The State and Federal governments must stop their bickering and work together to immediately fix NSW’s ailing public transport system, according to the State’s peak environment group.
“Sydney's transport system is an international disgrace and for too long has suffered as a result of poor planning and investment by successive governments,” Cate Faehrmann, executive director of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW said today.
“The community should not have to bear the brunt of ill-feelings between Prime Minister Rudd and Premier Rees, but this seems to be what is happening.
“Sydney's growing population can't wait for any disagreement between Prime Minister Rudd and Premier Rees to work itself out.
“Over the past 20 years, Sydney population has grown by 21 per cent, while the number of car trips has increased by 41 per cent and the number of cars clogging our roads by 58 per cent.
“A fast, efficient and cheap public transport system is urgently needed now to tackle Sydney's rising greenhouse gas emissions from transport - a factor which seems to have dropped off both the State and Federal Government's radar.
“The buck-passing must stop and the State Government must tell the people of Sydney what its plans are to deliver a world-class transport system.
“To compete in an increasingly globalised world Sydney needs to step up to the mark and step into the twenty-first century when it comes to public transport.
“Our transport system is frankly an international embarrassment upon which the NSW Government will be sorely judged come the next election,” Ms Faehrmann said.
