University of Tasmania set to become first employer to offer staff e-bike leases, Hobart traffic inquiry hears

The University of Tasmania says it is happy to help fund bike lanes to help solve Hobart’s growing congestion problems, as it unveils an innovative transport plan for staff.

THE University of Tasmania says it would ‘absolutely’ be happy to fund separated cycleways for Hobart as it unveils an innovative transport plan for staff.

The university could soon be the first employer to get more cars off Hobart’s roads by offering staff an innovative lease option, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Day two of a Legislative Council select committee inquiry into greater Hobart’s traffic congestion heard from a range of speakers, including representatives from UTAS, which is proposing an option for staff to lease an e-bike.

Executive director of southern futures Tim Rutherford said the university was looking at ways to encourage staff to use other transport methods beside private cars, ahead of their move into the CBD.

He said UTAS was in the process of working through negotiations with a provider to offer e-bike leasing to staff via salary sacrificing.

“That’s something no other employer in the state currently offers,” he said.

“It’s different to a bike share scheme — it’s your bike — it’s the same as leasing a car.

And, he said, both the user and employer benefited as no fringe benefit tax was payable on e-bikes, unlike cars.

The University of Tasmania is in the process of working through negotiations with a provider to offer e-bike leasing to staff via salary sacrificing. Picture: SUPPLIED

Mr Rutherford said 75 per cent of the 3000 staff at the Sandy Bay campus currently drove to work.

UTAS was regularly in talks with the Hobart City Council and State Growth Department ahead of their move.

“We’ve been very clear that we are happy to support capital works programs that contribute back to the city and we’ll look for opportunities to do that,” he said.

TRAFFIC WOE PROBE BEGINS

When asked by Nelson MLC Meg Webb if they would include projects such as separated cycleways, Mr Rutherford said “yes, absolutely.”

Aerial shot of the University of Tasmania Sandy Bay campus. Picture: SUPPLIED

The committee also heard from Brighton Council’s development services manager David Allington, who said greater Hobart councils had met with the State Growth Department and Metro last week.

“It was jaw-dropping how disconnected everyone was when it came to planning for [public transport services] in the future,” he said.

LONG WAIT FOR COMMUTER TRAFFIC RELIEF

Metro Tasmania chair Tim Gardner said the Hobart bus network experienced very short peaks of demand and to “simply throw more resources at those peaks isn’t efficient.”

“You would just be throwing more vehicles on the road at a congested time,” he said.

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