This document is part of a series of Building a Stronger South Australia policy initiatives from the Government of South Australia.

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1 3. Public Transport

2 This document is part of a series of Building a Stronger South Australia policy initiatives from the Government of South Australia. 1. Future Fund 2. Jobs and Skills 3. Public Transport For more information visit:

3 FUTURE PUBLIC FUND TRANSPORT 3

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5 Message from Jay Buses now extend to outer northern and southern suburbs and trains will soon run all the way to Seaford. The first of our new electric trains has arrived. By the end of this year, our multi-billion dollar upgrade of South Australia s public transport system will be well advanced, with many major projects complete. It is also important that we make it as easy as we can for older South Australians to get around on public transport so they can be active members of our community. A stronger public transport system will provide a higher quality of life to those who want an easier journey around the city. A modern and accessible public transport system is critical to a healthy and vibrant city and a high quality of life for its people. Public transport provides people with an affordable way of getting around, it s clean and green and reduces congestion on our roads. That is why the State Government has invested heavily to modernise and expand services. We ve replaced the old red rattler trams with modern climatecontrolled trams and extended the tramline to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. We are now introducing incentives to support affordability and use of our revitalised network. The introduction of the Metrocard this year has been a great success and the in-built smartcard technology has allowed us to introduce new products for commuters. We want to encourage more people to switch to public transport and reward those who have continued to use public transport, because we know that improvements to the system have caused some unavoidable disruption for commuters. Jay Weatherill Premier of South Australia Building a Stronger South Australia 1

6 Our vision To have a strong and modern public transport system that makes people s lives easier by giving them a safe, comfortable and affordable way of getting around. Why are we doing this? Better public transport is good for everyone and it s a better value way of travelling. When people catch public transport, there are fewer cars on the roads, less congestion and less chance of injuries and fatalities from car accidents. Many people walk or cycle to and from transport stops and stations, contributing to a healthier and more active population. When people travel together on public transport, there is less air and noise pollution from cars and the environment benefits. Public transport provides accessible transport for everyone, with nearly 90 per cent of the regular bus fleet fully accessible by 1 July The upgrade of public transport services has also created hundreds of construction of jobs, many filled by local workers and apprentices. The first government in more than 20 years to order brand new trains 66 electric rail cars which will be used on the newly-electrified and extended Noarlunga/ Seaford line Building a Stronger South Australia 2

7 What are we doing? The State Government will progressively introduce new incentives between December 2013 and April 2014 to encourage more people to travel on public transport, including: 1. A new 28-day unlimited travel pass that will make daily travel on public transport cheaper 2. Cheaper public transport travel on Sundays and public holidays 3. Extended free travel for seniors to all times other than the morning and afternoon peak weekday periods 4. A Commuter Club that rewards workplaces when employees use public transport 5. A new tourist pass for Adelaide A promotional campaign will support the introduction of these incentives to encourage more people to use public transport What does this mean for you? Daily commuters will be rewarded with cheaper travel Save even more by joining the Commuter Club with workmates Catching the bus, train or tram will be cheaper on Sundays and public holidays Older South Australians will be able to travel free at all times outside peak weekday periods in the morning (7am to 9am) and afternoon (3pm to 7pm) Family and friends who visit can buy passes for unlimited travel More people on public transport means fewer cars on the road and less congestion More than 135km of rail track has been upgraded and 12 stations on the Gawler, Noarlunga and Belair lines have been rebuilt or upgraded Building a Stronger South Australia 3

