From the Managing Director

When the Public Transport Authority (PTA) came into existence eight years ago, it formalised a relationship which had been in place for a number of years, and officially brought under the one legal and organisational roof all public transport services in the State.

The component parts - the bus, train, ferry, regional and School Bus Services as well as the operational and administrative support structures, integrated ticketing operations, and Network and Infrastructure (N&I) activities - were already highly regarded by the national industry. Putting them together generated significant synergies and the so-called PTA model quickly became the benchmark by which other transport systems were judged.

Almost immediately, the decision to form the PTA proved to be as timely as it was far-sighted, as the first decade of the new millennium proved to be one of the most significant in the history of the public transport industry.

As the world economy forged ahead and technology developed at a breakneck pace, the world became much more conscious of the impact of climate change, and public transport was identified as one of the major planks in building a sustainable future. Even climate change sceptics became public transport converts as the physical implications of rapid population growth became apparent. This was particularly so in Western Australia - and especially Perth - as our resource wealth insulated us from the full effects of various international economic setbacks, and the population exploded.

Patronage boomed: In the eight years since the formation of the PTA, total boardings - the ultimate measure of a public transport operator’s capabilities and success - have increased more than 54 per cent. The PTA’s streamlined structure enabled the organisation to change with the times and stay ahead of the game without sacrificing performance standards, reliability or customer service.

The scale of change was extraordinary.

• In February 2004, we signed a contract for the development of the SmartRider electronic ticketing system.
• In April we started work on a Central Monitoring Room (CMR) for a CCTV security system that was to become the envy of the national industry.
• We ordered the first of a new generation of clean green CNG buses.
• The new Prospector train was launched.
• In October 2004 we extended the Joondalup Line north to a new station at Clarkson.
• New or refurbished stations/interchanges were opened at Bassendean, Greenwood, Armadale, Gosnells and Thornlie.
• Through 2005, 2006 and 2007, significant work took place building the Mandurah Line, including a tunnel through the CBD.
• In January 2007 SmartRider went on sale to the general public - Australia’s first and still most successful transit card system.
• In December 2007 the Mandurah Line was opened and became an overnight success.
• In 2008, new stations were opened at Victoria Park and Kelmscott.
• In 2009 we acquired and launched a new ferry, the MV Phillip Pendal.
• Through 2009 and 2010, we significantly expanded the amount of parking available at stations and interchanges along the Mandurah and Joondalup Lines.
• In 2010, the Karara and Butler railway bills were passed, clearing the way for the construction of new rail lines.

The appointment, in May 2010, of PTA CEO Reece Waldock to an overarching role as head of the Transport portfolio (incorporating the Department of Transport and Main Roads WA as well as the PTA) was an acknowledgement of the crucial part that a unified Transport sector will play in shaping the future.

The year under review has continued the trend, with still more parking bays being added and redevelopment at Edgewater Station, the Mirrabooka Bus Station and Kalgoorlie Station. The number of our school buses which are fitted with seat belts and air conditioning continued to rise. In developments which position us well for the future, we signed a 10-year (five plus five) contract with Volvo for the supply of at least 65 new buses a year, completed the installation of UPS (uninterrupted power supply) facilities across the network, rationalised our railcar cleaning and maintenance operations through a new 15-year (7.5 plus 7.5) contract for which EDI Rail-Bombardier Transportation (Maintenance) Pty Ltd was selected as preferred tenderer, and we are in the final stages of work on a new, significantly-improved CMR.

But if the first decade of the new millennium was exciting for the public transport industry, the second promises to be even more so.

Two very important future-shaping projects got under way this year - the extension of the Joondalup Line to Butler, and the sinking of the railway yard immediately west of the Horseshoe Bridge to reconnect Northbridge and the CBD. This work is being undertaken by the Perth City Link Rail Alliance (between the PTA, John Holland and GHD).

With the Budget in May, the Government made a massive commitment to the future of the State in general and public transport in particular. It gave grass-roots public transport in the greater metropolitan area a huge shot in the arm by authorising the purchase of another 45 B-series railcars (15 three-car trains) and significantly increasing both the number of buses and funding for extra routes.

It lifted Transperth’s annual bus service kilometres - a measure of the distance for which timetabled bus travel is funded - by an initial 3.3 million in 2011-12 and a total of 15.2m by 2015-16. This represents an increase of 28.5 per cent over the next five years, and compares with a rise of only 8.5 per cent from 2005-06 to now. Backing this up is a big jump in the number of buses, from about 1160 at the moment, to about 1390 in 2015-16. Most of this five-year, 19.8 per cent increase in the size of the fleet will be achieved by the purchase of 158 buses over the seven years to 2017-18 - on top of those covered by the new Volvo contract.

And there is even more to come: As the year closed, the Premier announced that a major new stadium would be built on the Burswood peninsula. This will have a substantial transport component as a key element of the whole project. We were also expecting the imminent release of the long-awaited blueprint for public transport in the greater metropolitan area over the next 20 years. This is expected to address such issues as the further northern expansion of the rail line, a line to the airport, the reintroduction of light rail, and the development of rapid transit corridors as well as transit-oriented developments and funding options.

Public transport over the next few years promises to be a very exciting ride.

Mark Burgess
Managing Director