2011/2012 Annual Report - Metro Tasmania

CHAIRPERSON’S
REVIEW
Review of Business Operations for the year ended
30 June 2012.
The year ended 30 June 2012
was a relatively successful year
for Metro Tasmania as it worked
towards securing the vision of
making bus passenger transport
a travel option of choice.
Metro has continued to
progressively modernise its
bus fleet, upgrade passenger
facilities, work to improve
accessibility, improve timetables
and cooperate with other key
stakeholders to make bus
transport more convenient and
enjoyable for passengers.
Metro is a state-owned
company, but is not set up
to make a profit and nor
does it pay a dividend to its
Government shareholders.
During the reporting year
Metro earned $35.59 million
under service contracts with
the Transport Commission to
provide bus services in Hobart,
Launceston and Burnie.
The other major source of
income for the business comes
from passengers through
ticketing fares, which in the
2011–12 year amounted to
$11.13 million or about 25%
of our income. Metro’s major
expenses include employee
wages and salaries, fuel and
maintenance of the fleet.
For the 2011–12 year Metro
incurred a loss before income
tax of $421,000 and an after
tax loss of $296,000. During
the financial year, the company
spent $4.47 million on new
capital equipment – primarily
the purchase of seven new
12.5 metre low floor accessible
buses. The purchase of buses
was funded by an additional
$3.25 million provided by
Government to improve Metro’s
passenger bus fleet and to assist
with Metro’s long-term capital
replacement program.
Metro operates a fleet of 220
buses across the state, all of
which are fitted with CCTV.
Currently 85 buses (38.5% of the
fleet) are low floor wheelchair
accessible and 28% of buses are
air conditioned.
Unfortunately we have seen a
small decline in patronage in the
review year following the strong
growth reported in the 2011 year
following the introduction of the
4 METRO Annual Report 2011 | 2012