The Minister for Transport Michael Ferguson has today admitted the minority Liberal government plans to privatise the transport service that has long been promised to northern suburbs commuters.
Over five years ago the Liberals promised to “pull out all stops” to get light rail up and running within five years.
Instead, after years of inaction, Mr Ferguson today confirmed his plan for the corridor was a “rapid bus transit system” that would only run from Glenorchy to New Town, before connecting to existing road infrastructure.
Mr Ferguson admitted that even this scaled-back version of their 2018 promise was underfunded by as much as $170 million.
The Minister needs to answer vital questions, such as how much more will passengers pay for the Liberals’ privatised bus service?
Why doesn’t he trust Metro-a public company for which he is the responsible Minister-to operate the service?
And is the record debt he has racked up as Treasurer part of the reason he plans to privatise services on this key transport corridor?
This Government is all talk and no delivery. The list of dead projects promised by this Government continues to grow, and Tasmanians are rightly fed up with it.
Today’s revelation that the underground bus mall, a project announced with much fanfare during the 2018 election, is officially dead, adds further insult to injury.
The Liberal Government have had 10 years to deliver a public transport service along the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor, and if they haven’t done it by now they never will.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Transport
