Traffic mess needs tunnel vision fast

Hobart is shirking its duty to think big on infrastructure, says GrantWise

ALL right, move on, please disperse, nothing to see here. This great line from a very funny movie( The Naked Gun) would be appropriate to describe there action by many people regarding the western bypass study released by the state government last week. Indeed the passenger son the air liner in the Stephen King-basedfilmThe L an go liers found themselves in a similar situation. Localandstate governments in Tasmania really are the Mill iV a nil li of accountability when dealing with Hobart’ s increasing traffic.Thelong-awaited report delivered predictable findings.It’stooexpensive,too hard and, incredibly, not needed in a city with just 235,000 people, to quote one of many absurd findings. There is a serious lack of future-p roofing for the second oldest city in Australia and its ageing infrastructure. Traffic congestion will only get worse and no carpooling, third down hill lane on the Southern Outlet or moving government departments out of the CB D willhelponebit. The western bypass was planned50-plusyearsagoand half a century of in action has resulted in the second worst congestion in Australia. Unlike other capitals, Hobart is fenced in by land forms such as Mt Wellington and the River Derwent, so a tunnel is theonlyoption. To say the bypass is too expensive is short sighted because the federal government is about to release billion sin C OVID recovery funding for infrastructure. With mainland cities receiving billions every year where is Hobart’ s fair share? It’s interesting that the University of Tasmania receives more than $400 min City Deal funding instead of funds from the education budget when the money should have been for infrastructure improvements. Half-baked infrastructure projects are everywhere. The Flag staff Gully road was built in the 1980 store move eastern traffic from the East Derwent Highway but never finished. The dinner party Lefties

THE FACT B-DOUBLE TRUCKS STILL MUST TRAVEL THROUGH HOBART’S CBD IS A TRAGEDY FOR COMMON SENSE. THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER WAY THROUGH

from Hobart City Council can’ t see the benefit of removing thousands of vehicles from Macquarie and Davey streets. The fact Bdouble trucks still must travel through Hobart’ s CB D is a tragedy for common sense. This happens because there is no other way through. A perfect example of shocking planning is the South Arm Highway placement of traffic lights on the hill for Bun nings traffic which seriously interrupts traffic flow. If this was the mainland it would have been a fly over. I wonder if the report’ s authors asked the emergency departments for a comment about their experiences. How many people have been stuck in an ambulance or how many police or fire trucks have been caught in traffic? As a bloke who writes for transport magazines, I’ m constantly staggered at the lackofcan-dopeople, compared to the brilliant road and transport infrastructure in very old European cities like Reg ens bur ginGer many or Lake Como in Italy where the highway and rail lines are invisible because they are in tunnel sin the mountains. Why does the media not take more interest. Where were the interviews with the transport minister, state and federal politicians, emergency services or legendary transport consultant Bob Cot grove. Hobart’ s city planning and infrastructure is a joke caused bylocalandstate governments who are allergic to common sense and can not see past the next election. Hobart’ s Grant Wise is a former worker at the Ans air Kingston bus factory and writes for Australian bus magazine, Australian Bus Panorama and the UK-based Buses Magazine.