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  • Transperth snapshot of 2009/10
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• Explanation of Major Capital Expenditure Variations 2009/10
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• Notes To The Financial Statements

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Review of performance

Service reliability

Transperth uses technology-based monitoring methods to measure OTR. The GPS Reporter functionality of the SmartRider ticketing system is used to monitor bus and ferry services, while the train control system is used for train services.

Trains

The target for TTO in 2009/10 was 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 consistency in reliability measures between Transperth’s train operations and other Australian rail operators.

In 2009/10, 95.9 per cent of train services met the target compared with 94.7 per cent in 2008/09.

Buses

The service reliability target for Transperth buses is to never 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.

Bus reliability is monitored on the basis of a random sample of one per cent of trips in each bus contract area (a substantial number, given that there are more than 10,000 bus trips on a typical weekday). 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 precise level of automated checking of bus services.

In 2009/10, we surpassed our OTR target when 85.5 per cent of bus services operated within the four-minute tolerance period compared with 84.5 per cent in 2008/09. A significant factor contributing to the improvement was the use of the GPS Reporter functionality to identify under-performing services. Following a careful review, these services were re-scheduled to ensure improved performance.

Ferries

The target for our ferries is for services to arrive within three minutes of the scheduled time. In 2009/10, 98.4 per cent of services met this target, the same as in 2008/09. During the year, out of 124 trips checked (0.3 per cent of total annual trips), one trip did not run and one trip ran early.

Trends in patronage

Patronage on the Transperth system increased for the eleventh year in succession, though the rate of increase slowed from the exceptional growth in 2008/09 (18.4 per cent) and 2007/08 (7.8 per cent) following the start of services on the Mandurah Line.

In 2009/10, total boardings (comprising fare-paying boardings, free travel and transfers) increased 2.2 per cent to 131.629m compared with 128.784m in 2008/09. Cash and SmartRider initial boardings (fare-paying boardings and SmartRider-based free travel) were up 1.6 per cent to 78.852m (77.605m previously) but fare-paying boardings fell 3.1 per cent to 74.103m from 76.467m, reflecting the full-year impact of free travel for seniors and aged and disability pensioners (introduced on April 4, 2009). However, on a like-for-like comparison, during the three-month period to June 30, fare-paying boardings were 18.526m in 2010 compared with 17.951m in 2009, an increase of 3.2 per cent.

All cash and SmartRider initial boardings are recorded accurately on the Transperth ticketing system. In 2009/10, SmartRider accounted for 69.9 per cent of initial boardings compared with 66.7 per cent in 2008/09 and 61.0 per cent in 2007/08. In addition, the SmartRider system allows transfers to be accurately recorded and this data provides a reliable model to estimate transfers for cash passengers.

In longer-term trend analysis, from 2005/06 to 2009/10, total boardings on the Transperth system increased by 33.6 per cent, while cash and SmartRider initial boardings rose 31.3 per cent. During this period, total boardings increased at an average annual rate of 4 per cent on buses and 13.4 per cent on trains. The average annual rate of increase of cash and SmartRider initial boardings was 2.2 per cent on bus and 14.6 per cent on trains.

Patronage on the Transperth ferry service fluctuates partly due to the fact that a high proportion of users are tourists. In 2009/10, total boardings fell by 4.1 per cent, and there was a significant decline of 16.7 per cent in cash and SmartRider initial boardings. This follows an increase of 4.3 per cent in total boardings and a reduction of 3.3 per cent in cash and SmartRider initial boardings in 2008/09. In 2007/08, total boardings fell 14.9 per cent and cash and SmartRider initial boardings fell 5 per cent. On the other hand, in 2006/07 total boardings and cash and SmartRider initial boardings recorded increases of 8.5 per cent and 8.4 per cent respectively.

Total capacity on the Transperth system expressed in terms of passenger place kilometres continued to increase. In 2009/10, Transperth provided total capacity amounting to 10,138.4 million passenger place kilometres compared with 9337m in 2008/09.

On a per-capita basis, public transport usage within the Perth metropolitan area (including the City of Mandurah) in 2009/10 was 53 total initial boardings per annum (comprising fare-paying boardings and all free travel), down 1.8 per cent from 54 in 2008/09. This reflects the relatively low rate of increase in total initial boardings (1.7 per cent) compared with an estimated 3.6 per cent increase in population.

