I Just Don't Get It

Today while reading through the Sydney Morning Herald website I cam across this article entitled "Metro critic says rail plan out of step with world".

It's one of those articles that yet again enforces to me just how stupid and short-sighted the politicians of NSW really are. All they care about is getting re-elected. They don't give a shit about anything else.

As proven by this whole metro link debacle. For some reason the state government thinks it's a great idea to build an identical train system in the city and surrounding suburbs that mirrors the one that already exists. They also think it's a good idea to not bother building and improving rail systems to areas such as the North-West and South-West of Sydney, the fastest growing areas.

The state of public transport in NSW is something that has been pissing me off for at least 10 years!

If you live around the Castle Hill-Norwest area you have no option to catch a train coz there just ain't one. Your only option is a bus, that's heavily crowded, or to drive. If you live somewhere in the Hawkesbury area you have an option of one or two trains an hour (if they show up at all) to get you to Blacktown and beyond. Unless you're travelling to the city you have to catch a minimum of 2 trains to get where you want to go. Basically, even in peak-hour traffic, it's quicker and easier for me to drive most places than it is to try and catch a train from the Hawkesbury.

We keep hearing about how Australia's population is growing at an unprecedented rate, and you would have to think that means the population in Greater Sydney is going to grow just as much on a state-scale.

Yet, instead of building and improving infrastructure to the areas of Sydney that are growing fastest and that will experience the biggest population growths in the next 30 years, they are wasting million of tax-payer dollars on what will essentially be a redundant train line instead of listening to what all the experts and their own constituents are telling them.

Building the Metro is a mistake. That money should be invested in upgrading the existing train network and creating new lines to the North-West and South-West of the city. Yes, trains in the city can be crowded, but it's usually the trains that are travelling out west that are crowded. Why? Because there is only 2 damn services an hour. If you're lucky.

Yes, more people who live in inner-city areas use public transport. That's because they have it. People in North-West Sydney don't even have the option of using it because there is none.

If politicians don't start listening to the experts and start doing something about our appalling infrastructure and services then I don't want to be living in NSW in 30 years coz the place will be falling apart!

And don't even get me started on the non-existant public transport in rural areas of the state!

Comments

Bill said…
I've noticed that some local governments are now putting the onus on the developers of these outer McSuburbs to build roads, curb & channel, lighting and sewerage as part of their contracts. It makes sense, since they would only be a burden to councils otherwise, but I don't think it goes far enough. They also should be made responsible for the wider infrastructure such as transport, parks and water catchments. It's folly to increase the pressure on cities' already overstretched infrastructure and expect it to cope. You can tell when most of the decision-makers live in the inner city.

It needn't be busses or trains. Adelaide's O-Bahn combines the two. It's way cool and just right for outer suburbs.
carly said…
im quite lucky that i am on the western line and dont have to change in order to get to the city. but i hate the lack of air con on the trains. drives me mental.
@Bill - You're exactly right, I think there should def be more responsibilty fr teh developers...they want to sub-divide and sell off all this land but not be responsible for making sure that it's done in a sustainable way. And I agree about a combo of public transport. Years ago I remember visiting Canberra and being amazed at how fantastic their bus system was, you could get anywhere on clean, on-time buses. It was great! Don't know what it's like now though.
@Carly - I know what you mean about lack of air-con! WHen I was catching trains everyday some afternoons were un-bearable and people would be fainting on the carriages. Not good!
Mia said…
I'm perversely relieved to see that local Australian politicians are just as out of touch as every other country. Why do people say you're backward? You're just like us. Welcome.

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