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Our Network
and Infrastructure Division now handles the design and construction
of facilities for both the rail and bus systems, providing
a “critical mass” previously unachievable.We now
have access to a much broader body of skills and are able
to apply those across the various transport services, thereby
improving efficiency and service standards.
Considering
all these improvements, the PTA can claim with confidence
to be a national pacesetter for the delivery of public transport
services. New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia
have shown strong interest in the Western Australian model.
The benefits
of the new structure are clear where they matter most –
in the perceptions of our customers.The latest Passenger Satisfaction
Monitor reveals customer satisfaction to be very high at approximately
90 percent across the board. This is the best result of any
public transport system in Australia and it comes at a time
when we are experiencing unavoidable disruptions through the
major capital works being undertaken for the New MetroRail
project and the Building Better Train Stations program. It
is pleasing to see such enormous loyalty among our customers.
Our staff
have warmly accepted the transition to the new era in public
transport. With the creation of the PTA and subsequent addition
of Transit Guards to the rail network, there are now nearly
950 people in the organisation. I perceive our staff feel
at home in the new environment and the working relationships
being developed are extremely strong. There will be further
significant staff increases as elements of the New MetroRail
project are completed and new services are introduced.
All major
contracts have been let for the New MetroRail project and
preliminary works have proceeded on schedule. The extension
to the Northern Suburbs Railway is almost complete and the
Thornlie spur development is well under way. While it is early
days, the way in which we have minimised traffic disruptions
resulting from work on the Perth foreshore and in the city’s
streets has drawn a very positive response from the community,
the City of Perth and Main Roads WA. This gives us enormous
confidence as we press forward with the largest public transport
development project ever undertaken in WA.
The New
MetroRail project is already transforming the landscape for
the better,with the old fly-over bridge on the Esplanade and
the old Myer building in the central city largely demolished.
Communities in the Peel Region which have always been solid
supporters of the project, now have more reason to be pleased
following the decision of the Government to bring completion
of the Mandurah section of the railway forward 12 months to
late-2006.
The expansion
of the suburban rail network is not the only reason to look
forward with excitement. The PTA’s growing focus on people,
training and customer service represents a paradigm change
in culture that will allow us to deliver excellent standards
in public transport. Standards in the delivery of school bus
services across WA will continue to rise on the back of improved
training, resourcing and contract management. The move to
compressed natural gas (CNG) powered buses will bring us in
line with the latest Euro4 environmental standard,utilise
a local energy resource and insulate the PTA against rising
energy prices. Approximately 450 of these latest CNG buses
will be purchased over the next seven years, rejuvenating
the Transperth fleet at a cost of $250 million. The SmartRider
card system, scheduled for introduction in Perth in July 2005,
will do away with the need for cash ticket purchases for trains,
buses and ferries, resulting in greater convenience for passengers
and faster loading
For these
and many other reasons the Public Transport Authority looks
forward with great anticipation.
Reece
Waldock
Acting Chief Executive Officer
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