----- Forwarded message -----

To:australiantransportnews@... australiantransportnews@...>
Sent: Monday, 30 August 2021, 05:59:40 pm AEST
Subject: Thurs.27.5.21 daily digest

Roderick

 "210527Th-'CanberraTimes'-tram-stage2-a-ss.jpg"
 "210527Th-'CanberraTimes'-tram-stage2-b-ss.jpg"
 "210527Th-'CanberraTimes'-tram-stage2-c-ss.jpg"
 "210527Th-'CanberraTimes'-tram-stage2-d-after-ss.jpg"
 "210527Th-'CanberraTimes'-tram-stage2-d-before-ss.jpg"

 "210527Th-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-BourkeStMall-quiet-ss.jpg"

Thurs.27.5.21 Metro Twitter
Aircraft: No ramp access to platforms until late 2021 (pedestrian-underpass works).
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works.
Buses replace trains on sections of the Werribee line until the last train of Sun 30 May (level-crossing works).
10.31 Sunbury line: Buses will replace trains Sunshine - Sydenham Watergardens (a faulty train near Ginifer). Buses have been ordered, but may take over an hour to arrive.  Consider alternatives.
- 10.50 Buses may take over 45 minutes to arrive.
- 11.01 Additional buses are enroute.
- 11.10  Trains have resumed, with minor delays.
Check how busy your train is before you board with RideSpace, an online tool to help you travel with confidence. RideSpace provides real-time capacity information for our metro train network, indicating how quiet or busy a service is. See http://ridespace.coronavirus.vic.gov.au
16.25 Frankston line: Major delays clearing after a police action near Seaford. Trains may terminate/originate at Mordialloc.
- 16.40 still clearing
17.22 Metropolitan trains: Minor delays (police near Flinders Street). Trains will be held at platforms. Trains may terminate/originate at intermediate stations.
- 17.33 Clearing.
18.55 Trams in the city may be delayed by an antilockdown rally in Swanston and Flinders streets. See tramTRACKER, Twitter and announcements on board and at stops.
- 19.16 Flinders St: Changes to station access are in place because of the rally.  Access to the station is available via St Kilda Rd/Federation Square, Elizabeth St and Southbank.
- 20.06 Access to the main entrance at Swanston St has been restored.
- Ferals.
From 23.59 there'll be only five reasons to leave your home. We’ll be running public transport services to a normal timetable to support essential travel.

