News & Discussion: O-Bahn

[RayRichards]

They should extend the current concrete O-Bahn track from the East end of Grote street to the existing enterence at St.Peters?. Don't bother about the poxy bus lanes in the middle of the road, like those ones for Football Park. And try to find some way to extend it to Golden Grove and maybe beyond. What was STA's excuse back then, not to do it?

Cheers.
Ray.

What does Grote Street have to do with it? Running tracks through the city would be unnecessarily disruptive. The thing a lot of people fail to understand about the OBahn is that it is NOT a train. It's a high speed corridor to get buses from one place to another more quickly than via the main roads. Buses can enter and exit at various points to continue their journeys to places not on the OBahn corridor. The current issue is with congestion during peak period, the government hopes that their plans for buslanes will help separate the buses from the regular congestion. Whether they can come up with a workable plan is another matter.

As to the extension out the other end to Golden Grove, back in the mid 1980s Golden Grove was not the huge sprawling set of suburbs that it is now, so there wasn't the great population there is now to support it. We almost missed out on the second stage from Paradise to Modbury due to the government at the time (Bannon was it?). Also the transport corridor that was set aside back mid last century ended at TTP. There would have been a lot of properties to acquire to extend it. Even more today.

Welcome to the forums by the way.

Mate, I never mentioned Grote Street apart from not to bother about the poxy bus lanes in the middle of the road. I said to start the O-Bahn concrete track and the East side of it and connect it to the existing starting point through the parklands. Not sticking the concrete tracks through the town centre.

Referring to the extension. Back in the early 80's, Delfin and the State Government knew about the continuing NE sprawl happening at Golden Grove/Wynn Vale, and it was obviously likely it would be further out. DECENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT is built before the new suburbs are. You'd think they would've done this, down South Seaford - Moana way.

Thanks for the welcome.

Cheers.
Ray.

[rhino]

They should extend the current concrete O-Bahn track from the East end of Grote street ...

Mate, I never mentioned Grote Street apart from not to bother about the poxy bus lanes in the middle of the road..

Just for the record, the east end of Grote Street is Victoria Square. The O'Bahn doesn't go anywhere near it, nor is it planned to.

Welcome to the boards, can I have some of what you're on?

[RayRichards]

They should extend the current concrete O-Bahn track from the East end of Grote street ...

Mate, I never mentioned Grote Street apart from not to bother about the poxy bus lanes in the middle of the road..

Just for the record, the east end of Grote Street is Victoria Square. The O'Bahn doesn't go anywhere near it, nor is it planned to.

Welcome to the boards, can I have some of what you're on?

My mistake. Wakefield Street I mean. Last time I criticise a Foreign Cabbie. And its Fish and chips from Grand junction Road Rosewater that i've had. With a glass bottle of Coke. I am naturally quite mad. No need for illegalities.

Thank you for welcome. I still learning to drive this thing.

Cheers.
Ray.

[Cruise]

can I have some of what you're on?

Shuz has better drugs i believe

[deano91]

I didn't think this needed a completely new thread, so I decided to post it in the first bus thread on the list:

Steel 'cage' to keep bus drivers safe

Article from: Sunday Mail (SA)

RENATO CASTELLO, CHRIS PEPPER

July 04, 2009 10:30pm

ADELAIDE'S metropolitan buses could be fitted with steel security cages under a controversial plan to protect drivers from violent passengers.

The metal cages would completely enclose the driver's side cabin, providing them with a physical barrier against angry commuters.

Adelaide's largest bus company, Torrens Transit, is trialling a prototype model and has signalled it would roll out the metal grilles on selected buses in its 560-strong fleet if enough drivers supported the plan.

Managing director Neil Smith said the trial began a month ago, shortly after a female driver was bashed by passengers while driving through the city.

"What we are trialling is quite controversial amongst the drivers because some believe a cage is a good idea, while others believe quite the opposite and that separating them from the passenger would be worse," he said.

Mr Smith said the female employee - who is no longer behind the wheel - was driving through the city at about 5.30pm when she was assaulted by some "intoxicated" women.

