Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 349 i Australasian Bus & Coach

Rising transport costs were arguably a significant factor in the federal Coalition’s poor election performance, according to analysis by Bus Industry Confederation (BIC) executive director Michael Apps. Apps points out the Liberals did better in the inner-city electorates around Australia. Outer metropolitan electorates were another story. In every Australian city the swing against the Liberals was double that for inner-city electorates. In rural/ regional electorates, the Nationals saved the day because the party focused on local issues, he adds. But what does this tell us? Apps believes the message is that cost of living issues and what he calls “city living” factors saw punters in outer-metropolitan electorates walk away from the Liberals. “The ‘John Howard battlers’ abandoned Malcolm Turnbull, who, because of high-level economic and productivity-based campaigning, was seen as…

Researchers in the US have shown how buses are able to be manipulated by hacking into on-board computers during a controlled experiment. University of Michigan researchers tested their mock-hack on a 2001 school bus and a 2006 ‘Class-8’ semi-trailer, but the makes and models were not revealed as it is not a brand-specific risk. The experiment was carried out to test the security of design standard SAE J1939, which covers internal digital vehicle communication. “The J1939 standard is open and used across many industries that employ diesel engine vehicles, such as bus and train transportation, construction, agriculture, forestry, mining, and the military,” the researchers write in their summary report. This system originated in the US but is used widely across the world, meaning the potential for a significant amount of…

Delegates at the 2016 Australian Transport Summit brought new ideas into the mix, focusing on the theme of innovation and technological disruption. The event, presented by the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia (TTF) and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), was held on August 26 at The Westin, Martin Place. This choice of venue meant Sydney and Australia’s east coast were placed at the centre of discussion. Chair of UITP Australia New Zealand Ian Dobbs kicked off the summit with an overview of the public transport industry. “Organisations like UITP, with over 13,000 members worldwide, need to ensure we lead the debate in Australia as well as New Zealand to get better public transport outcomes for the government, industry, and the travelling public,” Dobbs said. TTF chair Katie Lahey…

A vehicle roadworthiness campaign has uncovered defects on News South Wales’ State Transit Authority (STA) buses operating out of depots in Leichhardt and Burwood. The inspections carried out in late August by the NSW Police Force covered 48 buses and uncovered 10 defects, which ranged from loose light fixtures to cracked framework. These particular buses were targeted as a result of a series of crashes that involved buses from the two depots. Chief Inspector Phil Brooks of the NSW Highway Patrol says this type of inspection is important for vehicle compliance. “As well as roadside enforcement, this is an important part of what we do,” Brooks says. “The defects we found justified the operation being carried out.” NSW Police provided a list of incidents the company was involved in over…

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 Have you ever noticed how connected we have become to the world, and how we can instantaneously access anything we need? You can now do anything you want at any time. You can look up a product and buy it at any time of the day or night. You can apply for a loan and, in the case of some products, get an instant answer. We have become permanently connected to our business or social media pages. Many people I know are lost without their mobile phone or tablet device to check their emails and what’s happening on Twitter or Facebook. As many of you…

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has launched a five-year plan to move the industry towards being safer and more productive. Titled Setting the Agenda, the plan will bring together three different strategies to make this happen, transport and infrastructure minister Darren Chester says. “This plan focuses on the three national strategies for safety, compliance and assurance, and productivity to guide Australia’s regulatory heavy vehicle agenda between now and 2020,” he says. “As a regulator, the NHVR will set the standard in relation to heavy vehicle safety, while taking a balanced approach to cutting red tape and improving industry access to services and products.” Setting the Agenda will include details on the NHVR’s plans and outline how the strategy will be carried out. Key items of the plan will include:…

Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) is encouraging ‘tech-savvy’ creatives to come up with new ways to use Bluetooth beacons that already operate at Chatswood station. As part of the ‘Future Transport’ initiative, the Beacon Innovation Challenge sets out to find ways to make public transport more efficient for commuters. The beacons, which are already set up at Chatswood, are currently being used to help vision-impaired travellers catch public transport more easily. Deputy secretary of customer service Tony Braxton-Smith says the program aims to highlight the possibilities of the already well-established technology. “Bluetooth beacons are small devices with big potential because they can be used in so many different ways,” he says. “The trial now underway at Chatswood Station and bus interchange uses the beacons to help customers with vision…

