Review of performance

Reliability

Trains

The service reliability target for Transperth trains is for 95 per cent of services to arrive within four minutes of the scheduled time. Until 2006-07, this tolerance margin was three minutes. It changed in 2007-08 to take account of longer rail services with increased journey times, and to ensure national consistency in reliability measures.

In 2011-12, on average 94.6 per cent of train services met the target compared with 95.7 per cent in 2010-11. The slip reflects a significant increase in the level of construction work being completed on and around the urban rail network including that for the Perth City Link project, several high-profile and extended unplanned closures, and an unusually high weather impact, including lightning strikes and speed restrictions due to very hot or very wet weather.

Buses

Transperth buses aim never to leave a terminus or travel through a mid-way timing point early, and for 85 per cent of services to arrive within four minutes of the scheduled time. Reliability is monitored through a random sample of about one per cent of trips in each bus contract area (this is a substantial number, given that there are more than 13,000 bus trips on a typical weekday) using SmartRider’s GPS Reporter function. This provides an accurate assessment of bus on-time performance. No other public transport jurisdiction in Australia has the technology or capacity to provide this level of precision in checking bus services.

This year our buses fell short of the target: on average, 79.1 per cent of services operated within the four-minute tolerance. This was 7.1 per cent below 2010-11. The biggest factor affecting bus service reliability was the disruption caused by road works in a big number of locations in the metropolitan area.

GPS Reporter helps identify under-performing services which, after a careful review, can be re-scheduled to ensure improved performance.

Ferries

The 2011-12 service reliability target for our ferry service was for 98 per cent of services to arrive within three minutes of the scheduled time. On average, 96.7 per cent of services met the target (99.2 per cent in 2010-11).

Trends in patronage

Not only did patronage continue to increase, there was a significantly higher rate of growth in 2011-12.

• Total boardings (fare-paying boardings, free travel and transfers) increased six per cent from 135.975 million in 2010-11, to 144.130m
• Cash and SmartRider initial boardings (fare-paying boardings and SmartRider-based free travel excluding free train travel within the FTZ) rose 6.9 per cent from 80.817m to 86.393m
• System-wide fare-paying boardings rose seven per cent from 75.929m to 81.262m.

All cash and SmartRider initial boardings are recorded accurately on the Transperth ticketing system. SmartRider also records transfers accurately and this data provides a reliable model to estimate transfers for cash passengers.

In 2011-12, SmartRider accounted for 71.2 per cent of cash and SmartRider initial boardings (including free train travel within the FTZ), compared with 70.4 per cent in 2010-11.

On a per-capita basis, public transport use in the Perth metropolitan area (including the City of Mandurah) was 55.0 total initial boardings a year in 2011-12, (comprising fare-paying boardings and all free travel) compared with 53.8 previously.

Marketing the services

In 2011-12, the Transperth Information and Event Services team successfully undertook a wide range of initiatives:

• Continued with the popular I Give Two Hoots campaign launched in 2009-10 to improve courtesy among passengers by highlighting behaviour that annoys our customers, such as playing loud music, not moving away from train doors, and trying to board a train when passengers are still trying to alight
• Launched the campaign Get Home Before Sunrise, featuring vampires, to market the new late-night weekend train services
• Introduced new ticketing InfoCubes to provide passengers on the train system with improved ticketing information
• Installed blue bikes on the top of bike shelters to make it easier for cyclists to identify lock-up facilities for bikes at stations
• Improved signage at several stations as part of a system-wide upgrade to improve the visibility of key components of infrastructure, such as lifts
• Continued to provide service disruption information to passengers across all modes of public transport (a key service, given a significant increase in the number of disruptions due to work on the Perth City Link and Butler Station projects as well as infrastructure maintenance)
• Continued to keep passengers updated on service changes, particularly with the introduction of additional bus kilometres
• Continued to deliver Get on Board presentations to a broad range of community groups
• Progressed a program for employers who want to encourage staff to use public transport to get to work
• Continued to work with major event organisers to ensure the efficient and effective provision of special event services - a new, five-year agreement was signed with the West Australian Football Commission to provide special event services for events at Patersons Stadium.

Disability access

Transperth aims to provide universal access to all its services for the wider community - including the elderly, people with disabilities and parents with prams. This year, further progress was made.

Trains

All Transperth trains are universally accessible. The key issues for our rail system are access to the station for people with varying disabilities, and whether the gap between train and platform meets accessibility standards.

At balance date, 37 stations (52.9 per cent of a total 70) provided independent access for people with disabilities and parents with prams. In 2007-08, the figure was 49.3 per cent (34 of 69 stations). At the other stations, passengers are helped by PTA customer service staff when required.

* Complies with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport and Guidelines under the Disability Discrimination Act, 1992

** Assistance available from Transperth customer service staff

# Perth Underground Station included in Perth Station in 2007-08, identified as a separate station from 2008-09

Buses

Transperth continued its long-term program to increase the number of accessible buses in its fleet with the purchase of 90 new low-floor vehicles. As at June 30, we operated 995 accessible buses (80 per cent of a 1246-vehicle fleet), compared with 905 (77.4 per cent of 1170) a year earlier.

Because preference is given to operating accessible buses whenever possible, most off-peak buses are accessible. In the peak, both accessible and non-accessible buses are fully committed. The number of service trips operated by accessible buses has increased over the past five years - this year, 57.2 per cent of trips (2.342 million of a total 4.097m) were operated by accessible buses, compared with 47.2 per cent in 2010-11.

Transperth continued its Bus Stop Accessibility Works Program with approximately 600 bus stops upgraded to meet the requirements of the Federal Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. Upgrades typically involve the construction of a concrete passenger boarding area at correct kerb height, installation of tactile ground surface indicators and, if necessary, installation of footpath connections (to a maximum three metres) to the existing local footpath network. Since the program was introduced in January 2010, about 1400 bus stops have been upgraded.

Ferries

Transperth’s ferry services are provided by two accessible vessels. The MV Phillip Pendal (which came into service in May 2009) does the bulk of the work and MV Shelley Taylor-Smith is available when required.

The Barrack Street jetty in Perth meets the Federal standard. Though the Mends Street jetty in South Perth was already accessible for people in wheelchairs, the existing ramps were further improved during the year.

SmartRider project and system ticketing

Transperth’s SmartRider ticketing system continues to improve on its success, and lead Australia in smartcard ticketing technology. The 2012 PSM showed a very high level of satisfaction among SmartRider users: 97 per cent of bus passengers, 96 per cent of train passengers and 94 per cent of ferry passengers.

In 2011-12, SmartRider accounted for 71.2 per cent of cash and SmartRider initial boardings system-wide. Trains recorded the highest level of use with 72.3 per cent (previously 71.2 per cent), including free travel within the FTZ. Buses edged up to 70.5 (70) per cent, and ferries 39.7 (36.5) per cent.

Complementing the SmartRider system, Transperth has installed state-of-the-art ticket vending machines at all train stations and ferry jetties to provide a cash alternative for passengers.