Public transport alternative to city parking Tue 1 May 2012 Nick McKim Minister for Sustainable Transport The Minister for Sustainable Transport, Nick McKim, today urged commuters to consider using public transport in the light of the Hobart City Council's decision to close a section of free parking at the Hobart Regatta Ground. "I appreciate that many commuters consider the availability of free parking on the city fringe to be essential to their transport arrangements. "However, this decision may prompt more people to consider using public transport as an alternative to the private car. "Most of Hobart enjoys a comprehensive system of Metro bus services with good frequency." When comparing the time taken to travel from home to the city by car and public transport, he said many commuters did not account for the time door-to-door. "For example, most car commuters consider the time they actually spend behind the wheel and compare that to the time it takes to get to a bus stop, travel by bus and then connect to their place of work. "But if you also include the 10 or more minutes that many car users spend walking from their car at a city fringe free parking area to their workplace, public transport often compares favourably." Mr McKim also pointed to Metro's efforts in recent years to improve the comfort and convenience of bus travel. "Metro has made a significant investment in new, accessible, air conditioned buses. "Metro has also introduced the Greencard ticketing system providing passengers with a 20 per cent discount on fares. With about half of all passengers already choosing to use Greencard, this makes boarding faster, requiring only a quick 'tap on', speeding up the journey for all patrons." "I acknowledge that some commuters will have travel needs that still require the use of a car. However, I would urge motorists to question whether it is really necessary and to take the time to reconsider making public transport part of their day, even for a couple of days each week. "I'd also encourage those who currently use free parking around the city fringes to grab a timetable from the Metro shop in Elizabeth Street or go online to www.metrotas.com.au and look at the potential alternatives."
