[Greens-Media] Another govt blunder - Victoria Rd upgrade bus lane won't fit

[Lee Rhiannon]

Media Release
21 April 2008

Another govt blunder - Victoria Rd upgrade bus lane won't fit

Greens MP and roads spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said revelations that the
city-bound bus lane on Victoria Road - a key element of the proposed
Victoria Road Upgrade Project - will not fit without reducing car lanes
shows that the Roads Minister and the RTA are engaged in policy on the
run (p. 3, Sydney Morning Herald).

"Minister Roozendaal is spinning the Victoria Road upgrade as
benefiting bus users but this bungle illustrates that public transport
doesn't figure in the RTA's world view,* Ms Rhiannon said.

"The RTA has painted a few red lines on a map in the belief that
residents will swallow the lie that buses will solve Victoria Road's
congestion problems.

"The reality is that the Victoria Road Upgrade is just another road
building exercise from the Iemma government.

"The fact that there's no government bus representative on the project
team shows how bogus the public transport components of this project
are.

"The Greens renew our calls for Minister Roozendaal to immediately
release to the public the traffic modelling for the project and a
cost/benefit analysis for scrutiny.

"Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal is doing his best to spin the Victoria
Road Upgrade as a public transport initiative.

"The key to congestion on Victoria Road lies in abandoning this $150
million road 'upgrade' and investing in public transport.

"This cock-up is just one of many from the RTA and the Minister,
casting doubts on their abilities to manage new road infrastructure," Ms
Rhiannon said.


For more information:
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon 9230 3551, 0427 861 568