Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

During daytime, Blue Rapid routes commence from suburbs in Belconnen or Tuggeranongthen travel through all bus stations along the trunk (or common) route and terminate at thelast station. At night the Blue Rapid service consists of Route 300 which travels only betweenbus stations, but does not extend to the suburbs. All Blue Rapid services are operated bywheelchair accessible buses and most by buses fitted with bicycle racks.Maintaining Public Confidence in the Bus ServiceBuilding and maintaining public confidence in the bus service needs to be a high priority forits ongoing viability. As noted above, regular timetable changes can be detrimental to the busservice as the public loses confidence in service reliability. Similarly, other improvements tothe bus service should be managed to ensure that the community understands the purpose ofthe change and how it will enhance the service provided.The need for better management of community interaction was demonstrated when the mostrecent timetable change was announced in November 2010. Scheduling of the announcementcoincided with the opening of the new Belconnen Bus Interchange, creating an unfortunatedistraction from what is a significant improvement to public transport infrastructure, amenityand safety in Belconnen.However good the intentions, changes to the bus service are likely to attract some negativecommentary. The challenge is to ensure that proposed changes are well considered and wellmanaged, with the public at the forefront of considerations.Ease of AccessIn a world increasingly dependent on mobile technology and where expectations ofinformation accuracy and timeliness are high, passengers would be well served throughinnovations such as iphone applications for the ACTION timetable, and the provision of realtime information at bus stops on expected arrivals. This system is already in place in othercities including Perth for its Central Area Transit services, and in Melbourne at tram stops.Fare Pricing and ConcessionsACTION fare revenue currently covers nearly 20 per cent of the cost of runningACTION (with the remainder funded from the Budget). Consultations includedproposals to treat public transport as part of basic infrastructure (like roads, water,electricity) and consider a transport levy within the property rates system to make thebus travel free. 415While initially attractive, this suggestion raises a number of issues worthy of furtherconsideration. The argument presupposes bus patronage levels in Canberra are sensitive toprice. The number of relatively full car parks in the city and town centres each week day415 Submission No.26.Sustainability, Housing Affordability and Transport: 315