Bikes part of the answer
TRANSPORT AND CITY DESIGN
THANK you to Bronwyn Puleston-Jones (Letters, October 9) for her frank description of the terror faced by almost all people who ride bicycles on the road. She and the motorists who hurl vitriol at people on bikes are actually crying out for a common cause: better infrastructure for bikes.
Hobart City Council need to urgently take steps to dramatically upgrade Hobart’s substandard bicycle network to make it safe and enjoyable to ride bikes and ebikes by effectively separating them from car traffic. Imagine the ease in pressure on the road system if even 10 per cent of car trips were exchanged for the bicycle. And it would cost a great deal less, and provide a great deal more benefit than a tunnel or bypass or tow trucks that sit idle for 95 per cent of the time. Wesley Sparks Moonah/nipaluna to base designs for future medium-density apartments. Incorporating self sufficiency for vegetable and fruit gardens, composting of organic materials, solar electricity production, collection and storage of rain water and recycling of grey water, this would be an appropriate style of housing development which could easily be duplicated across various sites in the city perimeter identified by Hobart City Council as suitable for potential affordable housing locations.
Free buses
WE would like to support Barry Prismall’s proposition (Talking Point, October 9) that making bus services free would be a true congestion buster in Hobart. We also think it would be a good policy for the rest of Tasmania. What’s more, such a move could be introduced at the stroke of a pen (unlike big costly road construction projects that may well be years down the track).
Increasingly many young people are not driving, due to increasing complexity and costs associated with obtaining a licence. costs of maintaining a vehicle and the uncertainty around maintaining work in a casualised employment era (making vehicle ownership more difficult). Cities that provide good public transport are becoming increasingly more important to younger generations. Access to employment would be advantaged by free public transport and issues concerning social isolation would be much improved. Free transport would also be a boon for Tasmania’s tourism industry and a great marketing advantage.
The costs of introducing free public transport indeed would be insignificant Battery must be supported The energy market is big, and growing. We have plenty of a product that is in demand (energy), and the ability to create another product that will be in demand via pumped storage. Currently though we are constrained by having a single small interconnector. compared to the massive infrastructure spends required for new road development. With many car movements taken off the road, Tasmania’s existing road users would travel on much less congested roads, at a fraction of the expenditure that would otherwise be required.
Electric vehicles
ELECTRIC cars are very smooth and quiet, and all those visits to the petrol bowser are well and truly over. They are currently more expensive than conventional cars powered by internal combustion engines and have a more limited range, currently about 300/500km, although this is steadily increasing.
The provision of recharging networks is a crucial factor. Tasmania is the only state that can show our cars will be 100 per cent recharged from renewable energy, thanks to Hydro Tasmania.
In Denmark, more than 42 per cent of all new vehicles are electric, and the government provides tax incentives and free registration. A fully electric vehicle or EV, has no conventional engine or gearbox, and is powered by a high voltage electric motor, and a battery pack, providing propulsion to the front, rear or all four wheels.
With about one million new cars sold in Australia each year, this technology has massive potential to reduce emissions and our reliance on fossil fuels. Hopefully the federal and state governments will get on board, and ensure infrastructure is expedited, and that consumers are given proper incentives on things such as taxation and registration, to encourage sales.
On the buses
I APPLAUD Barry Prismall (Talking Point, October 9) for his positive comments on free buses and a more visionary approach to our transport problems. Let’s get started now!
Noonan shock
I WAS just musing that if Dave Noonan can be benched is anybody in Tasmania safe?
Give ’em shelter
THE $762,000 earmarked for a feasibility study about traffic congestion in Hobart should be diverted to the new initiative by the Salvos and City Mission to help the homeless.
Mark my words
THE US finally got something right in the Middle East. They aligned themselves with and backed the Kurds against ISIS. They backed a winner at last! Now look at the Kurd’s reward. Yet, another shafting by the West. This will come back to haunt the US.
Flowers galore
THE spring displays at the botanical gardens are a world class joy to behold. If you need to escape the cares and disappointments of life and feel rejuvenated, visit this vibrant, beautiful place. What a wonderful contribution the botanical gardens team is making to our wellbeing.