Metro cuts to hurt working people most 25 August 2023

Tas Labor

Working class areas of Hobart are those who will feel the pain of the cuts to Metro services most.

We are being inundated with complaints from people talking about how their lives have been disrupted.

People who have no choice but to use public transport are having their lives severely disrupted.

A breakdown of the services cancelled reveals the northern suburbs and working class areas of the eastern shore will be hit hard because of Michael Ferguson’s failure to provide a reliable and dependable public transport system for the capital city.

64 services in and out of the northern suburbs are to be cancelled on Monday-to-Thursday, while 80 services will be axed on Fridays.

The eastern shore isn’t spared either, with the suburbs of Clarendon Vale, Risdon Vale and Bridgewater all losing services people rely upon to get to work, school and important appointments.

We know people living in disadvantaged areas need all the support they can get to participate in the community, and the decision to cut services completely overlooks that.

There are many school children who don’t catch school buses to get to and from school who will also be impacted.

Yet again, Michael Ferguson has overseen another debacle as a Minister, and again as usual went into hiding when the bad news had to be revealed.

The way the Liberals have handled this debacle is yet another sign the wheels are falling off Jeremy Rockliff’s minority Government.

After 10 years, it is clear Jeremy Rockliff is out of ideas to fix the problems facing Tasmania.

Sarah Lovell MLC

Shadow Minister for Community Services and Development

/Public Release. View in full here.