Money thrown at promoting trains, buses, ‘smart transport’. Image: eGuide Travel
The Western Australian government has released a new information campaign to enable commuters to get the best use of Perth’s rapidly expanding transport network.
It is an information campaign designed to drive behavioural change and has been jointly funded by the Department of Transport, Main Roads and Public Transport Authority.
The campaign has been allocated $1 million from the 2015-16 transport budget of $3.1 billion, and will feature on television, radio, out of home, digital and social media.
According to the government, the ‘Smart Transport’ campaign would provide commuters with tips and tools that would enable them to modify their thinking and approach to moving around Perth, based on awareness of the smart transport options available.
The co-ordinated Smart Transport campaign, which combines information from Main Roads, the Public Transport Authority and Department of Transport, will provide commuters with the right information at the right time to provide better options to improve their travel experience.
The campaign plans to increase awareness of various modes of transport and their routes, the changes under way, and how transport users can interact with those changes.
A big part of the campaign stems from the Infrastructure Australia report, Priorities and reforms for our nation’s future, which found that across the country, without action the cost of congestion on urban roads could rise to more than $50 billion each year by 2031
Western Australian Minister for Transport David Nalder said as part of the Smart Transport campaign, there will be a central hub of information, with data-driven tips and suburb specific advice.
“We acknowledge the cost of congestion and believe the State Government has an obligation to inform West Australians about transport options and how they can make more informed transport choices,” Mr Nalder said.
“Perth is a growing city. There are more vehicles on the network at peak times and people are traveling further than ever before. There is more demand on the network and growth in demand is expected to continue.
“There is no single solution to tackling congestion. By focusing on multiple measures and working together with the community, improvements will be noticeable in traffic flow and reliability,” he said.
