And Where is Urban Passenger Review Study?
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today accused the Infrastructure Minister, Graeme Sturges, of abandoning plans for passenger light rail into Hobart’s northern suburbs, after questioning him in GBE Committee hearings, and discovering that Metro has not been involved in any consultation over the feasibility of passenger light rail.
Greens Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP also demanded to know why the Urban Passenger review study is still not completed after Budget Estimates in June were told that it would be completed by August this year, as the Minister had originally promised that that this report would examine the feasibility of passenger light rail.
“Minister Sturges failed to provide any clear answers over the long term urban passenger strategy, what the review’s current status is and when people could expect to see its results,” Mr Morris said.
“What we did glean by reading between the lines is that Metro apparently does not see an opportunity in, but nor is it threatened by, the potential for passenger light rail services to be introduced to Hobart’s northern suburbs.”
“This begs the questions as to whether passenger light rail is being assessed or has it been quietly taken off the table?”
“Remember, Minister Sturges promised a feasibility study into passenger light rail which then morphed into this larger urban passenger review study, which appears to have disappeared down a black hole.”
“Is this another broken promise and backflip from the Bartlett government? Given the climate change imperative, the Tasmanian travelling public deserve straight answers about the states future public transport plans, and instead they only got fudging and equivocation.”
Tim Morris MP Greens Infrastructure spokesperson
