Article: Connex, state transport officials face Senate inquiry today

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Connex, state transport officials face Senate inquiry today

Connex, state transport officials face Senate inquiry today
Article from: Herald Sun

Ashley Gardiner

March 30, 2009 12:51pm

CONNEX and state transport officials will be grilled this afternoon by a top-level Senate inquiry into public transport.

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky will not appear at the inquiry, but instead a bureaucrat will be sent to answer questions.

The Senate inquiry, which is sitting in Collins St today, has so far heard from public transport experts and advocates.

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Connex?s parent company, Veolia Transport Australasia, will tell senators of the need for more federal dollars for public transport.

?We believe that our operations are world?s best practice, notwithstanding the limitations of local infrastructure and industry frameworks,? Veolia managing director Hans Christian Baunsoe said.

He has told the inquiry that chronic under-investment in public transport was responsible for the poor service we get today.

?Australia?s public transport networks have suffered from decades of under-investment as policy-makers have focused on building cities around the motor car,? Mr Baunsoe said.

?Today, we can see the disadvantages of this approach in pollution, traffic congestion and social isolation.?

Monash University chair in public transport Graham Currie told the inquiry it did not matter whether trains, trams and buses were publicly or privately run.

?I don?t think it?s fundamentally the problem,? Professor Currie said.

He dismissed the idea of free public transport, because for many Melburnians there was no viable public transport available anyway.