Around the world, very few public transport agencies make money, while ride-sharing companies are making huge losses. So why partner up, and how do those partnerships work?
The Victorian government has announced it is replacing the state’s public transport ticketing system. So what essential features should a state-of-the-art system offer users?
Converting to electric cars is going to take time. With transport being Australia’s fastest-growing source of emissions, action on all fronts – road, rail, sea and aviation – is needed.
Labor and the Coalition are promising $19 billion between them for transport projects – way down on the $163 billion promised in 2018 – but they’re as scornful of proper assessment processes as ever.
City planning needs up-to-date data on where people work, how they get to work and how far they travel. Normally the census provides that, but this time round our biggest cities were in lockdown.
Free public transport risks worsening social inequalities, helping wealthier households who live in areas with good services while those in outer suburbs must still use cars.
There’s more spending on small local projects, so does it follow that it’s ‘pork-barrelling’? A new report shows what really matters is if the money is allocated under objective, transparent criteria.
Anthony Albanese’s plan for high-speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle could well be worth the cost, so long as he doesn’t muddy it with 1970s-style industry policy.
Regional NSW, home to a third of the state’s population, is still waiting for the promise of faster train travel to be delivered. Other states improved their regional services years ago.
Many Australians are dog owners but feelings run high over the issue of allowing dogs on public transport. Despite polarised opinions, experience overseas shows how concerns can be managed.
A global study of 117 cities finds Australian capitals have fairly poor access by car. Public transport, cycling and walking access is better than in the US, but not as good as in Europe and China.
Transport is the one sector where Australia hasn’t reined in the growth in greenhouse gas emissions. Electric cars will cut emissions but still leave us with all the other problems of car use.
The push for 30km/h speed limits is not about revenue-raising or anti-cars. Even a seemingly small decrease from 40km/h to 30km/h makes a huge difference to the safety and liveability of local streets.
It has happened with software, computing and entertainment, but we’re still waiting for the platform needed for mobility as a service to reach its full potential.
Instead of free parking, our post-COVID CBDs need a big vision to become attractive destinations that aren’t car-friendly at the expense of being people-friendly.
Electric vehicles would lower emissions, but if their lower running costs lead to increased car use that creates a whole lot of other costs for our cities.