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

• unless the industrial framework can be significantly revised before the 2011-12 Budget to allowthe more efficient functioning of ACTION, considering privatising the operation of the ACTIONnetwork either in totality or in two areas - North and South of the lake;• embedding peer review of timetabling, and establishing close collaboration with other transportproviders in the region;• establishment of iphone applications for the ACTION timetable, and provision of real timeinformation at bus stops on expected arrivals;• making off peak services free;• making community services connecting suburban areas to town centre hubs free (while continuingto charge on “intertown” routes);• making all concession travel free;• reviewing the industrial framework and work practices to ensure that the public transport systemis flexible and passenger focused, specifically in relation to:o the ratio of full time and part time drivers;o prohibition of a seven day roster; ando workshop operations;• the operation of weekend services be subjected to competition for the provision of suitablyqualified contract drivers; and• subjecting school services to competition.TaxisThe Review notes the concurrent work being done by TAMS on Taxi regulation. Publicdissatisfaction with the taxi services provided in Canberra is a long running issue. In part,this is due to the size of the Canberra market, and the fact demand is so heavily influenced bythe sitting pattern of the Commonwealth Parliament. It has also been due to an absence ofcompetition among taxi services in Canberra.Options raised with the Review in consultations include issuing of short term “peak time”taxi licences to facilitate a greater surge capacity in the taxi supply, seeking equilibrium insupply of and demand for taxi licences by holding regular auctions at which the number ofplates available reflects demand at the last auction, deregulation of the taxi industry, andcreating further incentives for multiple hiring in peak times.The Review notes that, in August 2009, the Government announced a Taxi Review to addressa range of concerns about the performance of the ACT taxi industry. The key issues ofconcern were an insufficient supply of taxis, especially at peak times, and concerns aboutaccess and quality of services provided by wheelchair accessible taxi fleet. The view wasSustainability, Housing Affordability and Transport: 318