Call for public transport, freight overhaul on South Eastern Freeway
Major traffic hold-ups on the South Eastern Freeway on Thursday have highlighted the need for an urgent transport overhaul in the Adelaide Hills, locals say.
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An urgent public transport overhaul and changes to allow larger trucks on the South Eastern Freeway are vital to deal with worsening congestion dramas, locals say.
Mount Barker Council has reignited its call for a Hills commuter train and better, more frequent bus routes to help deal with traffic snarls along the freeway.
It follows commuters on Thursday reporting delays of up to 90 minutes, after a semi-trailer ran out of fuel near the Bridgewater turn-off.
Chief executive Andrew Stuart said the council this month opened a “coworking hub” in Mount Barker, which allowed people to work closer to home and avoid travelling to town on the freeway on days of extreme congestion.
More than 1000 new residents are settling in Mount Barker each year, and problems are worsening as 60-70 per cent of locals work in Adelaide.
The council wants the Government to consider moving some agencies to the town to provide jobs for locals and bust congestion.
It has also been lobbying for better bus routes and a rail revival after a regional report found frequency of Hills services was “generally very low or not available”.
“I’ve commuted there for 20-odd years and it (congestion) just gets progressively thicker around peaks and more stressful and challenging,” Mr Stuart said.
About 16,600 people call Mount Barker home, and by 2040, the council expects that figure to balloon to 40,000.
Mr Stuart said problems could be exacerbated during emergencies, including bushfires, which might involve smoke haze and accidents.
“If there’s a panic situation and people want to get onto the freeway I’m not sure that’s a situation I’d like to contemplate – it would be quite scary,” he said.
SA Road Transport Association executive officer Steve Shearer wants the Government to make public transport more attractive for commuters and allow B-triples to use the freeway.
“If you were using B-triples coming down the freeway you’d be able to substantially reduce the number of trucks involved,” Mr Shearer said. “Two B-triples would replace three B-doubles.”
In September, the State Government released the tender to convert the freeway’s emergency lanes into full-time traffic lanes between Crafers and Stirling.
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the $14.2 million project included “Intelligent Transportation Systems” infrastructure to direct traffic during hazards or emergencies, and other upgrades. Works will start early next year.
A Transport Department spokesman said bus services were recently re-tendered, with respondents asked to propose improved services.
The new South Australian Public Transport Authority would also help develop an improved public transport strategy.
Barry Jungfer, owner of Farfields Haulage, said on Thursday it took him more than an hour to travel between his Mount Barker depot and the broken down truck at Bridgewater – a journey that would normally take less than 10 minutes.
He supported the move to open up the emergency lane, but believed one of the biggest problems on the stretch was bank-ups caused by locals’ inability to effectively merge.
michelle.etheridge@news.com.au