The Canberra Liberals have been forced to admit that a key plank of their bus-only alternative to Light Rail Stage 2B cannot be delivered.
In response to a question from PTCBR member Mark Dando, the Opposition’s transport spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that their proposal to build a continuous bus-only lane from Woden to the City could not include Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, leaving buses stuck in traffic along a key section of the corridor.
This is an absolutely humiliating admission. The Canberra Liberals have known for years that the NCA had no plans to permit bus-only lanes on Commonwealth Avenue, but they went ahead and promised it anyway only two months ago. Presumably they hoped no one would look too closely at what they were proposing.
Once again, we see that there is no credible alternative to light rail in the ACT. Buses without their own lanes are an incredibly poor substitute for frequent and reliable light rail operating on its own right of way. This is exactly why we need to extend our city’s successful light rail system across the lake.
Canberrans deserve better than second-rate solutions driven by political expediency and wishful thinking. The Opposition need to seriously step up their game if they want to have a serious shot at forming government in October.