23/9/11 TRANSIT HUB CALL FOR HOBART INNER CITY

Any consideration of the future of Hobart’s transport system must include a dedicated transit hub, according to Greens’ candidate for Lord Mayor Ald Helen Burnet.

“Overall, there is a lack of coordination of transport in our inner city, impacting on the local commuters and those going further afield.

“The guesswork should be eliminated by bringing our one mass transport system under the same roof in a location convenient for office workers and visitors”, Ald Burnet said.

The call comes as Ald Burnet’s second major position announcement in the lead up to the October Council elections. It dovetails with her bid to attract 5000 new residents to live in the inner city within 10 years. Earlier in the week Ald Burnet called for a bolstering of ferry services and infrastructure to make river transport a viable option for commuters, particularly for the eastern shore.

“Hobart could better serve residents and visitors alike by coordinating many of our bus services to the suburbs and country areas. The major form of transport needs a dedicated transit centre, and we as a Council do need to work with Metro in order to get serious about identifying this”.

Ald Burnet will be proposing the following motion at Monday’s City Council meeting:

That a report be prepared to consider identifying a suitable location for a transit hub in the Hobart CBD.

The transit hub should meet the following criteria:

1. Located close to the waterfront in order to link with water traffic including ferry and cruise liner
2. Have capacity to accommodate private and public bus services with a rapid embarkation and disembarkation
3. Be close to or include taxi ranks
4. Consider the needs of people with access issues
5. Ensure cycle lanes and pedestrian links encourage healthy transport to and from the transit hub

Rationale

Hobart is one of the only major cities in Australia that does not have a coordinated transport point for intrastate and intra-city transport. A central, dedicated transit hub would help locals move more easily around Hobart and Tasmania. It would also provide a central point for visitors and tourists to access transport options otherwise lacking coordination.

For further Information: Helen Burnet - 0417 284 267

www.helenburnet.com.au