October 2016, replacing
the South Australian division of the Australian Electric Traction
Association.
Published 8th March 2017.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC TRANSIT ASSOCIATION
Formerly Australian Electric Traction Association-
South Australian Division
ESTABLISHED 2016
Advocating the Development of Public Transit within
South Australia’s Transport Network
President: (Mr) D.J. Beres
Internet: www.electrictraction.org.au
Home Phone 08-8266-6115 or 0438 600 202
Email address: Saptasa2016@gmail.com
Check out our Facebook page: Friends of the South
Australian Public Transit Assoication
1 March 2017
The South Australian Public Transport Association (SAPTA)
commends the State Government for being aware that O-Bahn
Interchanges need an urgent upgrade (Leader Messenger All aboard
upgrades February 1 2017).
However, some of our members have been writing to the Minister
of Transport and Infrastructure Mr Stephen Mullighan about the
urgent need to install wind breaks at Paradise Interchange which
is nick named by commuters as the Antarctic of the North
East. When a cold wind comes across the interchange in
wintertime it is like a wind tunnel.
Mr Mullighan chose to ignore the comfort of passengers by
claiming there are more walking and park and ride users to that
Interchange and the percentage of changing from one bus to
another is very low so it is not a priority to install
windbreaks at that interchange. However, what about those
who walk or park their cars at the interchange don’t they
deserve also these comforts?
When the interchange was opened in 1986, it served its purpose
as a modern day interchange for its era. However since then the
South Eastern Busway in Brisbane has shown how modern an
interchange can become with lifts, and stairs and walkways that
passengers can access from one side to another and wind breaks
installed at all South East Busway stops!
SAPTA hopes that the government also invests in more car parking
spaces or build a multi-storey car park (similar to the one at
Tea Tree Plaza) at Paradise and Klemzig interchanges because it
should be thinking of the long term and not on the short term or
electoral cycles when it plans improvements to current O-Bahn
infrastructure.
It should be noted that the O-Bahn from City to Paradise last
year celebrated 30 years and the Paradise to Tea Tree Plaza in
2019 celebrates 30 years also but Klemzig, Paradise and Tea Tree
Plaza all need improvements and not just installing television
screens showing real time information or a coat of paint.
All these interchanges are prime candidates for Transit Oriented
Development (TOD) but it seems to be that whilst the SA
Government is supporting TOD’s the local NIMBY community and
councils seem to be against any TOD.
David Beres
President
SAPTA
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