PUBLIC TRANSPORT, SPECIAL EVENTS

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:29): Can the Minister for Transport Services inform the house about the additional public transport services available for the upcoming carnival weekend?

The Hon. C.C. FOX (Bright—Minister for Transport Services, Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts) (14:30): I thank the member for this very important question. This weekend promises to be yet another dynamic one in our already bustling city. The weather is going to be warm, there are a lot of activities on and, as a result, we are going to be planning extra public transport services for this long weekend. There is also going to be WOMAD, the Future Music Festival, the Adelaide Cup and the continuing Fringe and Adelaide festivals where we will be providing additional services specific to those events.

For the Adelaide Cup carnival Monday March 11, trams will be scheduled every 10 minutes; further additional trams will be ready for despatch at the completion of the Adelaide Cup (approximately 4.30pm) and the Future Music Festival at approximately 10.30pm. Extra buses will be on standby at the Morphettville Racecourse to assist the trams if required.

Additional buses from each contractor will be on standby over the whole weekend in the city on regular services and on substitute services on both the Noarlunga and Belair lines. With the excitement surrounding WOMADelaide, Adelaide Metro will be providing a Metroticket shuttle bus to and from Botanic Park during this event. Shuttle services will run between the city and Botanic Park with afternoon services scheduled for every 30 minutes and evening services scheduled every 15 minutes.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.C. FOX: Shall I continue?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Transport Services.

The Hon. C.C. FOX: Also, to assist patrons attending the event all O-Bahn services will drop off and pick up from stop 2 Hackney Road for the duration of the event. To make it easier for commuters to spot the WOMADelaide bus stops, signage will be installed at designated stops to alert WOMADelaide patrons where to catch the bus. Further information regarding scheduled times and the shuttle routes are available from the Adelaide Metro and the Adelaide Metro website.

Our trains on the Outer Harbor and Gawler Central lines will have increased capacity on Monday, with four additional services available on the Gawler Central line from Salisbury between 9am and 10.30am. Extra capacity will be provided on the Outer Harbor line in the morning and afternoon and in the evening on the Gawler line. There will be additional staff and railcars to provide additional services throughout the day and the evening and, if we need to, we can run an additional late service to Gawler.

All available taxi drivers will be working over this carnival weekend; that is, 988 general taxis will be out there and working hard. We are putting into this system the largest amount of money that we have ever put in. We are upgrading the rail network; we are investing in buses that are built here in the Premier's electorate; we are busy changing the face of public transport in this state.

I do not resile from the fact that there is inconvenience involved, but I will say this right now: it is better to invest in the future of this state, to invest in the infrastructure of this state than it is to let it just lie stagnant. I am proud of the investment that we are making in public transport infrastructure in this state.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Kavel to order, and warn the deputy leader for the first time.