Kingborough Mayor Dean Winter calls for park and ride after 15km Southern Outlet gridlock

The mayor of Kingborough says yesterday’s 15km gridlock on the Southern Outlet is unacceptable and wants action on park and ride options.

A TRAFFIC jam stretching 15km through the city’s south caused by a minor crash on the Southern Outlet was unprecedented, Kingborough mayor Dean Winter says.

Yesterday’s snarl at Mt Nelson had commuters backed up to Margate, 15km from the site of the three-car crash as well as on the alternate route through Taroona, Mr Winter said.

“We had congestion in areas we’ve never seen before. It shouldn’t be the case that a single crash can cause congestion to 15 per cent of greater Hobart,” Cr Winter said.

He said long-term planning was needed.

Kingborough Mayor Dean Winter. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

“The $20 million in the State Budget to develop infrastructure in and around Kingston for park and ride and a more significant bus interchange are welcome initiatives in the long-term interests of Kingborough’s workforce,” he said.

TRAFFIC RANT: ACTION NOT WORDS IS NEEDED

“Over 80 per cent of our workforce commutes into the city every day. We’re still of the view that the best way to alleviate congestion issues is to create more employment opportunities here locally and reduce the number of commuters heading to the city.”

Traffic on the southern outlet near Kingston. Picture: DEAN WINTER

Opposition infrastructure spokesman David O’Byrne said he hoped new Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson would have more success with Hobart’s traffic than he did with the state’s hospitals. Mr O’Byrne said Mr Ferguson must deliver the Government’s “long-delayed” promises.

“Mr Ferguson needs to be delivering on promises that the Liberal Government claims will address traffic congestion, in particular the long-delayed commitment to station tow trucks on the Southern Outlet,” Mr O’Byrne said.

“People have been bringing ideas on how to address traffic congestion to the Hodgman Government for five years now but not one congestion-busting initiative has been delivered.”

Mr Ferguson said he would implement the Traffic Incident Response for Hobart as part of a $71.98 million commitment for a traffic solution.

“Tow trucks stationed near the Tasman Bridge were recently extended under this plan to provide towing between 7am and 6pm weekdays to respond immediately to incidents,” he said.

He said a contractor had been engaged, and a similar service would begin soon during morning and afternoon peaks on the Southern Outlet, as well as Macquarie and Davey Streets, the Brooker Highway, Domain Highway, Tasman Highway and East Derwent Highway.