Message from
The President
Here we are again at the end of another year. This year our efforts have been with the government in adopting the introduction of the Bus Cost Model (BCM) and New Service Contracts for Rural School Bus Services. During the later part of the year discussions have commenced between Passenger Transport, the Association and operators towards developing a funding model and contract for General Access Services.
The Minister for Infrastructure on the 11 December released publicly the Core Passenger Service Review (CPSR) with 33 of the 34 recommendations being accepted by Government. Many would agree, we never thought that this day would ever eventuate following the procrastination by the Government up until 2004. The Review together with its recommendations is now the framework for which industry and Government are now able to work.
As we enter 2008 we hope to see the positive and rewarding outcomes that we have been working towards for many years. The passenger transport industry has been a long time waiting for clear guidelines together with fair and equitable funding models to progress forward.
Following the review of Rural School Bus Services (RSBS) by the CPSR all operators with contracts that are no longer viable have received a letter offering compensation payment of one year’s gross contract payment.
To all of our members who will be exiting the industry through the compensation program we thank you for your contribution, in many cases being past members of the Tasmanian School Bus Association Executive and particularly your contribution to an industry that has an enviable safety record in the transport of school children. We wish you all the best in whatever venture you may pursue.
Operators of RSBS may expect to receive from the Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources a New Service Contract early in the New Year.
The Association during the first week of the New Year will be providing to members with this type of service a risk analysis of the new contract that has been completed by the Association Solicitors.
Next year we will still have our challenges and many face issues that we still need to address.
Last year I made note that one of our major challenges is to overcome this Government’s poor attitude to a public transport culture and to appreciate the contribution our industry makes towards restricting social exclusion to Tasmanian communities. I feel confident that now we have the CPSR report and recommendations and the newly formed Passenger Transport Division that this will change. I also acknowledge John Pauley and his team for the effort in working with the industry to achieve many positive outcomes.
The Board will continue its professional approach in utilising resources from both within and outside our Association in negotiating further benefits to our industry and to continually lobby Local, State and Federal Governments.
I wish all members, Directors, Geoff and their families and staff a very happy and joyful Christmas and trust that the New Year is safe and healthy for all our friends and relatives.
Shane Dewsbery (Bubbles)
President
TBA Services Pty Ltd
The decision by the Board to form TBA Services as the company to develop member services has to date been an outstanding success.
The major undertaking so far has been the setting up of a statewide vehicle inspection program covering most areas of the state on a regular basis. The support from you as members in utilising the service has been most gratifying to the Board together with a special thank you going to John Eustace for his professional contribution to our businesses in his approach to the vehicle inspection program being provided.
We plan to see more developments with TBA Services during 2008.
Road and Student Safety Programs
The Association continues to implement safety measures with emphasis on the safety of children in and around school buses. The launch of the Code of Behaviour in conjunction with Metro in March followed closely by the introduction of the 40 kph signs to replace the children walking sign has received a most positive response. The Board in promoting safety of children around school buses placed advertisements in the three Tasmanian daily newspapers at the start of the third school term.
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
The Association continues to monitor DDA, and we are working to assist members in the interim phase before disabled access services can be provided.
The Board was delighted that one of the recommendations from the CPSR report was the recognition of the additional costs that operators of General Access Services must meet in providing services for travelers with disabilities. This has been an area where the association has lobbied hard during the review for Government to recognize that without additional funding operators would be unable to achieve DDA compliance.
Accreditation for Open Tour & Charter
There have been several discussions with the Tasmanian Tourism Industry Council (TTIC). The TTIC is now undertaking a review of its Tourism program with the TBA putting forward to the review the common areas between TTIC accreditation program together with the Passenger Transport Operator Accreditation and as to how is the most cost effective way to deliver both schemes to members. During the year our General Manager was elected to the position as a Director of TTIC representing the transport sector.
Vehicles for Sale
The Association website now has a section listing vehicles for sale. Should you wish to advertise vehicles for sale on the website, please contact the Association Office.
National Awards
Congratulations to John Usher winning the National Award for Outstanding Contribution.
Congratulations also go to Ian Garth for his local Achiever Award and his nomination in the National Awards.
Industry Update Nationally
The Bus Industry Confederation has been very active this year in the Federal arena. Access to the national industry issues may be viewed on:
BIC Column - December
ALP, ALBANESE, THE SENATE AND BIC
The election is over, the King is dead, long live the new King. It is time to move on and position the Industry over the next 3 years of the Rudd Government to ensure that the bus and coach sector matters and public transport become high profile issues in the ALP’s policy platform. At the same time the BIC will have a strategic lobbying focus in the Senate, which has some very interesting numbers and parties who will be influential when deals need to done, not least among them the Greens who went into the election with a strong public transport policy platform.
