Transport Policy

= Transport Policy Working Group =

Preamble
Transport networks shape the development of our cities and regions, and directly affect the quality of our daily lives as well as the cost structure of the economy. Australians suffer from the failures of successive governments to make adequate, long term plans to ensure timely maintenance, upgrading and expansion of our road and rail networks.  PPAU supports the role of Infrastructure Australia as an independent statutory authority charged with assessing proposals, but decisions to invest public funds rest ultimately with elected governments.

We oppose private sector ownership (either outright or as long-term leases) for any part of the road or rail network, as well as for other natural monopolies such as telecommunation networks, power grids, and air- or sea-ports. Any use of private contractors must not detract from the primary objective of serving the public interest, and must not involve complex and opaque financial structures. Our preferred model is for publicly-owned network infrastructure to be provided on a non-profit basis, in contrast to the prevailing "tollbooth economy" model that drives up costs for individuals and businesses. 

Urban Transport
Mobility, or the lack thereof, is an important dimension of social disadvantage in our cities, as housing costs force poorer households to outer areas with inferior access to employment and services. PPAU supports the use of land value taxation so that instead of private landowners receiving windfall financial gains from better infrastructure and services, the cost of such improvements can be recouped by the public purse and reinvested in new projects.

Traffic congestion imposes serious social and economic costs in areas of high population density. Although better road infrastructure has a role to play in alleviating this problem, in many cases the most cost-effective solutions will focus on improved public transport and a better deal for pedestrians and cyclists. PPAU believes that public transport should be kept affordable, and optimised for wider social benefits, such as reducing traffic congestion, rather than for maximising revenue. The running costs and service standards should be benchmarked against comparable international cities. We support limited congestion charging in the CBDs of large cities, subject to strong privacy safeguards.

In Australia, the transport sector accounts for about 11% of greenhouse gas emissions, and is the major contributor to urban air pollution.  Electric or hybrid vehicles offer the most realistic option to improve air quality in the medium term. The average Australian car is nearly 10 years old, so a new car bought today might easily be on the road well into the 2030s. PPAU therefore supports modest incentives to accelerate the initial uptake of electric cars, as well as tightening emission standards for conventional vehicles. We also advocate replacing diesel buses and trucks, which emit high levels of particulates and have poor fuel efficiency in stop-start travel, with electric alternatives as they become commercially available.

Regional and Long Distance Transport
PPAU advocates expanding the capacity of rail freight to compete better with road transport, through investment in track upgrades and expansion, as well as improved intermodal facilities (rail/sea/road transfer). A shift from road to rail freight would provide environmental benefits in the form of lower greenhouse emissions and safety benefits for other road users. 

Many of our transport woes stem from rapid population growth that is concentrated in a handful of large cities. Better regional passenger rail services are an enabler for creating economic opportunities away from congested areas, improving the quality of life for all. Fibre to the premises internet is another such enabler, and can also reduce the need for work-related travel.

Privacy
The transport system already generates a large volume of personal data, and this volume will grow rapidly as newer vehicles incorporate autonomous driving features. Although such data has great value for planning and managing transport networks, it also poses serious risks for privacy. Consistent with our policy for phone and internet data, we oppose warrantless access to personal data generated by transport systems, and advocate strong digital security protections.

Delivering better infrastructure

 * State and federal governments must report to parliament justifying decisions to fund projects not rated highly on the IA Infrastructure Priority List well in advance of signing any contracts.
 * No further privatisation of roads, railways or other natural monopolies.
 * Land value taxation to recoup public money invested in better transport and other services.
 * Installation of fixed emergency power outlets on arterial roads as well as upgrade of emergency road support vehicles to cater to expected increase in electric vehicles.

Managing urban transport

 * Benchmark public transport running costs and service quality against those in other OECD countries.
 * Fare structures optimised to reduce road congestion, not to maximise revenue.
 * Investment in active transport options.
 * Phase out permanent taxi licences and replace with annual permits. Unless anyone is anti Uber, could the licences be bought back and an initial levy on kilometres travelled (by both taxi and Uber) be levied to recoup the buy-back and then phase it out? After which a road use fee could be charged where someone earns an income for personal transportation either in their BAS or annual TR this amount could be redirected back to road upkeep and infrastructure without discouraging drivers through an upfront cost.

Greener Transport

 * Tighter emission standards for new vehicles, compatible with EU rules.
 * Upgrade and expand regional rail services.
 * Distance-based registration fees for heavy vehicles to provide full cost recovery, including externalities. Could this be discounted for hybrid-electric trucks under a certain age to encourage take up?
 * Begin transition of city bus fleets from diesel to electric.
 * Subsidy for first 150,000 electric vehicle sales. What about a value per vehicle for the first 12 months reassessed for the subsequent period rather than a per unit cap, while difficult to quantify the total cost, the reduction in emissions and quicker take up would be worth it. Possibly tied to upgrading residential dwelling with storage units for power for an additional discount. (is there a policy on new dwellings this could be tied to?)

Privacy protections for private and public transport users

 * Data cannot be captured from number plates or e-tags without express permission of a vehicle's driver.
 * Billing data to be deleted within one month of payment.
 * Strong cryptographic security to protect anonymity of drivers and public transport users in the absence of a surveillance warrant.