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Tasmanian Bus Association
Policy Statement
·Charter
To
promote the Tasmanian Bus Industry in partnership with Government, as an
important element to ensuring the future sustainability of Tasmania’s
land transport system to provide Tasmanian communities a viable and
alternative travel choice to the car and ensure services meet the mobility
requirements of all in the community.
The Goals of the Tasmanian bus association
The
Tasmanian Bus Association will;
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Protect the ongoing viability of the Tasmanian Bus Industry.
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Develop and implement policies that improve the efficiency and
professionalism of the Tasmanian Bus Industry.
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Provide assistance and advice to bus operators on issues which will
impact on their business
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Promote industry unity and professionalism.
-
Stimulate employment opportunities and job security within the
industry by encouraging sustainable growth of business.
POLICY
DIRECTION
The TBA
will work to achieving its goals by developing a strategic work program
with its policy focus being in the following areas:
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Safety
To ensure that travel by bus and coach remains the safest
means of land transport in Tasmania.
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Access
To ensure bus services meet customer travel needs.
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Equity
To ensure that a reasonable basic level of mobility is
available to all irrespective of personal circumstances or location.
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Environment
To reduce the level of emissions to air and water
attributable to the bus and coach industry and contribute to the lowering
of overall transport emissions.
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Economic
To
improve the efficiency of bus and coach passenger transport services.
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Professionalism / Visibility
Raise
the business professionalism and profile of the Tasmanian bus and coach
industry.
Objectives
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To increase patronage of bus and coach services by 15% by 2020
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To reduce the average age of the Tasmanian bus and coach fleet to
15 years by 2020
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To rationalise existing passenger transport services and use
existing funding more efficiently.
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To identify opportunities to increase Public Transport funding from
State and Commonwealth Governments.
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To promote the Tasmanian Accreditation program to be recognised as
Industry benchmark, ‘Entry Point’ to industry and mutually recognised
by all States.
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To monitor and manage Industrial Relations issues impacting on
Tasmanian Industry.
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To promote public transport and bus and coach travel as a viable
alternative travel choice
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To meet customer expectations
Sector Focus
School
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Policy
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Key Issues / Challenges
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Safety
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Accreditation standards to be rigorously upheld to ensure safe
operation of school services with a particular focus on keeping
maintenance standards up to date with regulation and technology.
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Seat belts to be introduced to the school fleet on a voluntary basis
and retrofitted according to the Code of Practice for retrofitting
seat belts in buses.
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Reduce the age of the fleet by contractual and partnership
arrangements with the Tasmanian Government and BIC to obtain
Commonwealth assistance.
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Develop a ‘Student Behaviour’ manual for primary school
curriculum’s to educate children about behaviour on and off the
bus.
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Access
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Association and school operators to play an active role in
identifying and providing solutions to identified areas of
‘disadvantage’ for school services.
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Work with Government and suppliers to increase the frequency and
coverage, reliability and integration of bus services and improve
related information and ticketing systems as a means of improving
community access to services.
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Undertake and support community education and research into factors
influencing choice of travel mode, the benefits of using public
transport and the marketing of public transport services in
partnership with all tiers of Government, community and industry
groups.
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Equity
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Promote accessible public transport and supporting infrastructure to
meet the needs of those with relatively low levels of physical
mobility whilst recognising the need for viability in the bus
industry.
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Define with the Tasmanian Government reasonable public transport
service levels for communities and propose means of funding these
service levels.
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Identify existing funding sources from non-transport departments and
investigate opportunities to improve services and utilise existing
transport services more efficiently.
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Environment
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Promote steps to directly reduce bus industry emissions (by use of
new, lower emission engines and cleaner fuels) and other pollution
and also by encouraging passengers to transfer from car to bus.
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Economic
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Identify and implement opportunities to generate efficiencies of
better utilising the existing passenger vehicle fleet beginning with
a comprehensive ‘asset’ audit of public transport services,
vehicles etc.
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Promote improved transport pricing systems to fully reflect the
external costs of private vehicle travel.
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Contractual arrangements to be developed in partnerships with
Government that clearly articulate and agree the outcomes being
sought include incentives and rewards for performance and the costs
of capital to encourage the purchase of new vehicles.
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Investigate opportunities to develop a bus manufacturing factory in
Tasmania.
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Professionalism
/ Visibility
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Raise and maintain industry standards through ‘accreditation’
programs in all areas of bus and coach operations covering:
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Vehicle Standard
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Driver Standards
- Operator Standards
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Promote the benefits of public transport in partnership with the
Government and community.
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Sector Focus
Route
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Policy
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Key Issues / Challenges
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Safety
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Accreditation standards to be rigorously upheld to ensure safe
operation of Route services with a particular focus on keeping
maintenance standards up to date with regulation and technology.
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Adopt with the Tasmanian Government an agreed seat belt policy and
standee’s policy.
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Access
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Ensure buses can deliver the requirements of the Disability
Discrimination Act within the required time framework.