MAY 26 2021 Light rail to Commonwealth Park virtual trip offered. Alex Crowe
video: A virtual journey along the next stage
Public transport users have been invited to take their first light rail trip to Commonwealth Park, virtually.
ACT government has created an interactive website which allows visitors to experience travelling from Alinga Station to the new Edinburgh Avenue, City South and Commonwealth Park stops.
With works due to begin before the end of the year, the next stage of the development will extend the light rail by 1.7 kilometres.
The next step of an almost $2 billion project, Stage 2A will take the light rail to Commonwealth Park.
Following the completion of the Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park project, Stage 2B will continue the line to Woden.
The ACT government's new website and "virtual engagement room" has been developed to give Canberrans updates on the project's development and provide feedback.
Minister for Transport Chris Steel said ACT government would be consulting on issues including environmental, community and heritage impacts, the design and spaces along the route.
"Light rail to Woden is Canberra's biggest ever infrastructure build, creating over 6000 jobs and helping to shape our city's transport future," Mr Steel said.
"So we want to involve Canberrans in an ongoing conversation about how we deliver it."
The first stage of light rail to Woden is jointly funded by the ACT and federal governments.
The Commonwealth announced in February it would contribute $135 million to the project.
* Here's what the public thinks stage 2 of the train will look like:
$$$$$$
Meanwhile Here's what the public thinks the ACT Health system looks like.
______
* I bumped into a homeless couple in front of my local shopping centre yesterday. They had a sign pleading for loose change and jobs so they could afford a roof over their heads. I bet they are really looking forward to a ride on the $2 Billion dollar tram to Commonwealth Park.
* The ACT government proudly presents the wokest tram ride video in the world.
* And slowest.
* Why has the colour in the before shots been made to look drab compared to the post Tram photos where the background and buildings look bright and lively. Why are the before shots bereft of trees and suddenly the Light Rail and surrounds have lovely looking large trees. You can test this yourself with the slider bars, I don't care about this project either way. But this effort makes the government look a bit too tricky.
* It's the same trick as real estate agents use. You can bet it's to put themselves in the best light (pun intended).
* Are we really still going to build trams that are slower than a bus does now ? can't hardly wait to drive from Woden to the city while this happens ,
* Apparently Barr is doing just that and for the bargain price of$13,000 per centimetre.
* And how many projects (including but not limited to stuff like the paving in Civic and Glebe Park) look anything like the "artist's impression" that was publicised prior to the project? None. So what value does this "virtual trip" offer? None. So why did this ACT government spend the money? Well they have to look like they are doing something useful - at-least occasionally....
* Warms my heart, goes right by ANU, Palace Electric, and Floriade. Even the Law Courts, if I get into strife with the gendarmerie. Would have been a more realistic simulation, with diehard tram-haters running along behind, waving their placards. The evident fact that it is popular and successful means nothing to our instant armchair transit experts.
* it's popular with people who don't have to pay the true cost of riding it. What a surprise. Just like all those surveys showing a majority of people think other people should pay more tax.
* It's 'popular' as it is a monopoly and has no opposition. With the tram having to run on batteries from Commoneealth Park to Deakin, tram realists won't have to run behind, but take a leisurely stroll in front of it.
* I have heard that the return on the dollar for the investment in stage two is the princely sum of 20 cents. This means that it is an appalling investment and I certainly would not be investing in anything that means I would lose 80% of my capital. Oops it is a Greens Party wish and they are the ones controlling the ACT Government with about 15% of the vote. Haven't seen the economic case when the section to WODEN is included, I can only hope that the assumptions behind the economic case for extension to WODEN are a lot better than stage 2. Looks like a political election gimmick to me. In the few years that Light Rail aka the tram has been operating I have been twice on it (both on the same day).
* Yes, we've heard lots of things. Perhaps the Government might enlighten us by releasing the benefit cost analysis, complete with all assumptions. There's more chance of me being the first person to walk on Pluto.
* Not a hope.
* After having my wife in ICU for 3 days a fortnight ago and being discharged straight out of hospital as the wards were over capacity, this makes me feel sick at the billions of dollars spent on traveling from A to B whilst we have two redundant hospitals. Surely in a progressive society a health system is paramount and for the money The Barr-Rattenbury coalition could have had 4 state of the art hospitals. I truly feel sorry for the Nurses and other health professionals who are neglected and working in a downtrodden environment whilst their employer splashes cash for grandiose historical follies.
* That is what happens when you have a Greens/Labour dictatorship. I know we have elections but does anyone doubt that we are not likely to ever have a Liberal Government again. The system is biased against such a government and we are now getting voters who have never know a Liberal Government. Democracy doesn't work well when there is little prospect of an alternative government being elected.
* Will not be a liberal government in the ACT again.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7269843/heres-what-the-govt-thinks-stage-2-of-the-tram-will-look-like>