That is not to say that BIC is starting all over again with this new Government. Far from it. BIC has met with all political parties over the last 6 years since establishing our national office in Canberra and is I believe in a solid position to move forward with the Industry’s strategic lobbying efforts and have its ideas in regard to a National Moving People strategy becoming a reality.
Over the past few years, as well as working with the Howard government we have been developing relationships with the ALP, the Greens, the Independents and this can be seen in the policy platforms that the ALP and the Greens in particular took into the federal election in relation to the role of Public Transport in addressing issues such as congestion, climate change, housing affordability and so on.
I thought it would be useful to outline some of these key policies as they will be the foundation upon which the BIC will plan its lobbying efforts over the next few years.
As I have said in the past, getting Government to adopt policy initiatives is a long term process more akin to dripping water on a stone than any rush of blood move to action. However, as you can see from my edited version of the ALP policy platform that was adopted at the ALP National Conference in April this year and was the policy platform the ALP went to the election with, we haven’t been wasting our time in Canberra and there are opportunities for the Industry to achieve some of its objectives in this term of the Rudd Government.
KEY ALP POLICY RELATED TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT
CHAPTER 6 – section 34 – BUILDING TRANSPORT CAPACITY
. Develop a national transport planning strategy aimed at implementing a world class national transport network, with consistent performance benchmarks across road, rail, sea and air including urban public transport to ensure that Australia has a coherent transport systems;
. Ensure that Australians have access to adequate transport services by providing appropriate financial assistance to State governments to improve and extend public transport systems in urban and regional Australia for employment, environmental, education and training, social justice and economic reasons to alleviate congestion;
. Foster the use of public transport by exploring tax treatment of public transport to remove the disincentives compared to the concessional treatment of company cars;
. Undertake a comprehensive investigation of contemporary Travel Demand Management initiatives;
CHAPTER 6 – section 40 - URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT
. Recognise the role for Commonwealth involvement in delivering urban public transport infrastructure, with particular focus on the needs of poor regions in outer urban and regional areas;
. Assist State and local governments to integrate land use and transport planning;
. Provide appropriate financial assistance to State Governments to improve and extend public transport systems in urban and regional Australia for employment, education and training, health and social justice and economic reasons;
. Achieve greater use of all forms of public transport, thereby contributing to reductions in emissions and congestion;
. Improve integration of various public transport modes through development of intermodal interchanges;
CHAPTER 6 – section 76 to 79 - IMPROVING URBAN TRANSPORT
. Australia’s national government is unique among Western countries in making no contribution to urban public transport infrastructure. Labor believes that safe, clean and efficient public transport in our major cities is critical to addressing the economic problem of traffic congestion and the environmental, health and social impacts of increased car use;
. Labor recognizes that decent access to public transport in our outer suburbs is vital if we are to treat those who live their fairly, to protect our environment and to avoid creating pockets of social exclusion. Labor will invest in public transport in outer urban regions and new growth corridors, in partnership with State, Territory and local governments;
. Labor will adopt a more flexible approach to transport funding for local government, giving individual councils greater scope to fund projects such as public transport infrastructure, real time passenger information systems, intermodal hubs and exchanges and pedestrian and cycle ways;
CHAPTER 6 – section 87 - CHALLENGING POVERTY AND EXCLUSION IN THE CITIES
. Labor will establish a new urban renewal program in cooperation with States, Territories and local governments, the business and not for profit sectors and local communities to revitalize Australia’s most disadvantaged urban communities, building on existing neighbourhood renewal programs. Labor’s urban revitalization program will take into account the need to invest in infrastructure as well as human capital, recognizing that decent housing, transport and community infrastructure are fundamental to supporting social inclusion.
The ALP policy platform provides great scope for the BIC to work with Anthony Albanese and the Rudd Government to see for the first time a greater national focus on public transport matters.
As I have mentioned the Senate is also a place of mystery and intrigue due to its makeup and provides the BIC scope to not only influence the Government to be proactive in relation to bus and coach matters and public transport generally but to use the weight of opinion of party’s like, The Greens and Family First and Mister X from South Australia to give us an opportunity to encourage the Commonwealth take a much more proactive role in public transport in Australia.