Public Transport

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (15:33): The matter I rise to speak on this afternoon is one that will be of interest to all residents of Greater Adelaide who care about reducing carbon emissions and congestion on our roads—that is, of course, public transport policy. The Greens are strong supporters of free public transport for everyone, and I will continue to advocate for that here in this place, but there is a new approach in Germany that is proving popular that I want to draw to members' attention.

Some German states have implemented a policy whereby people can choose to surrender their driving licences in exchange for unlimited access to public transport for an entire year. The program has been very successful so far, with one state seeing about a thousand people relinquishing their driving licences. The free year on public transport allows German residents to travel on all modes of public transport, including train and bus.

Let us consider the benefits of such a scheme for Adelaide. First and foremost, it would improve safety. Fewer vehicles on our roads would significantly reduce the risks of accidents for all road users. By offering an alternative to driving, we can reduce congestion, which we know of course is a major contributor to collisions. I stress that this is not about forcing anybody to give up their licence. It's an optional scheme, but the evidence from Germany demonstrates that people elect to do it when they are given that choice.

There is also a significant economic angle for us to consider here. When you look at the eyewatering amount that the state government is spending on the north-south corridor—I think it is about $15 billion of state and federal government money—it is easy to see what could be achieved if we invested more money into public transport. One tram expert has advised me that one tram line could service the same number of people as the north-south corridor. Asking people to swap their licence for free public transport for a year would enable the state to focus more on public transport infrastructure, rather than simply overspend on excessive road infrastructure.

The program would also be a catalyst for increased usage of public transport, which would then create an incentive and the means to invest in better services, more frequent schedules and new routes. This improvement in public transport would benefit all residents, not just those who participate in the scheme, making our cities more liveable and accessible for everybody. A program like this also creates greater equality. The cost of maintaining and running a car can be a significant barrier for people on low incomes. Offering free public transport essentially puts money back into the pockets of all South Australians.

Let's not underestimate the benefits that could flow from such a scheme. Public transport is not just about getting from A to B, it is about communities. Encouraging more people to use public transport creates opportunities for social interaction and it reduces isolation. This initiative would also align perfectly with our state's environmental goals. By encouraging a shift from private vehicles to public transport, we could significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Fewer cars on the road means lower emissions, less congestion, improved air quality and it is a tangible step towards our state's climate change targets.

This would, of course, require some investment and focus from government and we believe in the Greens that any such scheme should be accompanied by an investment in expanding the public transport network because it has been neglected for a long period of time. This is an initiative that could be rolled out here in South Australia and I suggest is an initiative that the state government could partner with the City of Adelaide to implement.

I think it is something that would, to the point raised by the Hon. Russell Wortley, further cement Adelaide's status as a liveable city. One of the areas where we really lag behind is public transport infrastructure. I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Sydney. Looking at that state, you do really see that they have a much better public transport network, a far superior network to Adelaide's, and really the state Labor government that has been in power for 30 of the last 50 years here in this state really needs to do something about public transport infrastructure. This is just one idea that I think the government should look at.