Transport costs surge in Australia as families spend more on cars and public transport. Rob Margeit 26 May 2021
The cost of mobility has increased by 14.3 per cent in the first three months of 2021, according to new figures.
Australians are spending $44 more per week on transportation costs in the first three months of 2021 than they were at the end of 2020, according to research compiled by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).
The AAA’s Transport Affordability Index revealed the average Australian family spent $354 per week on transportation in the first quarter of 2021 – including cars and public transport – representing a 14.3 per cent increase on the previous quarter.
The Index measures a host of factors for the typical Australian two-car household, including car loan repayments, road tolls, fuel, public transport, insurance, registration, roadside assistance and servicing.
Unsurprisingly, Sydney was the most expensive capital city, while also recording the biggest increase, with the average household spending $461.57 per week on transport, an increase of $49.99 per week over the last quarter of 2020.
The typical Melbourne household spends $434.10 per week, an increase of $41.32 over the previous quarter, a trend mirrored in every capital city.
Total transport costs Quarter 1 2021 – Capital Cities
Average cost per week    Increase
1. Sydney    $461.57    $49.99
2. Melbourne    $434.10    $41.32
3. Brisbane    $428.71    $41.51
4. Perth    $377.25    $45.83
5. Canberra    $368.31    $48.03
6. Adelaide    $355.30    $46.40
7. Darwin    $342.48    $41.17
8. Hobart    $335.60    $40.80
Capital Average     $387.92     $44.38
Rural Australian households haven’t been spared either, with transportation costs for a typical two-car household up an average of $44.10 per week compared to the previous three months.
Total transport costs Quarter 1 2021 – Regional Australia
Average cost per week    Increase
1. Bunbury (WA)    $332.76    $48.21
2. Geelong (Victoria)    $330.70    $46.07
3. Alice Springs (NT)    $328.96    $40.62
4. Mount Gambier (SA)    $314.26    $41.33
5. Launceston (Tasmania)    $306.55    $40.04
6. Townsville (Queensland)    $298.83    $42.19
7. Wagga Wagga (NSW)    $297.18    $50.21
Regional Average     $315.61    $44.10
Breaking down areas of expenditure, the average Australian capital city household spends $67.38 per week on fuel, an increase of $5.56. That average spend is slightly more in regional centres ($68.78, up $5.38) while other areas of expenditure are also up.
Weekly transport costs by type Quarter 1 2021
Cost type    Capital City p.w.    Increase    Regional p.w    Increase
Fuel    $67.38    $5.56    $68.76    $5.38
Registration, CTP & Licensing    $29.94    $0.57    $28.50    $0.61
Car Loan Repayments    $165.23    $35.67    $165.26    $35.68
Insurance    $27.37    $1.84    $22.19    $1.92
Servicing & Tyres    $30.50    $0.53    $28.82    $0.51
Public Transport    $41.22    -    -    -
Tolls    $64.47    $0.55    -    -
Roadside Assist    $2.09        $2.08    $0.01 
The total annual cost of transportation in capital cities for a typical two-car family rose by $2308 to $20,172 in the March quarter, with Sydney again seeing the biggest increase ($2600 per annum). Regional families faced a similar increase, up $2293 for a total of $16,412.
And the average taxes paid by Australian motorists in capital cities also increased, up $40 per household in capital cities to $2680 ($1123 fuel excise and $1557 registration, CTP and licensing).
The average household in regional centres paid $2660 in taxes, made up of $1178 in fuel excise and $1482 in registration, CTP and licensing, an increase of $43.
AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said: “This sharp rise in transport costs needs to be monitored by governments, which need to avoid polices and decisions that impact cost of living.
“Transport affordability needs to remain a priority for government, as Australia has not only just recorded the largest jump in transport costs since the affordability index commenced, but households are now paying the highest proportion of their income toward those costs.”
The research highlights that the cost of transportation rose in almost all jurisdictions and in nearly every category. Car loan repayments and the average cost of new car purchases increased in every jurisdiction in Australia.
New South Wales, West Australia and the Australian Capital Territory recored increases in the cost of registration, CTP third party insurance and licensing while comprehensive car insurance increased in Sydney, Canberra and Wagga Wagga.
The cost of servicing and car maintenance increased slightly around Australia while fuel prices increase considerably nationally.
The cost of using toll roads rose in Sydney and Melbourne, while only roadside assistance and public transport prices remained unchanged.
Rob Margeit
<www.drive.com.au/news/transport-costs-surge-in-australia-as-families-spend-more-on-cars-and-public-transport>
* Good cycling and electric bicycle infrastructure and bicycle and car awareness education in the inner suburbs would really help those who just make short drives get off the road those and leave it for those that need to travel distance / infirm / tradies etc..
* Look at UK, EU where fuel prices are higher still. People generally drive much smaller cars, select the most economical option. I look at friends who have changed cars in the past few years - all but one went to something bigger. But - apart from one (more children), there was no obvious reason to do so.
