Fewer than 4 percent of operators believe the National Transport Commission (NTC) is effective in creating legislation for the bus
Fewer than 4 percent of operators believe the National Transport Commission (NTC) is effective in creating legislation for the bus industry.
According to an exclusive online poll conducted by ABC, just 3.6 percent of respondents agree the national transport industry regulator does a good job in creating laws for the passenger transport industry.
Just over 36 percent say it is not effective; while a majority, at 60 percent, responded that ‘they think we are truckers’.
The overwhelming result adds weight to recent criticism from industry associations – led by the Bus Industry Confederation – of the failure of both the NTC and the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government’s (DITRDLG) to develop and implement policies that promote the growth of the passenger transport sector.
In a recent submission to the current review of the NTC, the BIC argued that “the regulatory and policy focus [of both the NTC and the DITRDLG] has for the past decade or more been nearly solely focused on freight and the economy, at the national level”.
“‘Moving People’ policies have largely been the domain of states and has seen public transport delivered on a state-by-state basis with little focus on the national outcomes being sought to improve our cities, environment, living standards and, most importantly, the level of access to mobility and passenger services that an Australian citizen should be entitled to, no matter where they live or their circumstances,” the BIC says.
“If anything there has been a complete policy vacuum at a national level with regard to passenger transport issues. The biggest offender in this neglect has been the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, which has shown no interest in passenger transport except in the area of road safety.
“At the same time the NTC has had no capacity due to its organisational charter to develop work programs in this area.”
In its submission the BIC called for greater Commonwealth Government involvement, through the NTC, in passenger and public transport to see the development of a ‘Moving People’ strategy become a reality.
Vote in our new poll: Did the recent Federal Budget do enough to promote passenger transport?