Premier Steven Marshall dumps controversial public transport reforms, and Service SA centre closures, after public backlash
After a huge public backlash, the State Government has buckled and dumped two signature policies – plans to overhaul Adelaide’s bus network and close three Service SA centres.
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Controversial plans to cut bus stops and close Service SA centres have both been dumped in a dramatic double backflip by the State Government.
Just two weeks after Transport Minister Stephan Knoll announced a massive overhaul of the bus network that he said was necessary to get more people using a neglected service, the government is walking away from it after a significant public backlash.
On the day that much of SA was celebrating the lifting of coronavirus restrictions, Premier Steven Marshall said he was listening to the people and junking unpopular plans.
The government had planned to receive public consultation on the buses until the end of July, with changes to occur at the end of the year. In just two weeks, it was flooded with angry feedback from commuters and a focused Opposition campaign over cuts.
When launching the bus plan, Mr Knoll said faster services would be delivered across Adelaide and that 500 underused stops would go. He was later forced to concede that many more stops would be converted to only taking school students, as the Opposition highlighted examples of vulnerable people who wanted current services to stay.
Mr Marshall said the government was spending $1 billion on public transport and would continue to work on upgrading routes and services.
However, he said the public had clearly rejected cuts and changes to their routes.
“It doesn’t mean we will not be proceeding with upgrades to public transport in SA,” Mr Marshall said. “(But) we have listened to the people of SA. They have said that they do not want to see changes.”
Mr Knoll said thousands of people had voiced opposition to bus changes.
“It is very clear that people want to see the existing routes continue,” he said.
“We are listening to the feedback that the people of SA provided us. We have been asking them for their feedback since day one of this consultation process.
“We have seen thousands of people provide very passionate feedback. The existing network, as it is, will continue. Reform is always difficult.”
Plans to close the Service SA centres at Prospect, Modbury and Mitcham were announced in 2018 as part of a wider cost-cutting drive.
Mr Knoll said they would now stay open, and new procedures put in place to cut wait times for people going there.
The bus plan also caused tension in the Liberal Party, as influential figures including MP and former party president Steve Murray voiced concern.
Independent MP and former Liberal Sam Duluk, once a close factional ally of Mr Knoll, said the bus backdown was a win for his electorate.
“The proposed bus changes would have completely removed bus routes that local commuters rely on to get to work, to school and to important appointments,” he said.
Mr Malinauskas said it was a “proud victory” for commuters and demanded Mr Knoll also abandon plans to privatise train and tram operations.
“This is a minister who is completely out of his depth,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“If Steven Marshall was serious about showing some leadership, that is the person that he would be sacking immediately.”
BUS STOPS THAT WERE SLATED FOR REMOVAL