Today Metro Tasmania cancelled 78 trips across the Hobart region, cynically on the same day public schools return for term 1.
The situation at Metro is bleak, with many issues plaguing our public transport provider.
A Labor Government would be proactively working with our Metro workforce, and looking at measures used interstate, such as providing transit officers to boost driver and passenger safety, as well as provide our drivers with more support while operating their vehicles.
These are measures we see across the country, but not here in Tasmania.
Todays' cancellations have occurred because of driver shortages, with many drivers unable to work.
Antisocial behavior, workplace culture and inadequate training are the major contributing factors to the driver shortage at Metro.
The Government and Metro management have previously claimed these route cancellations are due to illness.
However, we know that illness only accounts for a small number of driver unavailability.
The reality is that Metro drivers are at breaking point dealing with abuse, mismanagement and being overworked.
Figures revealed last year during the Government Business Enterprises scrutiny hearings highlighted that Tasmanians had lost faith in the reliability and safety of the service, with patronage down nearly 20 per cent compared to just a few years ago.
Bus operators and other staff continue to leave the organisation in record numbers.
Tasmanians depend on reliable and safe public transport to go to work, to school or to participate in the community.
Labor would work with Metro Tasmania to address the concerns of workers and passengers and provide a reliable transport option for Tasmanians, especially as the cost of living continues to rise.
The Liberals have had their go and failed. It's in Labor's DNA to support workers, and that's exactly what we would do in Government.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Transport
