TRAFFIC CONGESTION
More reports, more debates
HOW many more reports will it take before this government addresses Hobart’s traffic nightmare (“Premier priority Hobart traffic,” Mercury, March 20)? We have had reports and recommendations on our traffic woes and to date zero, zilch, nothing has changed. So why throw a bucketful of money at yet another report? Seems a complete waste of time and money, and will only serve to exacerbate the problems as we wait for the results, the inevitable endless debates that will follow and ultimately (one hopes) some action. Surely there are some shorter-term answers to this chaos.
Where are the park and ride facilities? Where are the feeder buses? Why is our waterway not being used as a highway? Would it be possible to provide free public transport to encourage people to leave their cars at home? What is so wrong with basic practical solutions that will assist at least in the short term while long-term options are explored? Another drawn-out expensive report is not what we want. We need action now, not in many years hence. will be on time. Just ask any Metro user, and they will tell you stories of buses that arrive five minutes early, driving past them as they walk to the stop; Almostempty buses not stopping at all when signalled, or buses being late; and people being abused, intimidated and assaulted in bus malls and on buses, including drivers. For more than 30 years Metro has done nothing but decrease services, increase fares and squander every cent of public funds. Building shiny bus malls will not increase participation. Only making it cheap, reliable and safe will do that.
No-brainer
WHY on earth would the Government spend a million dollars of taxpayers’ money to pay someone to examine whether tunnels or bypass roads might ease Hobart’s traffic crisis? Have they no logic? Of course it would. It’ll be a million dollars wasted because the anti-everything brigade is sure to surface with some sort of whinge and put a stop to it.
Trial ferries
“PREMIER priority Hobart traffic” is great news but I have reservations with bypass roads or tunnels which, should they reach fruition, would be a massive capital works program and potentially take many years. An obvious solution in the short term is trialling a ferry service on our very under-used and magnificent River Derwent in conjunction with key How Tassie senators spend our money I wouldn’t know these politicians (by facial recognition) if I fell over them, yet I thought I was reasonably politically savvy about who are our local pollies. In any case, why does this story not surprise me? stakeholders such as Incat and Metro Tasmania. If ferry commuting can solve so many traffic issues in other states then surely a trial is worth exploring. But one thing is for sure. There is no time for procrastination as our traffic congestion worsens by the day. And I had to laugh at Kudelka’s very clever cartoon which is probably pretty close to the home truth ( Mercury, March 20)!
Uber bus service
ANOTHER $1 million to be wasted on a consultancy to tell us how to solve Hobart’s traffic problem? Here is my experience-based advice, free: Tell commuters to catch a bus, use a small motorbike or a bicycle; provide a mobile bus service using 20-seater buses to pick up people, similar to Uber, and collect travellers at phonedin pick-up points; don’t waste time and money building roads or extending old ones because 60 years of commuting history has shown they simply fill up with that one car too many; insist town planners stop the sprawl of metropolitan Hobart and permit subdivision of blocks down to 300 square metres — this city of 250,000-300,000 now sprawls across an area as great as London; bring back the 60km/h limit for Davey and Macquarie streets; reinstate a dual-track rail-car system for the northern suburbs; bite the political bullet and tell voters and motoring organisations that no, they cannot have more money spent on roads to jam during the rush-hour.
Plain words and compassion
NEW Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a leader speaking in plain words and with fairness and compassion. By contrast we had dreadful political leadership on refugees and asylum-seekers since Tampa in 2001. About time we had a prime minister like our neighbour.
Killings and more killings
BRENTON Tarrant and others like him should have gone to kill ISIS fighters if they feel like killing people. Because of the fighting in Islamic countries the “invaders” had to leave home and come here for safety. It is not fair or their fault to get killed there and now here.
Full bottle on wine prices
I LOVE Hobart and love visiting here but like a lot of Australia the dining experience is becoming a trial and disappointing when one looks at the wine list. The other night I paid $81 for a bottle which retails for $26. Why not, like some restaurants do, just add $25 per bottle no matter what the retail price is?
Shelters, Wi-Fi and small buses
TO encourage people to use public transport in Hobart and environs, it must be as easy and comfortable as using a car. Decent shelters with electronic timetables and frequent services and Wi-Fi would help immensely. Smaller buses in less busy routes or difficult streets connecting with larger buses would give better coverage.