8 What have we done so far? A multi-billion dollar investment is turning Adelaide s train, tram and bus network into a state-of-the-art modern, sustainable system with faster, more frequent and efficient services for commuters. Rail revitalisation The rail line is being extended to Seaford in Adelaide s outer southern suburbs and the entire track between Seaford and Adelaide is being electrified to provide a cleaner, faster, more efficient rail network. Rail is also being electrified along the Gawler line between Adelaide and Dry Creek in the first stage of electrification all the way to Gawler. Electric trains Adelaide s first A-City Class 4000 electric railcars have arrived in Adelaide for testing before being run on the Adelaide to Seaford line from early In total, 66 new electric railcars will arrive in Adelaide during the next 18 months. This will increase capacity across the whole of the rail network. Extending the tram line and new trams The Glenelg to Adelaide tram line has been extended through the city s west, past the new Royal Adelaide Hospital to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, and an overpass has been built at South Road. The old trams have been replaced with 21 modern trams. Free tram travel was provided between South Terrace and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Renewing the bus fleet An additional 100 brand new buses are providing more than 1,000 additional or expanded services. The AdelaideMetro bus boundary has been extended into McLaren Flat and Gawler where local residents have public bus services for the first time. Real-life tracking of bus movements, so people can see how far away their bus is, will soon be available. Since 2009, 100 brand new buses have been added to the AdelaideMetro fleet, providing more than 1,000 additional or expanded services Building a Stronger South Australia 4

9 Building and expanding Park n Rides The expansion of park n rides has made it easier for people to park their car and catch public transport to the city. By early 2014, there will be more than 11,000 car parks available to public transport commuters. New stations and bus shelters Twelve train stations on the Gawler, Noarlunga and Belair lines have either been built or upgraded and more than 500 bus shelters have so far been built or upgraded under the four-year Bus Shelter Replacement Program. Service improvements Bus services have been extended to McLaren Flat and Gawler and the addition of priority bus lanes in and around Adelaide have improved bus reliability. An extra investment has been made to improve reliability of buses along a key public transport corridor between the northern and southern suburbs. Public transport safety To improve safety on public transport, the number of security guards on the rail network has increased by more than 50 per cent since 2001 and there are now 28 more transit police on buses, trains and trams, bringing the total number to 102 officers. All trains, trams and buses have high quality CCTV coverage and there are more than 900 cameras in place at stations and interchanges. Operation Lightning provides high visibility policing on rail lines and will be conducted regularly to target anti-social behaviour and fare evaders. Easier ticketing system The introduction of a new Metrocard in 2013 has made it quicker to board and can be recharged automatically, online or at a number of locations. Free travel for seniors The State Government has already made it free for Seniors Card holders to travel on buses, trains and trams in Adelaide all day on weekends and public holidays and during off-peak hours between 9.01am and 3pm weekdays. This policy will expand on that initiative. Average weekday bus services have increased by 8 per cent - from 8,652 in 2002 to 9,340 in 2012, and now run to McLaren Flat and Gawler Building a Stronger South Australia 5

10 The challenges and way forward Providing better public transport services for South Australians in the long term has required some disruptions to services in the short-term. The closure of rail lines undergoing electrification and other works has led to many South Australians using alternative means of transport while the work progresses. While public transport usage still remains higher than a decade ago 63.2 million trips in compared to 58.7 million in these challenges have had an impact on patronage. Recent figures show a decline in public transport use from 7.5 per cent of metropolitan weekday passenger vehicle kilometres in to 6.9 per cent in alongside an increase in personal vehicle kilometres in Adelaide by 17.8 per cent. Fewer South Australians use public transport on their regular trip to work or full-time study than the national average 10.8 per cent in South Australia compared to 15.8 per cent nationally according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The introduction of the new MetroCard presents an opportunity to offer new incentives to commuters and encourage more people to choose public transport over driving cars. To coincide with rail electrification to Adelaide s south, the State Government will introduce a range of new incentives to encourage people back to public transport. A new campaign will be launched to promote the new and improved services to South Australians who are keen to reconsider the way they travel. The number of Park n Ride car parks has nearly doubled from 6,100 in 2002 to more than 11,000 by March 2014 Building a Stronger South Australia 6

