Victorians are driven by cars

John Ferguson

THE car is king: new analysis shows per capita vehicle travel is almost nine times that of public transport.

As Cabinet finalises the Victorian Transport Plan, the Brumby Government research shows that personal vehicle travel in Victoria dwarfs that of trams, trains and buses.

A survey of 17,000 households shows that vehicle trips continue to climb. The average Victorian travels more than 9000km a year as either a driver or passenger.

But public transport, though growing in popularity, is attracting patronage of just over 1000km each year.

As a percentage of motorised trips, public transport has, however, climbed from just under 10 per cent between 1994 and '99 to about 13 per cent in 2008.

The figures show that fewer people are using private vehicles to drive into the CBD. But the overwhelming number of trips by Melbourne residents are in cars.

The Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity data is being used by Cabinet to help it decide how to respond to the Victorian Transport Plan.

The Herald Sun reported this month that a $700 million road bypassing Frankston and slashing travel times for thousands of motorists will be built next year.

The Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity study, conducted over 12 months from May last year, excludes professional driver travel such as taxis and trucks.

Each member of 17,000 households was asked to fill in a diary for every day of the year covering all forms of travel, from cars to walking the dog.

Read the original article at HeraldSun.com.au

New plan for Melbourne sees no future for cars

John Masanauskas

July 31, 2008 12:00am

THE number of cars coming into the CBD would be slashed and the maximum speed limit set at 30km/h under a bold plan to improve Melbourne's liveability.

The proportion of workers travelling to the city by car must fall from about a third to only 10 per cent by 2020, according to a report to the City of Melbourne.

The Future Melbourne plan wants bikes to become the preferred mode of transport and calls for a European-style bike rental system.

"The municipality's focus on cars has driven walking off the streets and has destroyed the charm and aesthetic value of our municipality's streetscape," the report says.

But former premier Jeff Kennett warned the council not to alienate motorists.

"If you want to reduce the number of work trips taken by car, how are people physically going to get there?" he said.

"If you want to turn Melbourne into Paris or Amsterdam and make it more bicycle conducive, what are you going to do with the tram lines and everything else? No one is thinking long-term."

The Future Melbourne plan is the product of the most ambitious consultation project undertaken by the city council.

About 15,000 individuals, business and community groups contributed to the report, which could form the basis of council planning over the next decade.

The targets include:

MELBOURNE City's population to grow by more than 50 per cent to 140,000.

ZERO net carbon emissions.

DRINKING water use to be reduced by 40 per cent per resident and 50 per cent per worker, compared to 2000.

20 PER CENT of new housing to be affordable, or social, accommodation.

While the report called for a big reduction in car use, it stopped short of advocating a London-style congestion tax for the inner city.

Lord Mayor John So said the council preferred to change the culture of travel to the city and improve public transport.

"Public transport at the moment is one of the challenges facing Melbourne," he said.

The report called on the State Government to reconsider a fast rail link to the airport and a very fast train service between Melbourne and Sydney to help cope with population growth.

Reference group chair Carol Schwartz said the targets were achievable.

"I think it's very ambitious and I think it's great to be ambitious," she said.

Council CEO Kathy Alexander said the ideas should be taken seriously because of the vast community input.

Read the original article at HeraldSun.com.au

This is the mindset we are up against...

Idling for an hour, waiting to get their cheap fuel. Or even worse, driving across town...

Hundreds queue for cut-price fuel

Hundreds of motorists queued for nearly a kilometre to fill up on fuel for less than $1.50 a litre at a petrol station in Melbourne's south-east.

McKinnon service station owner Steven Biviano said one customer drove up to 45 minutes from the western suburbs to buy unleaded fuel at $149.7 a litre.

Mr Biviano said more than 200 motorists seized the chance to buy discounted fuel after he slashed the bowser price by 10 cents between 11am and 12pm.

Unleaded petrol is selling for up to $168.9 in Melbourne today, according to the RACV.

Read the original article here - http://www.theage.com.au/national/hundreds-queue-for-cutprice-fuel-20080702-30g1.html

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