The skyrocketing cost of petrol has put the spotlight on Australia’s crumbling transport networks, and made transport a key issue for the Federal election.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Secretary Mark Diamond today launched the Union’s Put Transport in the Fast Lane campaign, and said election candidates across Australia would be invited to sign a pledge to support faster, safer and better transport networks.
“While much of Australia was in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s transport networks kept on going.
“But the reality is that many of those networks are slow, congested, and falling apart. At the same time, petrol prices are going through the roof.
“The neglect of public transport in particular is having an impact on the cost of living, on the amount of time people can spend with their families, and the health of the national economy.
“The RTBU is calling on politicians to back new projects for rail freight and public transport, and to support the growth of good secure jobs in the transport sector.”
Mark Diamond said voters would be able to see which candidates supported better transport by checking in to the campaign web page – www rtbu.org.au/fastlane – over the course of the election campaign.
PUT TRANSPORT IN THE FAST LANE CANDIDATE’S PLEDGE
I pledge to support measures that lead to faster, safer and better passenger and freight transport networks across Australia, including:
• Building more trains, trams and buses in Australia;
• Increasing Federal investment in public transport to provide Australians with better access to services and reduce our reliance on expensive imported petrol;
• Developing a long-term plan to grow jobs in the rail freight sector
• Better integration of rail, road, sea and air transport; and
• Ensuring people doing the same job have the same pay and same standards of workplace safety
