Wales (NSW) will no longer be entitled to free travel using their Opal card, following an announcement made by the State Government recently. Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance has announced there’ll be no increase to set fares for Opal card customers this year, meaning these fares won’t have increased on trains and ferries since January 2015 or on buses and light rail since 2014. Current Opal card fares and fare bands will remain the same, and there will be no changes to the Opal card daily, weekly or Sunday fare caps or the Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card eligibility criteria – including the daily fare cap of $2.50 However, the State Government is adopting the recommendation to change the Opal weekly travel reward system. Instead…

SuperGold cardholders will need to update to an Auckland Transport (AT) Hop card with a SuperGold concession loaded on to the card to continue enjoying public transport concessions in Auckland. General manager of AT Metro Mark Lambert says the Ministry of Transport reviewed the SuperGold card free public transport scheme last year and the switch to an AT HOP card with a SuperGold concession has a number of benefits to seniors and the scheme. According to the Ministry of Transport, in the financial year 2015-2016 the cost of the SuperGold scheme is estimated to be $28 million. Switching SuperGold public transport use to the AT HOP card will also reduce improper use of the SuperGold concession and permit improved planning of public transport services, making the scheme more sustainable. Lambert…

The conference ended with a dinner event, which included guest speaker Stephen Schoenberg of Pitcher Partners, and entertainer Mr Spin. Schoenberg spoke of his experience and impressions of the industry. Although he is a relative newcomer to the bus industry specifically, he has had some association with industry via his work as an accountant over the last few decades. “I have talked about some of the changes facing the industry, and change obviously brings new challenges,” he said. “But very importantly change also brings opportunity, and the bus industry has some excellent opportunity in the years ahead. “The biggest opportunity is that unlike many other Australian industries, public transport, very much including bus transport, is a growth industry. The bus industry has been growing in terms of service and patronage…

“Bus industry operators should be cautious” Tim Capelin Piper Alderman partner P: 02 9253 9936 E: tcapelin@piperalderman.com.au W: piperalderman.com.au The costs, risks and infexibilities with employing workers sometimes motivates business operators, including those in the bus industry, to consider using independent contractors rather than employees. This is not always a safe or risk-free option. Engaging a worker as an independent contractor may not achieve the desired aim, and could see the arrangement being considered an employment arrangement, resulting in unexpected penalties, back payments and other costs. Sham contracting is essentially about encouraging a worker to enter into an independent contractor arrangement that would not attract award and other minimum employment protections, when the worker should be engaged as an employee. One of the laws against sham contracting appears in section…