Polling released today by the Climate Council shows that Victorians want all levels of government to invest more in public and active transport. The PTUA is supporting the Climate Council’s call for governments to allocate at least 50% of their transport budgets to public transport, and 20% to safe walking and biking infrastructure.
80% of Victorians agreed that governments should invest more in public transport, with 63% saying they would be more willing to use services if they were more frequent, better connected, reliable, safe and affordable.
Just 16% of Victorians want roads prioritised in the transport budget, while 39% want improvements to public and active transport prioritised, and 35% want a balance between the two.
“These poll results reinforce what we’ve known for a long time – people want convenient alternatives to driving,” said PTUA spokesperson Daniel Bowen. “If you create a well-connected network of frequent public transport services, people will use them.
“If we had services running every 10 minutes, all day every day, across our trains, trams and major bus routes, millions of Victorians could get around conveniently without needing to drive – slashing carbon emissions, reducing congestion, and saving their household budgets.
“There’s still a need to invest in big city-shaping infrastructure for the future, but most of these improvements to frequencies could be rolled out in a matter of months – as quickly as you could train the drivers.
“Electric cars are an important part of cleaning up transport, but that transition can’t happen quickly enough on its own – giving people real alternatives to driving would slash emissions this decade, and be incredibly popular as well.”
More information:
- Climate Council – New poll: Australians want transport options that are better for our hip pockets and the climate
- PTUA policy – Every 10 Minutes to Everywhere