COMMENT, Melbourne — A lack of focus on transport infrastructure has cost Melbourne & Victorians across the State dearly. The latest in a litany of incidents today was a tram jam at Flinders & Swanston in the centre.
3 transport methods were blocked. 2 busy corridors were blocked.
Trams were blocked on Flinders St. And Swanston St, both ways.
Cars were blocked at the busy 2 corridor intersection, or at least impeded.
Taxis were not running from the main Train Station.
The cause – 1 broken down tram. Frequently a single tram breakdown (frequent event) will cause total grid-lock in the city, and flow-on effects.
The photos below show the problem. If you look closely you can see a common sight, pensioners walking 2 or more blocks because trams don’t run.
Melbourne’s Transport Collapse.
As today’s article in The Age reported, Trains fare no better in Melbourne. Trains do not allow the workforce to get to the CBD, let alone complete complex journeys.
Taxis are broadly unsafe, with drivers refusing fares, refusing to give change of $20 or $50 in many instances, not turning up, or pressuring passengers & taking long routes.
Trams are unmaintained, unclean and never running on schedule. Trams that supposedly run every 12 minutes, may not show for 24 or 36 minutes. Do these get reported in statistics?
Cars are the best option in terms of mobility, yet have traffic jams, toll-roads require parking and are not available to sectors of citizens and visitors.
Paying lip service to the environment whilst failing to build public transport solutions, or even deliver basic services, are a constant drain on the public purse. There is NO LOGIC in Victorian Government transport actions or policy.
Mismanagement, lack of maintenance, ineptitude and total abject policy failure in transport in Melbourne.
This can Change.
2thinknow are currently ranking Innovation Cities Index 2009.
Melbourne will rank well on many initiatives, notably excellence in food, retailing, arts & culture. However, mobility of citizens will rank poorly, as will related environmental factors.
This is actually low-hanging fruit, but the State Government have dropped the ball. Here’s some simple, non-policy reasons.
Maintain rolling stock. Not done.
Clean rolling stock. Not done.
Decentralise the department to people who actually run trains, trams & buses, not report on them. Not done.
We need proper training a proper system and a proper framework. Training, not done.
Logical Decision Making frameworks, not just economics. Not Done.
Bring back conductors. Not done.
Scratch Myki, a system that will slow down transport. Not done. Any MBA will explain Sunk Costs. And the State Government needs to recognize that this is a debacle.
There are solutions. But they require a declaration of failure.
A declaration of let’s start again in Victoria.
Transport Re-Boot.
The Government of Victoria has epically failed in the delivery of Transport. Admit it.
Then stop all wasteful spending and re-boot. It can be done. Let’s start.
Melbourne Transport. Human Cost.
COMMENT, Melbourne — A lack of focus on transport infrastructure has cost Melbourne & Victorians across the State dearly. The latest in a litany of incidents today was a tram jam at Flinders & Swanston in the centre.
3 transport methods were blocked. 2 busy corridors were blocked.
The cause – 1 broken down tram. Frequently a single tram breakdown (frequent event) will cause total grid-lock in the city, and flow-on effects.
The photos below show the problem. If you look closely you can see a common sight, pensioners walking 2 or more blocks because trams don’t run.
Melbourne’s Transport Collapse.
As today’s article in The Age reported, Trains fare no better in Melbourne. Trains do not allow the workforce to get to the CBD, let alone complete complex journeys.
Taxis are broadly unsafe, with drivers refusing fares, refusing to give change of $20 or $50 in many instances, not turning up, or pressuring passengers & taking long routes.
Trams are unmaintained, unclean and never running on schedule. Trams that supposedly run every 12 minutes, may not show for 24 or 36 minutes. Do these get reported in statistics?
Cars are the best option in terms of mobility, yet have traffic jams, toll-roads require parking and are not available to sectors of citizens and visitors.
Paying lip service to the environment whilst failing to build public transport solutions, or even deliver basic services, are a constant drain on the public purse. There is NO LOGIC in Victorian Government transport actions or policy.
Mismanagement, lack of maintenance, ineptitude and total abject policy failure in transport in Melbourne.
This can Change.
2thinknow are currently ranking Innovation Cities Index 2009.
Melbourne will rank well on many initiatives, notably excellence in food, retailing, arts & culture. However, mobility of citizens will rank poorly, as will related environmental factors.
This is actually low-hanging fruit, but the State Government have dropped the ball. Here’s some simple, non-policy reasons.
There are solutions. But they require a declaration of failure.
A declaration of let’s start again in Victoria.
Transport Re-Boot.
The Government of Victoria has epically failed in the delivery of Transport. Admit it.
Then stop all wasteful spending and re-boot. It can be done. Let’s start.
2thinknow is an innovation agency providing tools for the innovation economy to cities, business, start-ups, government and creatives.
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Filed under: Asia, COMMENT, Government & politics, Mobility, autos, cycling & transport Tagged: Brumby Government, Buses, cars, Driving, Featured, Flinders St, Local Innovation, melbourne, Melbourne & Victoria, public transport, Taxis, trains, trams, transport policy, Urban Mobility, Victoria, Yarra trams |