Article: Special government unit to target transport mayhem

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Special government unit to target transport mayhem

Special government unit to target transport mayhem
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Robert MacDonald

April 02, 2008 12:00am

THE constant traffic and public transport nightmare faced by southeast Queensland peak-hour commuters is finally being made a priority by the State Government.

Following a nightmare Easter weekend, Premier Anna Bligh is setting up a special unit in her own department to target growing congestion and commuter anger.

Senior staff were told of the plan in a memo from Premier's Department director-general Ken Smith, which followed a Cabinet meeting giving priority to traffic and transport issues.

The extent of the problem was highlighted yesterday when hundreds of commuters were left stranded at train stations across Brisbane after the introduction of new Queensland Rail timetables.

The Government's decision to make congestion-busting its new No. 1 priority reflects both the easing of the water crisis and a new focus on infrastructure by Canberra.

The Queensland Water Commission reported this week that the state's $9 billion southeast Queensland water grid was now more than half-complete and running on time. In addition, recent rains mean dam levels should remain above 20 per cent until late 2010.

The bureaucrat appointed 18 months ago to oversee development of the water grid, former Brisbane City Council officer Dave Stewart, heads Ms Bligh's new urban congestion team.

Mr Stewart will confront the same problems he faced in his previous job: trying to co-ordinate several billion dollars worth of projects to ensure they mesh logically.

One of the Government's most pressing problems is to solve the stalemate over the Brisbane City Council's proposed Hale Street Bridge.
The Government opposed the council's original plan because of possible 50-minute delays during construction, but the council says it cannot afford the Government's proposed solution.

In the meantime, southeast Queensland's congestion problems continue to worsen.

Traffic on the Gateway Bridge grew 6.3 per cent during 2006-07, while Logan Motorway traffic jumped by 12 per cent.

And the RACQ's 2007 Travel Time Survey showed the average inbound speed on the Pacific Motorway fell 46.5 per cent between 1993 and last year, while the outbound speed dropped more than 55 per cent.

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail Editorial click here!

Transport fix long overdue

Transport fix long overdue
Article from: The Courier-Mail

April 02, 2008 12:00am

IT is of course good news that the State Government has finally decided to make fixing southeast Queensland's growing urban congestion problem a key priority.

A special new congestion-busting unit is being set up in Premier Anna Bligh's own department, headed by Dave Stewart, the bureaucrat who has been overseeing the state's $9 billion water grid for the past 18 months. But it begs the question, why only now? It's not as if the daily and worsening battles of the region's drivers, passengers and commuters are anything new.

The Government would no doubt argue that it is already doing a great deal to address the problem, pointing to the many billions of dollars worth of road and transport projects now under way for evidence. And yes indeed, vast millions of our money are being spent on essential infrastructure, much of it years late. But no, that in itself does not solve the problem. What is also needed is a comprehensive and thoughtful oversight and co-ordination of all this work. And perhaps the Government's new approach will deliver just that.

In the meantime however, the disconcerting thing is that the Government's approach to the problem of managing our traffic and transport problems appears to mirror its approach to our recent water woes.

At first, there is a period of near-denial, but then suddenly a burst of activity, when it is realised the problem has moved from being merely troublesome to something really critical and vote-threatening.

And as with the water crisis, the Government finds itself having to play catch up. Two or three years ago, when the State Government finally accepted that it had to do something urgently to stop southeast Queensland running out of water, one of its bigger challenges was co-ordinating the work already under way by other levels of government.

The Gold Coast desalination project, for instance, was originally a Gold Coast City Council initiative and the Southern Regional Water Pipeline was backed by local mayors and SEQWater.

Simply pulling these various schemes into one big water grid and getting everything to connect was a job in itself. And so it will be with the urban congestion challenge; making sure the various multimillion-dollar tunnels, bridges and motorways now under way or planned actually add up to more than the sum of their parts.

But who knows? In a few years, when we're all travelling to and from our destinations on wide open roads and uncrowded trains and buses, Premier Bligh might well be overseas selling our congestion-solving skills to the world.

This is, after all, exactly what she's been doing in China, talking up Queensland's very new-found expertise in handling water crises.

[mufreight]

The quote from the Courier Mail, 2nd April 2008 was quite interesting in its content and slant.
Tunnells, bridges and Motorways got a run but a conspincious lack of mention in any form of rail.
As long as there is this sort of media bias it is going to be a long hard road and political expediency will rule.
The message has yet to get through that another kilometre of road is simply a parking lot for another 100 buses or 200 cars, the same money spent on rail or light rail infrastructure provides the capacity to move a greater number of passangers  at less cost to both the individual and the environment, a lesson that the Gold Coast Mayor Mr Clark has yet to learn.

[Derwan]

If I remember correctly, EDI Rail (then Walkers) used to operate 24 hours a day with workers operating in shifts.  But due to a downturn in business, it had to lay off a number of workers and return to ordinary work hours.

If the Government is fair-dinkum about making congestion issues a priority, it could pump more money in and negotiate with EDI Rail to fast-track production of the new units and add a few more to the order to ensure medium-term work for anyone employed specifically for the project.

[Derwan]

Tunnells, bridges and Motorways got a run but a conspincious lack of mention in any form of rail.

I have a feeling it comes down to money.  For example, building road tunnels means income from tolls to pay for the tunnels.  If tunnels are built for subsidised public transport, there won't be additional income to pay for it.

[mufreight]

To Derwan

A classic example of politicial expediency but they overlook that they were elected by up to represent us not just the vested interests of the big end of town, if they had to build a new rail line tomorrow to haul coal it could be built in a year or less from start to operation but the needs and expectations of Mr Average Taxpayer only rate at election time.

[Fares_Fair]

I think you are right mufreight.
There is an election due next year - and commuters left high, dry and out of pocket won't forget.

[Mozz]

I heard some snippets of reports on this evenings media and it seems that the special govt unit currently comprises a single senior public sector employee who was previously managing the water pipeline deployment.

If this is actually the case (and I really really hope that it isn't) I would hope somewhat more tangible and creditable resources are dedicated to this enterprise and maybe the additional resources actually committed and engaged on the frontline to the effort, before information is provided seeking widespread media coverage.

[mufreight]

A new government taskforce to sort out the public transport woes comprised of one man.
Is this a new Government unit or or a new Government eunuch?
Based on this less than surprising revelation one must question just how serious the Government realy is about resolving the problems faced by commuters, it would seem that this is another case of a job for one of the boys regardless of how good an administrator this nominated bureaucrat is.
The impression given is another case of the Government having created a problem due to its shortsightedness and incompetence and having realised the electorate has woken up now seeks to be seen to be doing something.
Perhaps to be realistic what is needed is not an addition to the bureaucracy but a new Government, perhaps the making of such a suggestion might be more effective in motivating an effective response to the problem.
Ask your local member and encourage your fellow commuters to do likewise, the response or reaction of your local member may prove to be worthwhile.
Enjoy and have fun.