New agency to encompass all public transport in Canberra to go live on July 1 this year
A plan to combine all public transport services into a new agency known as Canberra Transport is underway, with the a start date of July 1 announced this week.
ACT minister for transport and municipal services Meegan Fitzharris says the ACT Government will undertake an extensive survey to get community feedback on the current public transport network, and seek input into the design and delivery of its new integrated bus and light-rail system in April.
“Transport Canberra will deliver one ticket, one fare, one network across Canberra, but first we want to know how we can make sure it meets the needs of our growing city,” she says.
“This new agency will be founded on a strong customer service focus with a goal of winning new public transport customers, so it’s vital we develop a good understanding of what customers want and how they would like to use an integrated bus and light rail system.”
A major focus for Canberra Transport will be encouraging current private vehicle users to make the switch to public transport and convince their friends and family to do the same.
“I am keen to learn more about how we can encourage Canberrans who may not be regular users of public transport, to give it a go,” Fitzharris says.
Active transport and providing better cycling and walking links will also play a major role and aims to create public transport infrastructure that also helps local business thrive.
“The survey will also inform how to we can better integrate public transport with active travel options including walking and cycling, and provide a more detailed picture of how people move around Canberra,” Fitzharris says.
“I am keen to look at ways we can renew our suburbs and shopping centres and would like to see further collaboration with local business owners on the possibility of co-funding improvements for shopping centre investment to get even more bang for our buck.”
The survey will be overseen by the Transport Canberra transition team in the lead up to the launch and used to inform early decisions regarding changes to the network.
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