The scope for enhancing public transport in Australian capital cities

Dr. Garry Glazebrook, Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney, writes, ‘The rise in petrol prices in Australia has accelerated the trend back to public transport evident over the last decade. But this has caused overcrowding of trains and buses, leading some to question whether our public transport systems can cope. All our capital cities have significant network capacity in the short term, and with increased rolling stock and the expansion plans already underway or planned could double total patronage in Sydney and Melbourne by 2021, and triple it in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Australian cities are in fact well placed to cope with the paradigm shift occurring away from low density car-oriented growth, provided they continue to invest in public transport and support this with appropriate pricing and other policies.