The ACT Greens have released their transport policy for October’s election – including buses running every 20 minutes on weekdays.

Transport spokeswoman Jo Clay said the Greens would deliver Light Rail faster, maintain Rapid Bus services, and:

• Increase the frequency of all weekday suburban buses to at least every 20 minutes during the day;
• More than double weekend bus frequency to every 30 minutes;
• Build more bus lanes starting with Belconnen, Civic and Molonglo, to improve reliability and efficiency;
• Buy 100 more electric buses to grow the fleet and cut emissions; 
• Make bus stops better with more shelters, seats, lights, paths, and bike racks; and
• Make public transport free for kids, seniors and concession card holders.

Last month, the Canberra Liberals also announced their commitment to buses.

“The Greens want Canberra to be a truly liveable city, where it’s easy, comfortable and affordable to get around,” Ms Clay said.

“At the moment, too many people are locked into the expense of having a car because there isn’t an easy alternative. 

“Buses aren’t frequent enough, and the fact remains that they just aren’t a genuine option for many Canberrans. 

“Transport is also the ACT’s biggest polluter, so it’s critical we make our public transport system one that works for as many Canberrans as possible – to ease both the climate crisis and the cost of living.

“With extra buses, extra drivers, extra depots and dedicated bus lanes for our busiest corridors, we can create a public transport system that genuinely serves our whole city.  

“We need to create a ‘turn up and go’ bus service so frequent that people don’t have to plan their day around it. 

“The most liveable cities all have abundant, frequent and reliable public transport. The light rail is helping to bring Canberra closer to this, giving thousands more Canberrans a viable alternative to driving.  But a strong public transport system needs a quality bus system as well, mirroring and complementing the efficiency of the light rail.

“In delivering an efficient and reliable public transport service, we will not only deliver hundreds more electric buses, but also create hundreds of jobs for bus drivers. 

“The Greens Big Bus Plan will deliver a world class public transport that can get you where you need to go easily, comfortably, and affordably. 

Greens candidate for Murrumbidgee Harini Rangarajan said: “I’ve been using public transport for many years, and I know first-hand the impacts of an unreliable or infrequent bus service. Countless times I have been late for school and uni because the bus was late or simply didn’t show up at all.

“You shouldn’t have to plan your whole day around when your bus turns up.

“The Greens plan will deliver an integrated public transport system that is reliable and convenient. People can show up for a bus and be confident that it will get them where they need to go, on time. 

“Having free public transport for school students will have a massive impact in making our bus and light rail network more accessible for students, and provide much needed financial relief during this cost-of-living crisis.”

PTCBR welcomes consensus on buses

The Public Transport Association of Canberra (PTCBR) has welcomed the ACT Greens’ bus policy.

PTCBR Chair Ryan Hemsley said the ACT Greens’ policy represented a growing political consensus on the importance of providing high-quality bus services across Canberra.

“For many years, Canberrans have been asking for more frequent and reliable bus services to deliver a city-wide, integrated public transport network,” said Mr Hemsley.

“By announcing this policy, the ACT Greens have joined the Canberra Liberals in promising better public transport, no matter where you live in the nation’s capital.”

Mr Hemsley called on ACT Labor to match the ACT Greens’ commitment of running suburban buses every 20 minutes or better on weekdays, and 30 minutes or better on weekends.

“Canberrans want public transport that is reliable, frequent, and convenient. It’s time ACT Labor got on board with delivering more and better buses for Canberra.”