Ahead of the ACT Legislative Assembly election later this year, the ACT Greens party has announced a new big bus plan to provide more transport to Canberrans by 2026.
As part of the plan, the ACT Greens is promising extra weekday buses at least every 20 minutes.
As part of the plan, rapid bus services will be maintained and all week-day suburban buses will be increased in frequency to run at least every 20 minutes during the day.
The ACT Greens also plan to more than double weekend bus frequency to every 30 minutes while also building more bus lanes, starting with Belconnen, Civic and Molonglo.
The plans involve buying 100 more electric buses to grow the fleet and cut emissions, make bus stops better with more shelters, seats, lights, paths and bike racks, and make public transport free for kids, seniors and concession card holders.
“The Greens want Canberra to be a truly liveable city, where it’s easy, comfortable and affordable to get around,” ACT Greens transport spokesperson and candidate for Ginninderra Jo Clay says.
“Currently too many people are locked into the expense of having a car because there isn’t an easy alternative.
“Buses aren’t frequent enough, and the fact remains that they just aren’t a genuine option for many Canberrans.”
Clay says that transport is the ACT’s biggest polluter, making it critical to ensure that the public transport system works for as many locals as possible while also being sustainable.
“With extra buses, drivers, depots and dedicated bus lanes for our busiest corridors, we can create a public transport system that genuinely serves our whole city,” Clay says.
“We need to create a ‘turn up and go’ bus service that’s so frequent that people don’t have to plan their day around it.”
The aim, according to Clay, is to make ACT similar to some of the world’s most liveable cities by providing abundant, frequent and reliable public transport. While the territory’s light rail system is key, Clay says a strong public transport system “needs a quality bus system” as well.
“In delivering an efficient and reliable public transport service, we’ll not only deliver hundreds more electric buses, but also create hundreds of jobs for bus drivers,” Clay says.
“The Greens’ big bus plan will deliver a world class public transport that can get you where you need to go easily, comfortably, and affordably.”