Australasian Bus & Coach Issue 337

Melbourne’s commuters were thrown into chaos with the recent train and tram stoppages in the city. At the time of print, commuters have been thrown into disarray as the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) members have planned — and gone through with — some work stoppages recently amid disputes over pay and working conditions (p18). Much of the planned industrial action has meant commuters have had to make alternative travel arrangements to get about their daily activities e.g., work. As we all know, the public transport system — particularly in Australia’s capital cities — are often integrated to work with one another. Some of the commuters have been able to catch earlier services, work around the system with the replacement bus services on offer or, like me, have bitten…

The Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) has weighed in on the official debate over how public transport will be able to cope with massive future population growth in Australian cities. BIC has submitted to independent statutory body Infrastructure Australia, regarding its 2015 Australian Infrastructure Audit. The report highlights the need for state governments and the Federal Government to adopt a better coordinated approach to improving public transport networks in Australian cities across all modes, rather than a tendency to focus on key individual projects. Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) executive director Michael Apps agrees, saying the inevitable population boom in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth will require a Federal Government which is willing to directly fund improvements to public transport, rather than leaving the job to individual state governments. “The [Australian] Infrastructure…

Minister for transport and infrastructure Andrew Constance and skills minister John Barilaro have announced eligible apprentices, trainees and Tafe NSW students can now apply online for a concession Opal card. Apprentices and trainees were previously only able to access concession fares when travelling between their home, workplace and place of training. Now they can access the concession fare for travel at any time on the public transport system. Barilaro says more than 80,000 apprentices and trainees are eligible to apply, and with the attractive Opal offerings and lifted travel restrictions many will for the first time take up the offer of concession travel. The change should make it easier, simpler and more cost effective for eligible Tafe NSW students to travel. To be eligible for a concession opal card Tafe…

Ideas on how bus, tram and rail services could be improved came thick and fast at a Victorian Government community brainstorming session in Bendigo recently. The Victorian Government’s Regional Network Development Plan has seen workshops conducted throughout regional Victoria over the past two months. Victorian public transport minister Jacinta Allan says a plan for better train and coach services across regional Victoria will be formed and the sooner the better, as people in Bendigo rely on public transport heavily and deserve the best services possible.…

A shared bus and rail corridor for Brisbane’s Cross River Rail Project has been ruled out by Queensland minister for transport Jackie Trad recently. The Cross River Rail Project was initially proposed as a rail line and busway that involved the creation of twin 5.4km tunnels underneath the Brisbane River in 2010. The Queensland Government project team will soon deliver an updated business case, which will be considered by the Federal Government. Trad says the project will go ahead and provide a more efficient public transport system that can cope with future demand, but resources must be used wisely. “The Queensland Government will include a complete business case as part of a funding submission to Infrastructure Australia and the Federal Government for this urgently needed project,” she says. “We will…

Brisbane Bus Lines (BBL) and Australian Bus and Coach Drivers’ Guide author John Duffy were recognised at the 2015 Queensland Road Safety Awards in Mackay recently. BBL and its business partner Strategix Training Group received a commendation in the Industry Award section, and John Duffy highly commended in the Fleet and Occupational Safety Award section. BBL operations manager Damian Dempster was applauded for a program he helped implement aimed at improving road safety, developing the preventative safety skills of existing staff and ensuring its new drivers were trained in accordance with industry best practice. Each of its drivers participated in a risk-based defensive driving course, enrolled in a Certificate III in Driving Operations and the operator even created its own bus driver academy. On the same occasion, Duffy was lauded…