Transit Newsfile

摘要

A Senate Report 'Role of public transport in delivering productivity outcomes' has stated that the Commonwealth should not prioritise roads over rail projects, but should be willing to fund both according to merit. The report found that public transport is crucial to raising national productivity by reducing congestion and 'should be considered as nationally significant infrastructure', just as roads are. 'The committee recommends that wider economic costs and benefits, including social and economic connectivity, environmental factors, active lifestyle benefits, safety factors and avoided costs and benefits be factored into transport project analysis,' the report stated. Government Senators on the committee issued their own dissenting report that disputed the 'underlying assumption' that the Abbott government did not support public transport. The report considered evidence that Australia's major cities were the engine rooms of the national economy, generating about 80% of gross domestic product and employing 75% of the workforce, so 'ensuring that businesses across cities have access to a range of skilled workers is more important to growth and productivity than ever before'.