ABC #395

NEWS
RMS BUS FINES
REMINDER ACCOMPANIES
NORTHCONNEX LAUNCH
PENALTIES will apply to some bus
and truck operators for avoiding
Sydney’s new NorthConnex toll road,
with gantry-camera vehicle-size
monitoring in use, warns NSW
Roads and Maritime Services (RMS).
As first reported in ABC
magazine’s sister title ATN, amidst
the pomp and ceremony of
NorthConnex’s first end-to-end
drivethrough lurks a Roads and
Maritime Services (RMS) memo to
commercial vehicle operators in
May 2020, on the consequences of
avoiding the new toll road.
The launch of the $3 billion
state-federal initiative saw a photo
opportunity for Prime Minister Scott
Morrison, Federal Infrastructure
Minister Michael McCormack,
New South Wales Premier Gladys
Berejiklian and NSW Transport and
Roads Minister Andrew Constance at
the 9km twin tunnels, which travel
between the M1 Pacific Motorway
at Wahroonga and the M2 Hills
Above:
The ministerial
(L-R: McCormack,
Morrison,
Berejiklian,
Constance)
march through
the new tunnel.
Motorway at West Pennant Hills.
The tunnel is said to be open to
the public “within two months”.
In a statement, all ministers
praised the flagship project, with
Berejiklian noting once complete
NorthConnex would save up to
15 minutes’ travel time and allow
drivers to avoid 21 sets of traffic
lights along Pennant Hills Road.
“Today’s drive-through is another
indication of how close we are
getting to opening this key piece
of infrastructure and helping
to alleviate the traffic problems
Pennant Hills Road has been
experiencing for decades,” she said.
“NorthConnex will return local
streets to local communities by
taking up to 5,000 trucks per day
off Pennant Hills Road, easing
congestion, improving safety
and local air quality, and reducing
traffic noise.”
McCormack adds: “This project
is one of many which is moving
people safely and more efficiently
across Sydney, while creating job
opportunities for local workers.”
Given the project is being
delivered in partnership with toll
road operator Transurban, tolls will
apply, with April 2020 pricing set at
NATIONAL BUS RESCUE PACKAGE SOUGHT
TO SAVE COACH TOURISM
A LOOMING ELECTION at the
time with expert opinion it will
take another 12 to 18 months
before the Australian bus
industry is able to “transition
out of this crisis”, the federal
government is being asked to
“step up and do more” to “protect
our industry and the people we
support”, says the Bus Industry
Confederation (BIC).
Australia’s peak bus body
– representing an industry
responsible for transporting
alone more than 500,000 coach
passengers every day – made the
call for a national rescue package
in its advisory role to the Tourism
Restart Taskforce, which was
established by the Australian
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry in April 2020.
Speaking on behalf of the BIC
following the recent release of
the Tourism Restart Taskforce’s
plan to rebuild Australia’s tourism
sector, executive director Michael
Apps said: “We fully endorse the
recommendations by the Tourism
Restart Taskforce to bring tourism
back to life through targeted policy
reforms and greater investments in
infrastructure and training.”
However, he also pointed out: “We
need government to step up and do
more to protect our industry and the
people we support.
“We require a national rescue
package to support us though the
downturn and on the road out,” he
added.
In fact, however, such a package
has already been proffered for
government consideration.
As Apps explained: “…we have
developed a rescue package that
includes immediate financial
assistance to provide a full diesel
rebate, like the mining sector
receives; the extension of JobKeeper
for our industry beyond September;
and consideration of a travel rebate
of fares to encourage the Australian
public to travel across the nation –
not over it.
Below:
“We need
Government to
step up and do
more to protect
our industry and
the people we
support,” says BIC
executive director
Michael Apps.
10
ABC July 2020 busnews.com.au