The O-Bahn will be upgraded as part of the South Australia 2014-15 State Budget
Adelaide’s noted O-Bahn bus system will benefit from funding announced in the South Australia 2014-15 State Budget as announced recently.
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis says the budget includes $160 million over three years to extend the O-Bahn guided busway.
“More than 1000 bus services use the O-Bahn system each day,” he says.
“This project will take these buses off one of the most heavily congested parts of our city, improving traffic flows and slashing travel times for commuters.
“In addition to reducing congestion, this project will support 50 jobs during its first year, and about 200 jobs per year for the following two years of the project.
“These jobs will include roles in construction, professional and technical services, as well as material suppliers. “
The 2014-15 State Budget also includes $2.1 million over three years to crack down on fare evaders at the Salisbury and Noarlunga stations, including new ticket barriers and increased CCTV and $7.5 million over three years from 2015-16 for extra car parking spaces and facilities at Park ’n’Ride sites.
An agreement has been reached with Parafield Airport Limited to lease land for a major extension of the Parafield station Park ’n’ Ride, with construction to start next year.
The $7.5 million in funding for the extra Park ‘n’ Rides will be sourced from revenue raised by the Transport Development Levy (TDL).
Koutsantonis says the TDL is vital to building world-class public transport infrastructure that encourages more people onto buses, trains and trams, freeing up our roads into the city.
“As our population grows, we are experiencing increasing congestion in and around the city,” he says.
“The TDL will allow us to invest in new and upgraded public transport infrastructure to continue building a state-of-the-art public transport system – a system that can get people in and out of the city safely and efficiently, allowing them to spend money in businesses in the CBD.”