BUS CONTRACTS

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (14:55): I was distracted. I was on my 'Jennifer for PM' campaign! Right.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms CHAPMAN: My question, Madam Speaker, is to the Minister for Transport Services Under the government's bus contracts, are contractors financially better off if their drivers bypass the bus stops when the buses are running late and avoid incurring a timetable penalty than to actually pick the passengers up at the bus stops and incur late penalties?

Last Friday a radio caller boarded a bus, which, to his surprise, turned into an express bus failing to stop at any of the bus stops where the passengers were waiting. When the bus arrived at the city, the driver advised that he was told by the depot not to pick up passengers so that his bus could arrive in the city on time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.C. FOX (Bright—Minister for Transport Services) (14:57): Thank you, Madam Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! We will have some quiet so that we can hear the minister.

The Hon. C.C. FOX: Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I do thank the member for Bragg for this question. I would be deeply appreciative if she could get me some further details surrounding that: the number of the bus; the stops where it occurred; and the time that it occurred. I would be very interested to hear this. The member for Bragg is well aware that in most of these buses we do have CCTV which will enable us—and indeed the company—to examine what happened on that particular route last night. Last night?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.C. FOX: Thank you.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Unley, order!