The Western Australian Greens have reacted to Troy Buswell’s 20-year public transport plan with a survey and public meetings starting this week
August 29, 2011
WA’s branch of the Australian Greens take to Perth streets this month to gather views on the state’s public transport system in response to Transport Minister Troy Buswell’s 20-year plan.
The exercise appears to have come in from a distinctly political angle before it even started, suggesting the WA Government’s public transport plan has ‘huge gaps’ in Perth’s north-west, eastern and southern corridors.
“The public transport plan looks good on paper, but it is dangerously short on ambition,” Greens WA Transport spokesperson Lynn MacLaren says.
She says the Greens survey in is response to a WA Government questionnaire asking for submissions through a short survey on its website.
“The Greens are taking it a step further by actively working with people who are being stranded by increasing costs and overcrowded public transport,” MacLaren says.
North Metropolitan Region MLC Giz Watson believes lack of space at Park’n’Ride facilities, freeway congestion, overcrowding on trains and a lack of accessible alternatives were the main concerns for her region.
“Public transport is not just for the inner city,” Watson says.
“The 20-year plan is a start, but over the last decade, public transport (cost) has risen twice as fast as predicted,” she says.
The public action forums begin at the Emerald Park Clubrooms, Edgewater, at 6.45pm on Monday August 29.
The forum is open to all members of the public and will feature information on the 20-year plan from the Department of Transport, Curtin University and Infrastructure Australia.