Marketing of the service

In 2009/10, the Transperth Information and Event Services team successfully undertook the following initiatives:

• Launched a new service which allowed passengers to view live train times online or via a WAP enabled mobile.
• Launched the new Station Access Information module on the website to enable passengers, especially those with a disability, to plan their journey. Passengers can see online how to access the station and the facilities provided - from the number of car bays to whether there are toilets and change machines.
• In conjunction with Transwa, supported the PTA’s aim of making public transport an attractive and sustainable choice by supporting daysofchange.org. More than 40,000 West Australians pledged to make sustainable changes in their lives during the launch phase of this initiative.
• Launched a campaign to improve courtesy among passengers. The I Give Two Hoots campaign was designed to highlight behaviour that passengers find irritating, such as playing loud music, not moving away from train doors and trying to board a train when passengers are still trying to alight.
• The community education team continued to deliver Get on Board presentations to a broad range of community groups. Particularly noteworthy was the translation of key public transport information into 11 languages on the Transperth website, in both written and audio format.
• Continued to work with major event organisers across the Perth metropolitan area to ensure that adequate public transport services are planned and funded. In 2009/10, there was an increase in the use of public transport to travel to/from major events throughout Perth. City to Surf and Future Music were two events which required substantial support from Transperth bus operations.
• Conducted research on park ‘n’ ride behaviour, cash v SmartRider usage patterns, as well as the annual Passenger Satisfaction Monitor.

Disability access

Transperth aims to provide universal access to its buses, trains and ferries so that the wider community (including people with disabilities and parents with prams) can access services and facilities. In 2009/10, further progress was made towards achieving this objective, as described below.

Trains

All Transperth trains are universally accessible. The key issue for rail is whether access to the station is provided for people with varying disabilities and whether the gap between train and platform meets accessibility standards. Currently, 36 out of 70 train stations, (51.4 per cent) provide independent access for people with disabilities and parents with prams. At the other stations, passengers are helped by PTA customer service staff when required.

	Independent access*	Partial access**	Limited access **	Total stations
2005/06	16	31	12	59
2006/07	23	26	10	59
2007/08	34	25	10	69#
2008/09	36	25	9	70
2009/10	36	25	9	70

* 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 80 new low-floor accessible Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of the Daimler bus supply agreement. As at June 30, the number of accessible buses was 826 out of a total fleet of 1146 (72.1 per cent) compared with 774 out of a total fleet of 1134 buses (68.3 per cent) a year earlier.

Preference is given to operating accessible buses whenever possible so that, off-peak, most buses are accessible. During peak, when service demand is high, both accessible and non-accessible buses are fully committed. Accessible buses accounted for 80.3 per cent of service kilometres in 2009/10 compared with 76.6 per cent in 2008/09.

During the year, 14 diesel low-floor buses were transferred to regional towns, part of the State’s public transport system managed by the PTA. The PTA has a responsibility to ensure that the bus fleets in regional towns meet the Federal legislated requirement in regard to accessibility. To replace these 14 buses, 14 new CNG buses were procured for the Transperth fleet. The buses transferred to regional towns in 2009/10 form part of a program to transfer 41 buses to regional areas over a four-year period.

Transperth continued its program of upgrading accessibility at bus stations and bus/train interchanges to meet the requirements of the Federal Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. During 2009/10, work was carried out to completely refurbish Kalamunda bus station to meet all accessibility standards.

Ferries

During the year, the bulk of Transperth ferry services were provided by the new accessible ferry, the MV Phillip Pendal, which was brought into service on May 3, 2009. The MV Shelley Taylor-Smith, an accessible vessel, is also available for use when required. The two jetties, at Barrack Street in Perth and Mends Street in South Perth, meet the Federal Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport.

Service coverage

Transperth aims to maximise the number of people in the community who have ready access to its services. As described earlier, this is measured in terms of the proportion of property street addresses (PSA) within 500m of a Transperth stop (bus, train, or ferry) providing an acceptable service level (ASL).

In 2009/10, the proportion of PSAs within 500m of an ASL stop increased to 82.9 per cent from 81.1 per cent in 2008/09. The number of ASL stops increased 0.4 per cent from to 7309 from 7279.

Passenger satisfaction

The 2010 PSM showed that, system-wide, 85.8 per cent of our customers are satisfied with the level of service compared with 85.4 per cent in 2009. (Details of passenger satisfaction with train, bus and ferry services are included in individual mode reports from page 17).

SmartRider project and system ticketing

Transperth’s SmartRider ticketing system continues to improve on its award-winning success and lead Australia in smartcard ticketing technology.

In 2009/10, on average over the year, SmartRider accounted for 69.9 per cent of system-wide initial boardings compared with 66.7 per cent in 2008/09. The share of SmartRider in each mode in 2009/10 was, on average, bus 69.6 per cent, train 70.5 per cent and ferry 32.6 per cent, compared with 66 per cent, 68 per cent, and 30.9 per cent respectively in 2008/09.

Veterans entitled to free all day travel were issued with SmartRiders in November 2009. WA seniors, aged and disability pensioners are required to use SmartRider to access free travel during the weekday inter-peak and on weekends and public holidays.

During the year, Busselton (231km south of Perth) became the second regional town to have SmartRider on its public transport services. (SmartRider was successfully introduced in Geraldton in 2008/09).

The 2010 PSM showed a very high level of satisfaction with the SmartRider system- 96 per cent among bus passengers, 94 per cent among train passengers and 97 per cent among ferry passengers.

Complementing the SmartRider system, we have installed state-of-the-art ticket vending machines (TVMs) at all train stations and ferry jetties to provide an efficient cash alternative for passengers.