Progressive Labour Party - Official Policy
Transport Policy

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Energy policy.

PREAMBLE

• A continent the size of Australia requires a fully integrated efficient transport system incorporating Air, Sea, Rail and Road.
• An efficient transport system is essential to provide raw materials to industry, distribute goods to consumers and provide access for people to their work, friends and recreation.
• Our present transport system is not sustainable or efficient, and does not provide for the needs of those who do not have cars.

Transport uses a significant amount of our total energy supply, produces serious urban air pollution and a large proportion of total Greenhouse gases, causes accidents which are the number one cause of death among young people.

There has been a serious imbalance in government spending on transport, favouring roads over rail, private cars over public transit. Road transport, particularly cars and heavy trucks, is most vulnerable to energy supply disruptions and produces most of the pollution, noise and accidents. Rail and sea are much more energy efficient and less noisy and polluting. inherently much safer. and require much less space.

The rail infrastructure has already been built at public expense, but is under utilised, while many roads now have no extra capacity. To double use of rail/sea transport would be a fraction of the cost of doubling the use of roads If the rail system were properly utilised less would have to be spent keeping roads in good condition. For years the rail system was seen as poorly managed and providing an inefficient service. Although there have been significant improvements to the rail system, proposed privatisation will transfer those benefits to private owners.

Transport is only a means to an end. If we can achieve our goals with less use of transport. we are better off. The challenge then is to retain the benefits of transport for goods and access for people and improve access for the transport disadvantaged, while minimising environmental impacts, economic costs and vulnerability to energy crises.

OBJECTIVES

Objective One

To ensure our basic transport network is controlled for the benefit of Australians and cannot be manipulated by outside interests. Following from and in addition to this we will support publicly owned Air, Sea, Rail Trams and Road entities.

1.1 The basic road system will remain publicly owned and available for the use of all.

1.2 The public rail system will be retained in public ownership as an integrated system. The efficiency benefits for the travelling consumer and the workers involved will be retained and enhanced.

1.3 Coastal shipping services, as the most energy efficient of all modes for break bulk cargo. should remain in Australian control, and be regulated to serve Australian interests. We support the exclusive use of Australian ships and crews for Australian coastal shipping.

Objective two

To reduce the use of energy, land and materials consumed by the transport sector. and the pollution and noise it generates.

2.1 See Energy Policy for detailed measures on vehicle efficiency, alternative fuels, carbon tax. and emission controls.

2.2 Integrated transport planning will become a primary function of the Ministry of Transport, State and Regional Transport Planning Authorities, and will aim to:

 

• 2.2.1 Make sea, road and rail freight complementary rather than competing, by means which will include support for better freight handling facilities like road-rail vehicles and roll-on, roll-off technology which remove the costs of transfers between modes.

  2.2.2 Increase the accessibility and convenience of urban public transport and to commensurate staffing levels to achieve this. By means including the provision of coordinated time tabling, through ticketing between all modes of transport and convenient interchange points between modes.

2.3 Policies to increase the attractiveness of rail over road transport. and to counter the imbalance of past government spending, will include:

• 2.3.1 Ensuring investment criteria for road and rail are similar, and include social and environmental benefits and opportunity costs as well as financial costs and revenue flows. Traffic growth will be treated as a controllable variable rather than a given.

  2.3.2 Undertaking a study of the full costs imposed on society by each freight transport mode and ensuring that each mode meets those costs in full.

  2.3.3 Government support for infrastructure which enables industry to connect to the rail system where such connections will result in substantial transfers of freight from heavy trucks to rail/sea.

2.4 We recognize that the rural passenger/goods transport infrastructure requires reintroduction and upgrading in consultation with effected communities. This will also enhance employment opportunities in regional centers. See Employment Policy.

Objective Three

To ensure basic transport services are available to all communities, especially those who are transport disadvantaged or disabled.

3.1 We recognize that motorists. employers and society in general benefit from the existence of a good public transport service, as without it roads become even more congested and city centers die. It is therefore appropriate that the costs of providing public transport should be shared between these groups and those who actually ride on the service. We will therefore increase the level of funding of public transport from fuel taxes and general taxation.

3.2 Local and regional authorities will be encouraged to restore city centers to the use of pedestrians, cyclists and provide 24 hour public transport in major urban centres, and to reduce provision for cars, especially long term parking. This must proceed at the same time as improvements in public transport so there is an alternative to the car in cities.

3.3 Local and regional authorities will be encouraged to provide for more flexible public transport services by incentives for car and van pools, car sharing organizations, and small community buses for local trips. Where public transport has to share the same corridor as cars, bus priority systems and bus-only lanes will have funding priority over road widening.

Objective Four

To reduce the hazards to both users and non-users from the transport system.

4.1 Legislation will require hazardous cargo to travel by rail or sea rather than road wherever this is feasible. See Environment Policy.

4.2 We recognize that the road toll is caused by a combination of unsafe roads and unsafe drivers. Because of this we recognize the need to improve roads, and driver education as well as require manufacturers and designers to in build safety and speed controls.

4.3 Oppose freeways and tollways in urban areas in order to preserve the community environment.

Objective Five

To reduce the overall need for transport and travel by improving accessibility.

5.1 We will explore the possibility of increasing the back loading of freight through a nationally coordinated system.

5.2 The early promise of telecommunications to reduce the need for transport has not eventuated. We will explore ways to realize this potential. In particular we will encourage the use of video and teleconferencing to reduce the need for air travel.

5.3 Local and regional authorities will be encouraged to adopt land use planning techniques such as mixed land use areas that interact with the community. With careful planning this can avoid inappropriate industries in residential areas but favour facilitating walking or cycling to work for many people.

5.4 Our policy of moving towards more local production for local needs, which is needed to stop the drain of resources and work opportunities away from local communities, will tend to reduce transport needs as will the policies towards more import substitution.