_
Work with Government and suppliers to increase the frequency and
coverage, reliability and integration of bus services and improve
related information and ticketing systems as a means of improving
community access to services.
-
Undertake and support community education and research into factors
influencing choice of travel mode, the benefits of using public
transport and the marketing of public transport services in
partnership with all tiers of Government, community and industry
groups.
|
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Equity
|
-
Promote accessible public transport and supporting infrastructure to
meet the needs of those with relatively low levels of physical
mobility whilst recognising the need for viability in the bus
industry.
-
Define with the Tasmanian Government reasonable public transport
service levels for communities and propose means of funding these
service levels.
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Obtain support to reduce the age of the fleet and meet DDA
requirements.
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Environment
|
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Promote steps to directly reduce bus industry emissions (by use of
new, lower emission engines and cleaner fuels) and other pollution
and also by encouraging passengers to transfer from car to bus.
|
|
Economic
|
-
Identify and implement opportunities to generate efficiencies of
better utilising the existing passenger vehicle fleet beginning with
a comprehensive ‘asset’ audit of public transport services,
vehicles etc.
-
Promote improved transport pricing systems to fully reflect the
external costs of private vehicle travel.
-
Contractual arrangements to be developed in partnerships with
Government that clearly articulate and agree the outcomes being
sought include incentives and rewards for performance and the costs
of capital to encourage the purchase of new vehicles.
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Identify service opportunities to promote regional connectivity and
access to essential services for Regional Tasmania.
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Investigate opportunities to develop a bus manufacturing body
facility in Tasmania.
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Professionalism
/ Visibility
|
-
Raise and maintain industry standards through ‘accreditation’
programs in all areas of bus and coach operations covering:
-
Vehicle Standard
-
Driver Standards
- Operator Standards
-
Promote the benefits of public transport in partnership with the
Government and community.
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Sector
Focus
Tour and Charter
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Policy
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Key Issues / Challenges
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Safety
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Accreditation standards to be rigorously upheld to ensure safe
operation of Tour and Charter services with a particular focus on
keeping maintenance standards up to date with regulation and
technology.
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Access
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Ensure coaches can deliver the requirements of the Disability
Discrimination Act within the required time framework.
-
Undertake and support community education and research into factors
influencing choice of travel mode, the benefits of using public
transport and the marketing of public transport services in
partnership with all tiers of Government community and industry
groups.
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Equity
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Identify how existing tour and charter services could be better
utilised and integrated into broader ‘community’ transport
requirements.
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Environment
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Promote steps to directly reduce bus industry emissions (by use of
new, lower emission engines and cleaner fuels) and other pollution
and also by encouraging passengers to transfer from car to bus.
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Provide and promote ‘eco-tourism’ and coach travel as
‘green’ partners.
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Economic
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Identify and implement opportunities to generate efficiencies of
better utilising the existing passenger vehicle fleet beginning with
a comprehensive ‘asset’ audit of public transport services,
vehicles etc.
-
Promote improved transport pricing systems to fully reflect the
external costs of private vehicle travel.
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Improved coach utilisation to be developed in partnership with
Government and other sectors of the tourism industry that clearly
articulate and agree the outcomes being sought to include incentives
and rewards for performance and the costs of capital to encourage
the purchase of new vehicles.
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Identify opportunities to integrate existing tourism and charter
services with regional Tasmania’s mobility needs.
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Develop a strategic ‘land transport’ tourism plan for Tasmania.
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Investigate opportunities to develop a bus manufacturing body
facility in Tasmania.
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Investigate opportunities to reduce impact of interstate coaches on
local industry.
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Professionalism
/ Visibility
|
-
Raise and maintain industry standards through ‘accreditation’
programs in all areas of bus and coach operations covering:
-
Vehicle Standard
-
Driver Standards
- Operator Standards
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Develop with the Tasmanian Government a ‘coach travel’ of
Tasmania Promotion.
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Tasmanian Bus Association Strategies
How
– Strategies
·Strong &
committed Association. “Sell
it to Yourself”
·Effective
Representation
o Regulatory
Partnerships
o Politicians
o Tourism
·Strategic
Alliances
·Clearly
articulated policies backed by research.
·Industry
Standards
·National
Support
·Communications
o Industry
o Community
o Media
Key Strategies
·Research Foundation
o
PT
Asset Audit
o
Industry facts & stats
·Manage
– Develop a process to handle specific operator queries.
·Articulate
Directors roles and responsibilities.
The Future Tasmanian Passenger
Transport Task
Areas of Future Growth
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Remove school owned buses
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Modern buses for all services
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Better rate of remuneration
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Better off-site services – support infrastructure
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Better public education
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Control of own destiny
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Strong partnerships – other Associations
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Extended value for Membership
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Formation of Industry Advisory Group (PT)
Key
things you want to do
·Research
·Better use of media / PR campaigns
o
Association image / perception
·Directors Roles &
Responsibilities
·Develop process for dealing with
specific operator requests.
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