Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

M4East Motorway - Sydney Morning Herald 10 Aug 2007

posted Saturday 11 August 2007

On 10 August 2007 the Sydney Morning Herald reported on an address by the NSW Co-ordinator General, David Richmond, regarding the future of transport in Sydney. APTNSW's response was printed on the Herald's letters page on 11 August, heavily edited. Here is the full text of APTNSW's letter:

Dear Sir/Madam,

The revelations in your article “Final location closer on new tunnel project“ (Herald, 10 August) do not augur well for an economically efficient transport future for Sydney. Almost any configuration for an M4East motorway can be classified as an “inner city radial freeway”, a concept which was already discredited by the nineteen sixties. Nor would it be part of Sydney’s orbital road network, already proudly declared completed by the government and its de-facto transport planning body, the RTA.

The Co-ordinator General’s reported remark, that “value for money for the [privately-owned motorway] user“ is a prime consideration in transport planning, might further illustrate the commercial bias which now infects advice to government. That there are to be two separate discussion papers, for roads and for public transport, raises further concerns about a lack of integration of transport modes.

Premier Iemma wishes to be remembered as the “public transport” premier. The prospects are not good.

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