* BYD et al may be able to change this paradigm?
* $35 of the increase is car loan payments, $5 for fuel? Buy a cheaper smaller fuel efficient car. It isn't inflation when people choose it.
* Australia has become a land of tax cattle. People need to move overseas, and if they can't at least get out of the capital cities. A lot of beautiful medium size towns around Australia.
* I've been seriously thinking of taking a hit to my pay by moving out of the city and living in a mid size town but believe it will be worth it due to affordabiliy.
* I moved from a high price city to a medium price city. You won't believe the quality of life improvement it has made without the traffic and the big mortgage. I've managed to invest a lot more and now I'm looking at early retirement. I do miss the restaurants and easy access to the airport. That's probably the only downsides. Knowing my kids will probably move for uni is also a downside I guess but that's life.
* The only thing cheap about medium size towns is cheaper property values. But that is eroded by higher council rates and services spread thin. Australia is the size of Europe. Moving from Melbourne to Perth the cost of living is about the same but moving from France to Romania is a big price difference.
* State governments are also having a big impact on families by charging like wounded bulls into a captive market. An example is increases in Rego costs in Vic... way above CPI. So much for having genuine concerns for families and their welfare when people are slammed like this?
* City to northwest is around 30 bucks each way. M2 is still a crawl. I think toll roads should have to meet a performance target to charge
* So nearly $36 out of that $44 is attributed to car loan repayments. That's the part that really requires examination. Is it the fact that on average more people have bought cars, or are people buying more expensive cars? Interest rates are at their lowest, so it has to be driven by consumer habits.
* Car loan repayment increases are most likely due to a combination of reasons. Cars, both new & used, have increased in price over the last year and lack of supply has meant little to no deals. People are buying more SUVs, which tend to be more expensive. As Ausviper mentions COVID lockdowns have changed peoples driving habits and possibly car requirements.
* I think it may have something to do with more people avoiding public transport during COVID, so families are buying second cars. And also the explosion in 4WD/Touring since international borders closed.. And also the loosening of lending laws probably means more people using credit to buy/upgrade
* Was there any insight or analysis in the report as to why these costs have increased, beyond inflation and fuel costs? My first thought is that with lockdowns and reduced travel last year, naturally travel costs are going to increase this year in capital cities at least, because people can move around again.
* Australia is becoming a wealthier country but also a country in which most Australians can no longer afford to live. We voted for governments to deliver us this situation and sadly we are too stupid to demand a better deal. Just watch the thumbs up prime minister of spin slide into another term later this year or early next year as we continue to pay our taxes to subsidise the government's minority group of mates, the rich.
* This is not a problem unique to Australia. Many large cities around the world are struggling to address the problem that essential workers can no longer afford to live in the cities where they work. I remember a story some years ago when Seattle struggled to contain major fires which overwhelmed duty crews & off duty reinforcements took too long to arrive due to the fact most lived up to 2 hours out of the city.
* Some cities however have more social inclusionary housing mandated and subsidised / indexed rent. Not just Europe but New York. Germany has banking mechanisms for groups of people to buy and develop land for medium density themselves.
* You're right - we have relo's on the continent - we're well behind in addressing the problem.
* Soon as you get off the property ladder you go straight below the poverty line. It is also property that is causing inflation. 10% increases year on year, there is only so long you can get 2% wage increases before you get crushed.
* Everything is becoming unaffordable, yet many people find themselves out of work or on reduced hours and not earning as much as they used to. I am very tempted to buy a van and go off grid to escape the rat race.
* Mostly delivered by multiple layers of government burying people in legislation, regulation, fees and taxes and often delivering questionable value.
* It is definitely a two paced economy in Australia at the moment. On one hand you have the Affluent to higher middle income earners whose earning have increased during the pandemic and remained relative unaffected by lockdowns., and on the other you have the rest whose wages have stagnated, costs risen and work hours reduced..
* I assume the affluent and unaffected are white collar and able to work from home types. I haven't seen any company give more than 3% pay rise. There is only so often you can chop and change jobs before you hit the ceiling then obviously the lifestyle inflation gets you.
* I’ve considered #vanlife too! Not sure I’d last very long though...
* There has been a major crackdown lately on where you can stay with vans.

