tram – Transport for Melbourne

Rapid Public Transport Improvements at Minimal Cost

Buses are the only form of public transport available for about two thirds of Melbourne and should be the ‘glue’ that ties the entire public transport system together. So it is critical Melbourne gets them working properly and this should be the starting point for an integrated public transport plan.

Transport for Melbourne ran forums in 2018 and 2018 aimed at improving Melbourne’s transport quickly and relatively cheaply by focussing on the things that really matter ie customer service. For transport this invariably means network coverage, convenience, comfort and safety. More specifically this is determined by route/network design, service frequency, journey times, timeliness of arrivals and departures, reliability of journey times and ability to make connections, and span of service over the day.

In the case of buses many of these service issues can be improved simply by modifying routes to make them more relevant as part of an integrated public transport network, providing priority on the roads to buses (and trams), improved maintenance, improving timetables, better customer information including signage, maps, modifications to the local environment such as improved lighting, urban design to improve accessibility, convenience and safety. Most of these measures are not costly and most require minimal investment in physical infrastructure. In fact the aim should be to maximise use of existing infrastructure and make it work more efficiently and more effectively. This logic should apply to all public transport modes. Smart cities address all of this as a matter of course – but not here in Melbourne.

There are signs the Minister for Public Transport is listening at last and the State government is beginning to focus more on buses and service issues more generally. These are issues that must be addressed if government is to provide the kind of public transport service Melbourne needs and make it comparable to world best practice. There is also an environmental imperative to do so. This must be reflected in budget allocations but they remain substantially inadequate and require a fundamental change in investment priorities ie instead of a focus on big build infrastructure to the things that really matter: customer service, but in a way that is designed to achieve zero emissions by 2030.

Shortage of Tram Wheels Forces Cancellation of Some Melbourne Services

It was reported by the Herald Sun (April 13, 2021) that a global supply shortage (of wheels) has affected Melbourne’s trams and will force many services off the rails, with authorities “scrambling to source new wheels from abroad for the fleet”. According to the report, from this week, trams in need of replacements will be gradually taken off the network and could side-line up to 23 vehicles until shipments begin arriving at the end of the month.

This problem would not have occurred had the wheels been made locally. It exposes the folly of relying extensively on foreign companies and supply chains for critical components that could and should be supplied locally. But why did it take Yarra Trams so long to identify this problem? It is a reminder of the importance of getting the basics right – of properly maintaining the existing system and having the systems in place to make sure it happens.

It is also a reminder of the need to get our priorities right: to focus first on getting the existing system working as well as possible before embarking on glamorous new mega infrastructure projects. This includes many mundane and practical things that are critical for service delivery but do not provide opportunities for politicians’ names on brass plaques.