Australasian Bus & Coach Issue 352

“Drivers are the backbone of this industry and that’s not lost on team at Scania Australia” The age-old question Infrastructure Australia (IA) asks is whether public or private ownership is best. The IA 15-Year Plan recommends that public transport services be exposed to contestable supply through franchising. “The Australian Government supports private sector involvement in infrastructure delivery – where cost-effective – noting that the provision of public transport services is primarily a matter for state, territory and local governments. “Where appropriate, franchising should be used to support the delivery of public transport services,” the plan reads. It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Of particular interest is Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement that “we will collect and publicly release data on the performance of transport services, including freight and passenger…

Queensland bus maker Bustech won a $2 million contract to manufacture two advanced diesel buses and two electric buses in South Australia recently. Once built, the South Australian Government will use the buses to trial how electric and low-carbon emission buses might be used as part of Adelaide’s main public transport network. Leveraging existing facilities and engineering capability in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, Bustech has struck an alliance with Adelaide-based Precision Components. Transit Australia Group CEO Michael McGee says the South Australian Government’s interest in advanced manufacturing and e-mobility solutions for public transport is inspiring. “The Adelaide facility is the result of companies collaborating to deliver market-leading products and a government keen to support the manufacture and trial of next generation urban transport vehicles,” he says. “It’s the first step in…

The contract to deliver several major infrastructure projects as part of Sydney’s new B-Line bus service has been awarded. New South Wales (NSW) Premier Mike Baird says Fulton Hogan Construction had been given the green light to deliver new commuter carparks, bus stops and road improvements. “We are taking action to deliver a more reliable and more comfortable bus service for people commuting between the northern beaches and the Sydney CBD,” he says. “We are on track to deliver the most convenient public transport option the northern beaches has ever had, and this complements our recent announcement for the contract to deliver 38 brand new double-deck buses.” Each double-decker bus will have 86 seats with standing room for 15 people, which is more than standard two-door buses that have a…

A new Translink quarterly report shows Queensland’s buses are less likely to run on time than they were over the last few years. With 93.26 per cent of buses running on time, the minimum reliability target of 90 per cent set by Translink has been met, though figures have been declining. In Q1 2014-15 reliability was at 96.59 per cent, then dropped to 95 per cent by Q4 2014-15. Buses in inner-Brisbane were less likely on average to be on time at 87.90 per cent, although the Southern Region (Logan and the far-north Gold Coast region) had the least reliable buses at 82.95 per cent. According to the Translink data, the current downward trend in reliability could see the state average drop to around 91 per cent over the next…

Almost 500 Ventura Bus Lines vehicles have been rebranded with the bright orange Public Transport Victoria (PTV) livery. Ventura was one of the first operators to have been part of the project to rebrand the state’s fleet to help commuters identify publicly contracted vehicles. A total of 494 buses have now been rebranded over two years by the operator, with a few weeks to spare before the final deadline. The Eastcoast Truck and Bus (ECTB) service centre is part of the Ventura brand, but operates as a separate entity. ECTB undertook management of the massive project in-house from the company’s joint Knoxfield depot. Operations manager Nigel Foster says the move was to help travellers identify all the buses as part of one entity. “It’s not about the operator’s names. It’s…

Canberra’s bus network will be better equipped to integrate with the city’s upcoming light rail system after a $57 million investment from the ACT Greens. As well as this investment, the ACT Greens also announced a plan to phase out fossil-fuel buses. ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury says the strategy is simply to make moving around the city easier. “This plan is about investing in the things that make people’s lives better every day. It’s about putting the community first and making it easier to get around our city,” Rattenbury says. “Sitting in traffic is bad for people and bad for the planet. What Canberrans desperately need is more convenient, affordable public transport to get around our city.” The plan will see bus routes matching up with the first stage…