a majority liberal government will:
- Modernise Tasmania’s transport services to relieve congestion, investing $81.5 million over four years into new buses and supporting infrastructure.
- Through Metro Tasmania, invest $31.5 million over four years to deliver a modern common ticketing solution across public transport with real-time information for commuters.
- Invest $10 million in a program to provide upgraded all-access and all-weather bus stops at priority locations.
- Invest $20 million over four years to deliver additional new school buses and commuter buses.
- Invest $20 million to develop new park and ride facilities for commuters south of Rokeby, in Sorell and the southern beaches community, and in Hobart’s northern suburbs.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is continuing to invest in transformational infrastructure projects that provide long lasting and generational benefits.
We have outlined a $5 billion infrastructure program, which includes a total investment of $2.4 billion into our road transport network over the next four years.
To make the most of our infrastructure investment and to relieve traffic congestion, it is critical that we improve public transport by making it a faster, more efficient and more attractive choice for Tasmanians.
Better bus services
Tasmania’s population is growing and our public transport system needs to grow with us.
By implementing some smart, efficient changes now, it will add up to a big difference for all of us in the future.
The key to relieving congestion is to make public transport an attractive choice, by providing a service that is convenient and cost-effective for people who want a range of reliable, affordable and sustainable alternatives to car travel.
A key target of the Hobart City Deal is to increase the public transport use from 6.8 per cent (as at 2016) to 10 per cent of total trips into and out of Hobart by 2029, and to reduce the volume of single-occupant vehicles on the regular commute to the city from the current 62 per cent to 50 per cent of all trips.
The $45 million modernisation of the Metro bus fleet, combined with improved bus networks right across the State that have resulted in faster, more direct and more frequent services, shows how the Tasmanian Liberal Government is working to improve the passenger experience.
This is further enhanced by planned bus priority lanes, more park and ride facilities and a Derwent River ferry service.
Invest $31.5 million over four years to deliver a modern common ticketing solution across public transport with real-time information for commuters[1]
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest $31.5 million to provide commuters with a seamless journey, combined with real‑time information for commuters, which will boost public transport patronage and help bust congestion.
This will ensure a fully integrated, intelligent transport solution for users and providers of public transport in Tasmania.
It will deliver a modern common ticketing solution that will apply to all General Access public transport operators, and will integrate with intelligent transport solutions for users and providers of public transport – now and into the future, including ferry services.
It will provide a range of potential benefits including:
- Fare payment by credit card, phone or wearable smart devices.
- Making it easier to transfer between services and operators.
- Facilitating innovative and tailored fares to incentivise travel.
It will also help inform network planning and fleet performance, leading to better and higher frequency services between bus interchanges.
Invest $10 million in a program to provide upgraded all-access and all-weather bus stops at priority locations.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest $10 million in a program to provide upgraded all-access and all-weather bus stops at priority locations, which will further improve the public transport offering for Tasmanian commuters.
The improved infrastructure will provide comfortable, modern shelters to protect commuters from the weather and be fully compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Enhanced passenger experience with better access and convenience is key to boosting public transport patronage and reducing traffic congestion.
This initiative is further evidence of the Tasmanian Liberals’ priority to ensure Tasmanians are able to get to where they need to, safely, efficiently, and comfortably.
Invest $20 million over four years to deliver additional new school buses and commuter buses.
Crowded buses are not desirable for anyone – school children, commuters or the bus operators.
To ease the pressure, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest $20 million over four years to deliver additional buses on school routes experiencing high levels of demand, and to introduce additional buses on busy commuter routes.
In particular, we will introduce new buses dedicated to increasing capacity from Kingston to the city, integrating with our new park and ride facilities at Huntingfield and Firthside.
This will ease crowding on those routes and provide greater incentive for people to catch the bus, further relieving traffic demand on our roads.
Invest $20 million to develop new park and ride facilities for commuters south of Rokeby, in Sorell and the southern beaches community, and in Hobart’s northern suburbs
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest $20 million to develop new park and ride facilities, building on our investment in park and ride facilities currently under construction at Firthside and Huntingfield in the Kingborough area.
We will investigate and identify potential locations for new park and ride facilities to support for commuters in the northern suburbs and the eastern shore of Hobart, with facilities to be located south east of Rokeby on the South Arm Highway, in Sorell and also in the Glenorchy area in Hobart’s northern suburbs.
In addition, a re-elected Liberal Government will also:
- Invest $1.4 million for Community Transport Services Tasmania and its 400 loyal volunteers to continue to support Tasmanians to access care.In a typical year, CTST will make more than 170,000 trips across Tasmania, travelling more than four million kilometres.
- Provide $500,000 for a Community Transport Fund, assisting local community organisations to support Tasmanians with cars and small buses.
- Expanded Area connect Service to get more regional transport to work, training or education, where no easy options exist in regional areas.
Costings:
The cost of this policy is $81.5 million over four years.
[1] Through Metro Tasmania, funded through a mixture borrowings and equity.