Last year a parliamentary committee inquired into sustainable employment for disadvantaged jobseekers. I put in a detailed submission devoted to the transport aspects of this. In particular I proposed a job ready public transport network that better served where many disadvantaged jobseekers live and would be most likely to find jobs. This would be quite different from current timetables that best suit middle-class 9-5 CBD office workers and are arguably anti-poor.
The committee heeded my submission and included in its final report support for public transport that better suited jobseekers travel needs.
The specific recommendation (65) reads:
That the Department of Transport review the number and frequency of bus services to and from education centres and commercial and industrial zones in metropolitan and regional Victoria in relation to where jobseekers facing disadvantage live, and make improvements where necessary to increase access.
Government response
The final stage of this process is that the government must provide a response, addressing each of the inquiry's findings. It did so on April 30, 2021. You can read it here.
Today I'll comment purely on the government's response as it relates to transport.
Page 17 of the response says the government supports the recommendation in full. Their response is as follows:
The Victorian Government’s $100 million Better Bus Fund and the $28 million More Regional Bus Services initiative has delivered improved bus networks and services across Melbourne and Regional Victoria. These investments supplemented by other funding into bus services has made it easier for students to get to school, TAFE, University as well as VCAL and VET classes.
The 2020-21 State Budget committed another $25 million to improving bus services including initiatives that make it easier and safer for students to get to school. The Victorian Government regularly reviews bus routes across the network as changing transport needs arise across the network. When reviewing existing bus routes or planning new ones, factors considered include the likely number of users, suitability of the road network for bus operations, development of a direct and easily understood network, and connectivity with other public transport services.
As part of the new timetable delivered in January 2021, approximately 360 bus and coach routes are progressively being re-coordinated to align with the new timetable. Coordination between buses/coaches and trains is vital as it helps people access education, employment and health services and it enables people to participate in social and sporting activities. It also helps to reduce demand for station car parking and reduces traffic congestion at the station and on roads.
The Victorian Government’s Flexible Local Transport Solutions Program invests in small-scale initiatives across Victoria that addresses transport disadvantage, integrates with other local transport options and improves transport access. The program aims to support flexible, tailored transport services or trials particularly in regional Victoria and outer suburban/interface areas.
The Government works through Regional Partnerships, local councils and community organisations to identify and co-fund projects and initiatives that strengthen communities by improving access to local transport services and infrastructure. Projects funded include initiatives to provide vital transport services for disadvantaged young people to access VET programs in South Gippsland.
The Victorian Government’s $100 million Better Bus Fund and the $28 million More Regional Bus Services initiative has delivered improved bus networks and services across Melbourne and Regional Victoria. These investments supplemented by other funding into bus services has made it easier for students to get to school, TAFE, University as well as VCAL and VET classes.
There have undoubtedly been benefits but changes have been at the margins. Value for money spent has been less than it should as changes generally comprised new routes layered over an otherwise unchanged existing network (Endeavour Hills was the main exception - discussed here). In other cases the wrong routes were upgraded with only a fraction of the possible benefits. Or there was an emphasis on access to education/training rather than jobs (not a bad thing in itself but still limits access to jobs).
The 2020-21 State Budget committed another $25 million to improving bus services including initiatives that make it easier and safer for students to get to school.
The main mention here was on school transport. Apart from the Route 788 upgrade this budget was disappointing for users of route bus services. Service per capita continued to decline and many areas remain with no or limited service as the budget was almost exclusively about major transport infrastructure, not service. My write-up on 2020-21 budget is here.
The Victorian Government regularly reviews bus routes across the network as changing transport needs arise across the network. When reviewing existing bus routes or planning new ones, factors considered include the likely number of users, suitability of the road network for bus operations, development of a direct and easily understood network, and connectivity with other public transport services.
The pace of review and improvement to bus services is both (a) currently extremely slow and (b) much less in the five years to 2020 than it was in the five years to 2015 and (especially) the five years to 2010. There is no indication that the needs of disadvantaged jobseekers are being considered despite many living in areas that have high propensity for bus use. Service upgrades in such areas should thus give good patronage returns per dollar spent.
As part of the new timetable delivered in January 2021, approximately 360 bus and coach routes are progressively being re-coordinated to align with the new timetable. Coordination between buses/coaches and trains is vital as it helps people access education, employment and health services and it enables people to participate in social and sporting activities. It also helps to reduce demand for station car parking and reduces traffic congestion at the station and on roads.
This is regular business that seeks to maintain what existing bus/train coordination there is when train timetables change. It should be noted that the emphasis in recoordination is to favour morning travel towards the CBD and afternoon travel from it. This may or may not assist those who work in non-CBD locations or make trips opposite to the peak direction. I discussed 2021's recoordination here, here and here.
The Victorian Government’s Flexible Local Transport Solutions Program invests in small-scale initiatives across Victoria that addresses transport disadvantage, integrates with other local transport options and improves transport access. The program aims to support flexible, tailored transport services or trials particularly in regional Victoria and outer suburban/interface areas.
The Government works through Regional Partnerships, local councils and community organisations to identify and co-fund projects and initiatives that strengthen communities by improving access to local transport services and infrastructure. Projects funded include initiatives to provide vital transport services for disadvantaged young people to access VET programs in South Gippsland.
These are typically very infrequent services that may only operate a few days a week. Unless you are very lucky they do not run at times that suits peoples' needs (unless aimed at targeted groups eg VET participants). They do not replace the role that a comprehensive local network should play.
There was at least one case where the government did something highly beneficial but undersold itself by not including it in its response. Possibly because the recommendation was about buses and the change was a new train timetable with a significant number of service upgrades. Nevertheless disadvantaged jobseekers use trains too and improvements here, especially off-peak, would be beneficial.
I refer to the January 31, 2021 train timetable upgrades that improved service frequencies to Ballarat/Melton and reduced maximum waits on the Frankston, Werribee and Williamstown lines from 30 - 40 to 20 minutes. Spreading such an upgrade network wide would be a major improvement to the network's job readiness and something I recommended in my submission.
Subsequent good news
The government's response was written before the 2021 state budget was handed down. It would have been constrained by the infrastructure-heavy 2020 budget that had very little for improved transport services. 2021's budget was better, with mention of bus network reform (something that previous ministers Allan and Horne pushed less on) and more funding for better services.
The budget document itself had little detail but more came out in the days subsequent. Those that would help make the network more job ready include:
(a) Improved bus services for Fishermans Bend
(b) New route 154 from Tarneit to Palmers Rd
No one lives at Fishermans Bend. But there are lots of jobs here with buses the only public transport mode. A bus upgrade here should be beneficial for many trips to work.
Possibly of potential greater importance to disadvantaged jobseekers is the proposed bus route 154. This serves new housing estates and some jobs near Palmers Rd. This is a significant improvement over now, where there is no route from Tarneit to here.
With usual budget to implementation lead times of new bus routes exceeding two years and possible revived interest in bus network reform I would not however completely discount the possibility of the 154 eventually getting a better and more useful eastern terminus, either on Day 1 or (more likely) somewhat later.
Conclusion
The government's response (on transport) to the Disadvantaged Jobseeker Inquiry has been underwhelming. However subsequent improvements (notably train service upgrades) and 2021 budget measures give more hope than just looking at the response might provide.
1 comment:
Bus start times also need review - plenty of routes don't arrive stations before 6:30am, making industrial jobs hard to reach on PT & contributing to station parking woes
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