Australasian Bus & Coach Issue 347

It’s official. We’re halfway through the year of 2016. There are always a few constants to the middle of each year. The change in season (particularly if you’re here in Melbourne like me), the end of the financial year (which is especially important for all of our business owners) and a company-wide email advising of the close down dates for the Christmas period (it is July, after all). But this year’s midway point has also seen another important event. The Australian Federal Election was held on July 2, 2016 after a lengthy campaign by the major parties. While the effect of the election on industry is still to be explored – keep your eyes open in an upcoming edition of ABC – experts’ initial reactions have been overwhelmingly positive (p8).…

The Point to Point Transport Bill recently passed by the New South Wales Government could impact the way some small bus operators run their businesses. The bill was designed to regulate services such as Uber, and to ease the burden new competition is creating for taxi operators. It provides $98 million in payments to taxi licensees and $142 million for licensees facing hardship due to the changes in their market. The bill will be good for customers who want to utilise point-to-point transport, but it could also allow some bus operators to become more competitive. BusNSW executive director Darryl Mellish says there is no immediate change in the operation of tourist services, but the changes could take place soon. “Subject to the proclamation of legislation in 2016, all services provided…

Malcolm Turnbull has informed Sir Peter Cosgrove, Australia’s governor-general, that he and the Coalition can form a government. What this means for public transport budgets promised during the eight-week election is still unknown, but bus industry leaders are optimistic. As is usually the case, the Greens and the Labor party had announced fairly generous funding for various large projects, if they were given the opportunity. Instead, the Coalition is to be tasked with Australia’s public transport projects and, under Turnbull’s leadership, the mood within the party has shifted. As ABC went to print, Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) executive director Michael Apps said Turnbull’s enthusiasm for public transport has changed the Liberal party’s stripes. “The reality is that Labor led the way into public transport,” Apps says. “But the Liberals, under…

International tax advisory company Deloitte is challenging the Australian Tax Office in court over the fuel tax being charged on trucks and buses when they drive on toll roads. The bombshell announcement was made to delegates at the Australian Trucking Association’s annual conference at the Gold Coast recently. Deloitte says that if successful, the case could set a huge precedent for far more than just the heavy vehicle industry. The argument is likely to turn on whether a toll road is deemed to be a ‘public road’ or not. All vehicles currently pay 39 cents per litre in fuel excise, but because they are businesses, truck and bus operators can in theory claim all of that back in the form of a fuel tax credit. However, because of the 26…

New South Wales Police Force Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and Roads and Maritime Services has located major defects on nine buses during a safety audit operation at a Sydney bus company. A further 18 buses at the Turrella depot, which has a number of buses on school runs, were found to have minor defects, including loose bumpers, cabin lights not working or damaged windscreens. These buses were not taken off the road. The heavy-vehicle safety audit operation was conducted on July 6, with a total of 27 buses inspected. One of the buses was found to have a non-compliant speed limiter capable of reaching speeds of more than 140km/h. It was grounded and issued with a red label defect, while the company was issued with a penalty notice. Other…

The Western Australia Government has submitted its proposed Perth Transport Plan 2031 to parliament, with hopes to release it for consultation soon. The plan proposes many public transport infrastructure projects to deal with Perth’s estimated 2.7 million population growth by 2031, including the East-West City Link expansion, rail and bus transit system upgrades, and inner city road improvements. But apart from increasing connectivity and reducing congestion in the public transport network, the proposed changes will also have some implications on other road users, including commercial vehicles. The report suggests that the heavy vehicle freight network will remain largely unaffected by the changes proposed by the public transport network plan, as it revolves mainly around local roads that “do not overlap or impact on the strategic metropolitan freight network”. However, it…