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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-11 Daily Xml
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PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The Hon. SANDRA KANCK (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for State/Local Government Relations, representing the Minister for Transport, a question about a reliable public transport service.

Leave granted.

The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: I have been contacted by passengers who travel on bus services along Goodwood Road and who are increasingly frustrated at the service they are getting. Lately, they tell me that several older model buses have been put into service and that breakdowns are becoming more frequent.

The Adelaide Metro complaints process requires that customers who make a complaint will be contacted within 10 days, but there is no active resolution of problems and concerns. If your bus does not come, if it arrives late or if your driver gets off the bus and has a cigarette (and this particular instance has happened) even though the bus is behind schedule, you can ring and report it, but when you get a call back in 10 days it does nothing to deal with the incident or improve overall service delivery. This week I have heard of tack welds sticking up through bus upholstery on bus No. 880, of buses described as 'something from a transport museum' and of buses breaking down, doors being shut on passengers and late-running services.

Occasionally, I am told, passengers are surveyed during their journey. However, the tone of these surveys is very much based on how satisfied the customers are and not about the problems they are experiencing. My questions to the minister are:

1. Are all incidents where passengers are required to get off one bus and onto another due to mechanical failure reported by service providers to the government? Are incidents where no back-up bus is arranged but passengers are required to get off, anyway, also reported?

2. In relation to break downs, first, how many bus break downs are occurring; secondly, how many break downs are caused by poor maintenance; thirdly, has the operational life of some of the bus fleet been extended; and, fourthly, have any buses which have previously been taken out of service been returned to service and, if so, how many?

3. How many compressed natural gas buses are currently in service?

4. How much money has been spent on market research with Adelaide metro bus passengers for each of the past five years, what recommendations have been made as a result and have any of them been implemented?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:17): I will refer those questions to the Minister for Transport in another place and bring back a response.

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