Article: Kennett calls for all-night public transport

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Kennett calls for all-night public transport

Kennett calls for all-night public transport
Adam Cooper
December 12, 2011 - 10:05AM

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has called for public transport to run around the clock on weekends during the festive season in a bid to get revellers home quicker and address Melbourne's taxi shortage.

Long queues are common for cabs in the CBD and Melbourne's inner-city suburbs and often cause tension as people wrangle over hailing taxis or wait in ranks on their way home from a night out.

Mr Kennett estimated Melbourne was up to 6000 drivers short of meeting demand and said there was little incentive to become cabbies given the pay was poor, hours were long and work conditions tough.

"There aren't many of us who'd work for $8 an hour in an industry where at certain times of the day or year the driver can be threatened physically, they can be verballed, they can have people leaving the cab without being paid," he told radio station 3AW.

Mr Kennett said 24-hour trains, trams and buses running from Friday through to the early hours of Sunday would provide a solution at this time of the year, when more revellers were in the city celebrating.

"The beauty about that is you can carry volumes of people," he said.

"A taxi, you can only carry three of four maybe five at a squeeze - I don't know what the licence provides - but when you use buses or use trains you can move volumes of people.

"Whether they leave on the half-hour on the hour ... people would be able to adjust their performances and activities accordingly."

Mr Kennett said it was unlikely the state government would introduce any measure this year, but hoped Transport Minister Terry Mulder would consider putting on more transport services during next year's festive season.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/kennett-calls-for-allnight-public-transport-20111212-1oq9c.html

[somebody]

Umm, but don't they have that already?

[verbatim9]

Just night busses on Fri Sat nights no late night trams or trains. The first train on Sundays is not till after 8 am outbound from the city. Very backwards. Trolley busses along the tram lines would be a good idea late night 7 nights a week as they are quiet and don't disturb the peace.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Baillieu Government ignored festive taxi fix

Baillieu Government ignored festive taxi fix

    by: Ashley Gardiner
    From: Herald Sun
    December 13, 2011 12:00AM

XCLUSIVE: A SECRET report calling for a massive boost to after-hours public transport over the Christmas party season has been ignored by the Baillieu Government.

The Herald Sun can reveal that public transport agency Metlink warned the Government in the report that more frequent overnight buses out of the city were needed to avoid widespread chaos.

But no extra services have been added.

Instead, the Government last night said it was still analysing demand for late-night weekend travel.

That will offer little comfort to the thousands of revellers who will be stranded in the city this Friday and Saturday.

Fears are mounting for this weekend, the busiest of the year for taxis except for New Year's Eve.

Last weekend five taxi drivers were assaulted by drunken and aggressive passengers.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the NightRider bus service was struggling to meet demand.

"The NightRider buses are overloaded. More services are needed, whether they be more buses, or trains and trams," he said.

"We've heard reports of buses so packed people are left behind between 2am and 3am."

Will the taxi crisis ruin your Christmas festivities? Tell us below

The Herald Sun believes Metlink's report to the Government calls for an upgrade to the NightRider service.

It examined late-night transport options, including all-night trains and trams, and all-night buses were the preferred option.

Metlink spokesman Donna Watson said NightRider buses were busier.But the Government has not acted.

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder has instead asked his officials to look at extending train services in future.

Metro said it was far too late to schedule extra services for this year, as it would require months of planning.

Problems in the taxi industry are being investigated by Allan Fels, who would hand over his report next year, Mr Mulder said.

"The lack of taxis available in this short period of the year contrasts with the rest of the year when drivers complain of not enough work," he said.

Prof Fels said it was the taxi industry's responsibility to better plan for seasonal peaks.

"Most industries plan for and respond to seasonal surges by putting on extra people and supply," he said.

Victorian Taxi Association spokesman David Samuel said the industry wanted as many cars on the road as possible.

"We don't want to see people stranded - it's the normal rush we experience," he said.

"We would expect the coming weekend to be the busiest of the year, aside from New Year's Eve."

He said five drivers had pressed alarms at the weekend after attacks by drunk, aggressive passengers.

The Opposition's Fiona Richardson said Mr Mulder knew of the problem but had not acted.

"Perhaps if (he) dropped his chauffeur-driven ministerial car ... and opted for public transport, he might understand," she said.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Ted Baillieu's late bid to solve taxi festive crisis

Ted Baillieu's late bid to solve taxi festive crisis

    by: Ashley Gardiner
    From: Herald Sun
    December 14, 2011 12:00AM

EXTRA late-night buses have been ordered in an 11th-hour bid by the Baillieu Government to counter the Christmas taxi shortage crisis.

Accused of inaction after Metlink recommended a boost to NightRider bus services, the Government acted yesterday.

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said the report had been given to his department, but he had not seen it.

He said an extra dozen bus runs had been organised to relieve late-night transport pressure.

The shortage of taxis is expected to subject thousands of people to long delays in their trips home.

The taxi industry says this weekend will be its busiest period of the year except for New Year's Eve.

Premier Ted Baillieu said yesterday that not enough of Melbourne's taxi drivers wanted to work into the early hours.

"Increasingly, drivers are turning their back on the public at three, four and five in the morning because they don't find that experience either rewarding or enjoyable," he said.

Mr Mulder said NightRider services this Saturday and Sunday would operate from 2am-3.30am, at 15-minute frequencies.

Services will be boosted on routes 966 (Croydon and Lilydale), 968 (Knox and Belgrave), 970 (Frankston) and 980 (Dandenong).

Bus Association Victoria executive director Chris Lowe said more NightRider services were needed and security improved.

"The forecast lack of taxis in the festive season, and the fact that the trains don't run overnight, makes increasing NightRider services a very cost-effective and demand-responsive solution," Mr Lowe said.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said the response was too little, too late.

"This was a problem that needed to be addressed as soon as Metlink delivered their report, not a cobbled together response, as it does not deal with the unprecedented shortage in cabs this festive season," she said.

[somebody]

Interesting that it works the same in Victoria as here. Media attention = results