Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed commitment to the bus industry
March 16, 2012
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese reaffirmed commitment to the bus industry at the Industry Confederation Annual Dinner on Wednesday.
In a speech given at the Canberra dinner, Albanese discussed the bus industry’s importance, infrastructure and investment, National Regulators, policies, and environmental impacts.
On the importance of industry, Albanese covered population growth and
congestion.
“Congestion is one of the greatest hand-brakes to our national productivity,” he says.
“That means reducing the hours Australians spend behind the wheel of a car goes to the core our decision-making.”
“It points more than ever to the need for high-quality public transport that is so reliable, so frequent and so affordable that it becomes a far better choice than reversing the car from the garage.”
On infrastructure investment, Albanese noted the government’s commitment to revitalising and expanding road, rail and public transport through the $37 billion capital works program.
“Our infrastructure spend this year alone will top a record $8 billion,” he says.
“We’ve finished the duplication of the Hume Highway.”
“Work continues on the Pacific Highway with six major sections of road under construction right now and 1600 workers on the job.”
“The outcome is smoother, safer highways—not just for long distance holiday makers but all those people who live and work in towns along the way.”
Before concluding, the transport minister commended the industry on its ‘Moving People’ report, saying it complemented the government’s National Urban Policy, ‘Our Cities, Our Future’, launched in May.
“At the heart of both our documents is the need to improve public transport and reduce our dependence on cars.”
He says the Moving People report highlighted that buses used less space on the road and were more environmentally friendly.
“This is best highlighted by the often quoted fact that a single bus lane on the Sydney Harbour Bridge carries more people than all the other lanes combined,” Albanese says.
“One bus can remove on average 50 cars from our roads.”