SA Liberals threaten to privatise transport

By Melanie Sjoberg

ADELAIDE -- Proposals from the state Liberal Party demonstrate that this city's already debilitated public transport system is going to be further eroded following a change in government.

It is less than six months since the transport system was thrown into chaos by significant cuts to services by the Labor government. Many routes now have only hourly schedules, and some areas have no night-time operations.

The Liberals are now proposing to abolish the State Transport Authority Board and throw open all public train, tram and bus routes to tender from the private sector. As a further incentive to private investment, they propose to leave the “redundant” STA fleets to the private sector.

According to the operator of the Mt Barker Passenger Service, a privately run service, the advantages of the private sector are that it is more flexible and is not bound by the same work practices. What this means in reality is the erosion of hard-won conditions and secure employment.

“Public transport is necessary to ensure that all areas are adequately serviced and cross-subsidisation can support the outlying suburbs”, Adam Hanieh, Democratic Socialist candidate for the seat of Adelaide, told Green Left. “We need to improve the system to encourage more people out of their cars for the long-term protection of the environment. This is not an issue we can leave to the private sector because their only concern is their own short-term profits.”

Twenty years ago, the state government was forced to take over the operation of the existing private bus services because they were unable to operate without substantial public subsidies.

It is unlikely that any but the most highly patronised routes will be able to generate profits acceptable to private business. Clearly the outlying areas in particular will be left without services yet again. The majority of people and the environment will be the losers.

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