11 How will this policy work? The State Government has listened to South Australians who have asked for more affordable options to regularly travel on public transport. The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure sought ideas from customers and frontline staff to boost patronage and a number of new products were determined to be the most beneficial. Each product will have specific performance targets set for: percentage uptake of the product percentage increase in patronage impact on revenue customer satisfaction partnerships established Since 2006, South Australia has replaced the entire fleet of 70+ year-old red rattler trams with 21 modern trams The following initiatives will be introduced progressively from late 2013 to offer people incentives to use public transport day unlimited travel pass Proposed launch: January 2014 The 28-day pass will provide unlimited travel on all AdelaideMetro services for 28 days. The price will be based on a 12 per cent discount on the Monday to Friday commuter service (ie. 40 trips) with all additional trips free. The pass will be stored on the existing Metrocard. New 28-day pass rates Fare Type Without pass With pass Saving per month 40 regular weekday trips in 28 days Any additional peak or evening travel Any additional weekday off-peak trips Weekends and public holidays $ $114 # $17.60 $3.29 Free $1.80 Free $3.29* Free #Provides unlimited trips over the 28 days all additional peak, off peak and weekend trips are free *Based on current weekend rate Building a Stronger South Australia 7

12 How will this policy work? 2. Cheaper travel on Sundays and public holidays Proposed launch: December 2013 The fare price on Sundays and public holidays will be reduced to inter-peak pricing. This equates to a discount of about 46 per cent and will make Sunday travel more affordable. Existing family fares will continue children under five can travel free at all times and children under 15 can travel free on weekends, school holidays and public holidays when accompanied by an adult using a daytrip ticket. New Sunday and public holiday rates to be introduced Fare Type Current rate New rate Saving per trip Regular Metrocard $3.29 $1.80 $1.49 Regular single metroticket $5.00 $3.10 $ section Metrocard $1.78 $1.38 $ section metroticket $3.00 $2.20 $0.80 Concession & Tertiary Student Metrocard Concession & Tertiary Student single metroticket $1.62 $0.87 $0.75 $2.60 $1.30 $1.30 Student Metrocard $1.08 $0.87 $0.21 Student single metroticket Seniors $2.50 $1.30 $1.20 Free all weekend and public holidays 3. Extended free travel for seniors Proposed launch: December 2013 Seniors Card holders will be able to travel for free on buses, trains and trams at all times other than the morning and afternoon peak weekday periods. The current arrangement where seniors can travel for free in off-peak between 9.01am and 3pm on weekdays and all day on weekends and public holidays will be extended to include after 7pm and before 7am on weekdays. Electrified rail is being introduced for the first time to Noarlunga and along the extended rail line to Seaford, as well as between Adelaide and Dry Creek on the Gawler line Building a Stronger South Australia 8

13 How will this policy work? 4. Commuter Club Proposed launch: April 2014 The Commuter Club will provide employers with 28-day passes at an additional five per cent discount. The five per cent can be passed on to employees or directed towards a social club or other charitable activity. The workplace will receive tailored route advice to promote public transport use to and from work. Savings with 28-day pass and Commuter Club membership Fare Type Without pass/club With pass/club Saving per month 40 regular weekday trips in 28 days Weekends and public holidays $ $ $23.30 $3.29* Free *Based on current weekend rate 5. Visitor pass Proposed launch: February 2014 The visitor pass will offer tourists a one, three or five day pass with unlimited travel on AdelaideMetro services. The pass will be a Metrocard that can be reused and topped up or kept as a keepsake. The visitor pass will include a tourist info map and discount vouchers. A new public transport campaign A promotional campaign will run from early 2014 to coincide with the start of electric train services along the Adelaide to Seaford line. This will focus on the many benefits of using public transport, including better value for money than driving, and promote the new incentives. Establishing priority bus lanes in and around the city of Adelaide has increased certainty in bus arrival times for 40,000 bus passengers each weekday Building a Stronger South Australia 9

14 How does this fit with the State Government s priorities? The State Government has identified seven strategic priorities to build a strong future for South Australia. Encouraging more South Australians to use public transport supports three of these priorities: Creating a vibrant city by increasing public transport use and enabling South Australians and visitors to move easily around the city An affordable place to live by providing a value for money service that connects people to places and is accessible to all Safe communities, healthy neighbourhoods by attracting people to use public transport which creates a sense of community and promotes a healthy lifestyle through walking to and from stops and stations Public transport snapshot Each weekday, there are more than: 9,000 bus services 500 train services 240 tram services South Australia s public transport system includes: 99 rail cars 21 trams 978 Adelaide Metro buses More than 8,000 bus stops 84 railway stations, with new stations on the way 28 tram stops Building a Stronger South Australia 10

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