‘Cheap knock-offs’: More delays for new, problem-plagued Sydney ferries. Tom Rabe May 27, 2021. 59 comments
Sydney’s problem-plagued River Class ferries will be more than a year late after even more issues were discovered with the overseas-built vessels.
Sydney Ferries operator Transdev on Wednesday said the 10 vessels, which were originally due to enter service in mid-2020, will need to undergo more work before they are ready to be rolled out later this year.
Two of the new River Class ferries.CREDIT:JOHN BENNETT
The work relates to the angle of the glass in the wheelhouse of the ferries, with ongoing reflection issues forcing the manufacturer to make further structural changes over the coming months.
It has already been revealed that the ferries cannot pass under two bridges on the Parramatta River if passengers are on top, have experienced stalling issues under emergency conditions and were also found to contain asbestos, which has since been removed.
The NSW government in March said the vessels would be rolled into service in “coming months” after the Herald revealed problems with their engine and gearbox.
But Transdev on Wednesday said those delivery time frames would be pushed back again to reduce the reflections caused by city lights during nighttime operations.
The spokesman said Transdev was assessing the problem to identify potential solutions, which would then need to be tested, with no clear timeframe as to when they will be delivered for service.
“A commissioning process of this magnitude takes time,” a Transdev spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This means delivery timeframes will be slightly delayed to enable some further work to continue with key parties.”
The government has previously blamed the lengthy delay of the River Class rollout on the coronavirus pandemic, saying the vessels had been shipped to Australia earlier than first planned from Indonesia, where more manufacturing work was meant to be completed.
Deputy Opposition Leader Yasmin Catley said the problems had arisen after the government bought “cheap knock-offs” from overseas instead of procuring the vessels in Australia.
“Once again we see further delays and significant safety issues. Andrew Constance needs to own up and admit that he made a serious mistake in ordering these ferries from overseas rather than engaging local firms,” Ms Catley said.
“If they were made here they would be good quality, safe, and – most importantly – would be creating NSW jobs.”
RELATED ARTICLE Two of the new River Class ferries. Sydney’s new ferries running late amid fresh safety concerns
The new vessels have capacity for 200, including 122 indoor seats, 18 outdoor seats on the lower deck and 10 seats on the upper deck.
The ferries will be added to circulation with the existing River Cats, which seat 230. They will replace the SuperCats, HarbourCats and four charter vessels that are supplementing regular services.
The cost of leasing the new ferries is part of the $1.3 billion contract awarded to Transdev in February 2019.
RELATED ARTICLE Scenes in Melbourne CDB today as Melbournians brace for stricter Covid 19 restrictions. Picture by Wayne Taylor 26th May 2021. As it happened: Victoria to begin lockdown for seven days as state’s COVID-19 cases continue to grow
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cheap-knock-offs-more-delays-for-new-problem-plagued-sydney-ferries-20210526-p57vf2.html>
* Yet again the state LNP government has made a poor decision when it goes to public transport in NSW.
First it was buy trains that did not fit on tracks so that bridges and stations had to be changed.
Now it is buy ferries that can't operate on the harbour and rivers of Sydney.
If this was a business it would probably be underwater or at least the people in charge would have been sacked.

Secret government report shows Bulimba to Teneriffe bridge is feasible. Tony Moore and Matt Dennien May 27, 2021
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/secret-government-report-shows-bulimba-to-teneriffe-bridge-is-feasible-20210526-p57ve9.html>

Cyclist killed after being hit by bus in inner Brisbane. Toby Crockford May 27, 2021
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/cyclist-killed-after-being-hit-by-bus-in-inner-brisbane-20210527-p57vt9.html>

MAY 27 2021 Canberra e-scooter rider taken to hospital after Turner crash. Alex Crowe
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7272116/scooter-rider-in-hospital-following-collision>