[Greens-Media] MARK PARNELL MLC: fix bus, rail system crisis

[Greens]

Media Release
5 June 2007

World Environment Day call:  fix bus, rail system crisis

 	
Greens MLC Mark Parnell has called on the state government to use
Thursday's budget to fix the emerging crisis in the state's public
transport system.

"The government must stop tinkering around the edges, and make a
sustained and serious commitment to our buses and trains. This means
money, and a lot of it, in this Thursday's budget. 

"Adelaide's public transport system is ageing and neglected, and outside
the city, the situation is even worse. Major decisions such as train
extensions North and South of the city, electrification, and fleet
replacement are urgently required.

"We need an overhaul - the system is bursting at the seams.  This is not
about timetable changes and promotion, it's about cold hard cash and a
serious commitment to new infrastructure," he said.

Mark Parnell recently chaired a Public Meeting on poor public transport
services in the Hills.  The private bus contractor for the region told
the meeting that the lack of services was fundamentally due to a lack of
state government funding.

As well as public transport, the Greens MLC also called for action on
stamp duty costs for fuel efficient vehicles.

"At the same time as boosting public transport, Kevin Foley should look
to some of the car-related recommendations in last week's report by
Climate Change Thinker in Residence Stephen Schneider," he said.

Professor Stephen Schneider last week recommended 'feebates' - applying
greater fees for fuel inefficient vehicles and reduced fees for fuel
efficient vehicles to encourage a shift in car choice by consumers.

"We need to shift government support towards more greenhouse-friendly
forms of transport.  Reducing stamp duty on greener cars would be a good
start.

"In response to the twin threats of climate change and shortages of
cheap oil, we need to take a good hard look our transport priorities.
Public transport is at the heart of every major economic powerhouse
city," Mark Parnell said.

 
For further comment contact Craig Wilkins on 0434 007 893

	
 


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