Tasmanians battling traffic chaos and arriving late for work and school in the wake of reckless slashing of public transport services should look no further for blame than the Hodgman Liberals and Minister Jeremy Rockliff and their state election transport promises that are now proven were not to be believed.
Shadow Infrastructure Minister David O’Byrne said a year after the Liberals won office, Tasmania’s roads and traffic woes would show no sign of improvement because Mr Rockliff had no plan to ease congestion, build infrastructure and get Tasmania moving.
“Mr Rockliff and the Hodgman Government went to the election promising to build an underground bus mall in Hobart which, predictably, has turned out to be a fantasy,” Mr O’Byrne said.
“Now we have Scott Morrison and Will Hodgman’s dud Hobart City Deal which is a mix of re-commitments, such as the perpetually delayed Bridgewater Bridge project, and short-term funding pledges designed for the federal election.
“The Hodgman Government still has no policies to ease congestion in southern Tasmania beyond feasibility studies and a plan to have a “vision”.
“It’s unacceptable that Mr Rockliff and the government’s relationship with Canberra is so non-existent that the recently updated Infrastructure Australia report confirms that in the four-level pipeline of projects, every viable congestion project for Tasmania is at the bottom of the rung.
“He was so late in delivering a business case for the Bridgewater Bridge that it is now listed by IA as only a medium-term project – in other words not a priority – that is still five to 10 years away.
“Important projects like the airport roundabout and a fifth lane on the Southern Outlet have not progressed.
“Congestion will get worse because this government has no realistic plan to make it better.”
Shadow Traffic and Public Transport Minister Craig Farrell said last month’s public transport debacle – dubbed Project 2018 by Mr Rockliff – showed the lack of priority the Hodgman Government placed on solving Tasmania’s traffic bedlam.
“Project 2018 was a catastrophe,” Mr Farrell said.
“It removed important bus routes from regional areas around the state and the result was not only that kids were arriving late for school – placing their safety at risk – and people were arriving late for work, it forced commuters back into their cars.
“Some of those services may have been reinstated but that was only because of the significant public outcry and it showed Mr Rockliff and the government had pressed ahead without consulting and with little regard for what Tasmanian commuters need.
“The turmoil on our roads is not going to end under a government and a Minister who have no vision and no plan for the future.”
David O’Byrne MP
Shadow Minister for Roads and Infrastructure
Craig Farrell MLC
Shadow Minister for Traffic and Public Transport