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) recently moved to take action after a survey revealed most Queensland bus drivers have experienced assault or abuse on the job. More than half (62.4 per cent) of the 1000 drivers surveyed also reported the abuse as a regular occurrence. QBIC executive director David Tape says the attitude towards drivers in their work environment needs to be addressed. “A staggering number of our drivers have reported being abused ... and it must stop now,” he says. “We need harsher penalties for all offenders who attack bus drivers and the travelling public. Comprehensive risk assessments need to be conducted on our bus networks.” TWU Queensland secretary Peter Biagini says the threat to drivers is becoming worse. “Bus driver assaults…

We have to hand it to Paul O’Kelly of Iarnród Éireann – he was the most entertaining speaker of the day. The Irish Rail customer service head began his presentation with a playful prod at our nation’s past: “I wasn’t the original invitee – our CEO, David Franks, had a diary clash and he couldn’t make it,” he said. “So I find myself in the unique position of an Irishman sent to Australia by an Englishman … something which has no historical precedence, thankfully.” O’Kelly outlined the international work he had been involved in, sharing ideas between colleagues from France and the Netherlands. The ‘Customer First’ team at Irish Rail has essentially re-built the entire customer experience, and O’Kelly explained it in the most entertaining way possible. He also cited…

For the second time in 2016, the number of buses delivered in a month reached triple digits during August. Some 102 buses were delievered in the month, following on from 104 units shipped in July, according to supplier reports. Though two fewer buses were delivered in August, the result is a vast improvement on the corresponding period of last year, which saw deliveries drop 11 units or almost 8 per cent between July and August. Deliveries have been increasing steadily since April to be up 27.5 per cent on the 80 units delievered in that month. This contrasts with a seven per cent decline in the same period of 2015. Leading the charge in August were Scania and Volvo, which accounted for 70 per cent of the total with 38…

Transport Canberra will be adding seven new services to the part-established bus rapid transport (BRT) network, bringing the total number of routes to nine. As well as the current Gungahlin-Fyshwick red line, and the soon-to-be-completed Kippax-Lanyon blue line, Woden, Tuggeranong, Barton and Belconnen will be better linked with at least two rapid connections each. A Woden-City via Barton line and a Belconnen-Gungahlin line are scheduled to be operational next year, while a Woden-City via Western Creek and Belconnen-Watson via Dickson route should commence running during 2018. Transport Canberra also plans to run lines from: Tuggeranong to City via Erindale (2019); Lanyon to Airport via Barton (2020); and Belconnen to Airport via City (2020). Minister for transport and city services Meegan Fitzharris says the new BRT services will complement the planned…

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has released new data on transport affordability in each capital city showing Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane are all above the national average for spending. “Australians know transport is expensive, but they might be surprised to know just how expensive,” AAA chief executive Michael Bradley says. “The average household will spend $14,000 a year on transport in Hobart, but up to $22,000 a year if they live in western Sydney.” Australians only spend around $40 per week on public transport, while the weekly household fuel costs associated with driving add up to almost $60 alone. This could be a justification for Brisbanites to drive rather than use public transport, as a Brisbane household is likely to spend around $60 a week to use the often-criticised system.…

“Change has been fast, and governments and industry have been generally slow to keep up with the pace of a customer-driven revolution” Michael Apps BIC National Secretariat PO Box 6171, Kingston ACT 2604 P: 02 6247 5990 F: 02 6273 1035 E: admin@bic.asn.au Do you think Uber and taxi industry changes are the end or start of reform in the passenger transport market? Change in the 21st century is fast, furious, and unstoppable. Subsequently, the bus industry needs to be alert, agile and prepared for change. In transport terms, for centuries the horse was the only personal mobility option and, by the time horses were in wide use as a ‘modern’ public transport mode (late 1800s), the first petrol car had already been invented. The first commercial car in mass…