Australasian Bus & Coach Issue 357

As it stands in Victoria, each special school bus is fitted with additional equipment and virtually all of the special school buses have a dedicated supervisor on board, in addition to the driver who is trained in tending to the needs of the children during the journey. However, an intended ‘smart market’ trial of getting students with a disability to and from their special school by alternative means such as taxi, Uber, carpooling or community transport is in the works but has now been deferred again to Term 3. The Productivity Commission is holding an inquiry into the costs of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and BusVic has led the charge in regards to alerting the Productivity Commission to the fact that putting the funding and regulation of special…

A first look at the design of Sydney’s light rail stops that gives a taste of infrastructure along the new tram line has been unveiled. New South Wales Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance inspected a full-scale prototype of a future light rail stop recently. “It is great to be able to take in the full experience of one of 19 light rail stops destined for the CBD and south east,” he says. “We’ve purposely built this as a life-size test to demonstrate all the individual elements and features and test the overall customer experience. “We’ve had specialist architects design each stop along the route and we can see that when light rail is operating in 2019, Sydney will be a world-class leader when it comes to seamlessly integrating…

Bus users now have up-to-the-minute information about bus services in and around Geelong in regional Victoria. Victorian Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan says constant travel information should make it easier for passengers to plan their journey. “Real-time information means passengers can find out exactly when their bus will arrive, even if something unexpected has happened,” she says. “We’re delivering more services and better information to get people in Geelong home safer and sooner.” Previously, passengers only had access to timetable information, meaning if there was an unexpected delay there was no way to tell the bus would be late. The new real-time information – available through the Next 5 feature on the PTV App and website – provides up-to-date information about when the bus will come. Passengers in the…

“It’s part of our record investment in better public transport for Victoria” The design of the new $63 million Frankston Station in Melbourne’s outer east has been revealed for the first time. Detailed planning, consultation and even a national design competition over the last two years has seen a final design chosen from nearly 40 entries. Victorian Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan says Genton Architecture’s design was the winner. “The new station will be safer, more accessible and more user friendly,” she says. “It will be a true gateway to the peninsula, and a place the community can be proud of. “It’s part of our investment in a better Frankston, and our record investment in better public transport for Victoria.” Construction of the new station will begin later this…

Light rail works in the greater Canberra area associated with stage one of the tram project will result in a series of long-term road closures until the end of this year. Big change is coming to Gungahlin town centre, with the construction of a tram line connecting Gungahlin to Canberra’s CBD now underway. Minister for Transport and City Services Meegan Fitzharris says construction of the light rail project is progressing well. “As construction along Flemington Road moves forward, it is necessary to widen the existing road to accommodate the new light rail alignment,” she says. “This is an important part of construction that will enable the light rail track to be laid later in the year. Changes will also occur around the Gungahlin Town Centre, with bus services diverted. “We…

“By 2033, Melbourne Airport is expected to have more than 60 million passenger movements a year” A detailed plan and costings for a Docklands to Melbourne Airport rail line will be developed, with the Victorian Government committing $10 million to the project. Both Melbourne Airport and Southern Cross Station are privately operated and the Victorian Government says that there is significant market interest in building a light or heavy rail link. The plan will undertake a detailed assessment of the best route for an airport rail link, how much it would cost, and how best to fund and deliver it. Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan says having a rail link to the Airport is essential in the long term. “The plan will look at how we can save money…