"She was hit in the face and it has shaken her up badly, it was a bad incident . . . it's quite rare, but these things happen and that's why we're always looking at other ways of dealing with it," he said.

"The statistics don't necessarily support that these things happen at night, there are many incidents that happen in broad daylight."

Torrens Transit's sister company, Swan Transit, has installed about 75 of the screens in its Perth bus fleet.

Mr Smith did not anticipate the screens would be installed across all of its Adelaide bus fleet, which is owned by the State Government. He said the company had not discussed with the Government who would pay for the screens.

The State Government is spending $1 million installing toughened glass across the entire bus fleet following a molotov cocktail attack on an O-Bahn bus in September, 2008.

Transport Workers Union SA branch secretary Alex Gallacher said he supported the use of the screens.

"We've got video (cameras) which are great, but they don't always work," he said.

"In the absence of good response times by transit police the security screens are a good measure."

In an emailed statement, Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said the safety of drivers was ultimately the responsibility of the bus companies.

"The Government naturally supports a safe working environment for bus drivers but it is up to the operators and the drivers to work out how that is best achieved," he said.

"We would expect drivers to have a say in what safety measures are implemented."

Surely the crime on busses isn't that bad?? My main concern with this is about how the drivers would sell tickets to customers, I don't know how they would manage that...

[AtD]

My main concern with this is about how the drivers would sell tickets to customers, I don't know how they would manage that...

Been to a bank lately?

[AtD]

An old article

Red lane plan for city O-Bahn
June 12, 2009 12:01am
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html

THE O-Bahn extension is likely to run through the middle of the Hackney Bridge and use a lane on Grenfell/Currie St, a transport department head revealed yesterday.

Speaking on ABC radio, Major Infrastructure Projects head Rod Hook said that while the new route of the O-Bahn track had not been decided, one of the three lanes on Grenfell/Currie St would be painted red and marked as a priority bus corridor.

"Whether we remove the parking and have two through-traffic lanes or whether we go one through-traffic lane, one priority bus lane with some kerbside activity, is part of the debate and modelling we will be doing with the city council," he said.

"We are accepting, as many cities have, that we have increasing congestion – which on a world scale is not too bad but there will be more and more pressure on our intersections and our clear agenda is to get priority for public transport.

"We will squeeze the traffic because we will be focusing on public transport."

He also detailed plans to take the O-Bahn along Rundle Rd, sacrificing some parking spaces.

"There are several options. You could have a priority lane for buses going into the city that turn down Botanic Parade and operate on the southern side of that road, that could go through to Rundle Rd, or we could run down the middle of Rundle Rd, or we could go to one side where the parking is," he said.

[Shuz]

As much as I don't support this idea; I'll just accept it on the basis that all they're going to do is just paint some bus priority lanes on the existing roads and leave the option open for allowing an expansion of the tram network through Grenfell and Currie Streets, and maintaining the reservation to Norwood. Anything else, and I'd be pissed off.

[AtD]

How gracious of you.

[Adamo]

if they plan to run the bus corridor down grenfell street why is all this new and ugly medium strip work being currently done? With plantation it would look better, but wouldn't it have to be removed in a year or so when the bus lanes go down the center?

[Aidan]

Surely the crime on busses isn't that bad?? My main concern with this is about how the drivers would sell tickets to customers, I don't know how they would manage that...

Whereas my main concern is that it makes it look as if the problem of crime on buses is that bad. Not only could it discourage passengers, but it could increase crime against the passengers because it makes it look as if crime on buses is commonplace and that drivers are less likely to intervene.

If they must install barriers, transparent ones are far better.

[monotonehell]

If they must install barriers, transparent ones are far better.

The problem with transparent ones is that they reflect light causing distractions to the drivers. If we must have barriers, then black painted cages are best for drivers. They have a hole where the ticket sales occur by the way.

I'd rather not see barriers at all, due to the psychological effects they cause by their presence. But the facts are that drivers are being assaulted a lot and battered sometimes.

People suck.

[muzzamo]

They should hand out tasers to all the drivers!

[Briggzy_03]

Adelaide Metro adds 20 new buses to its fleet
Article from: The Advertiser

July 08, 2009 02:13pm

TWENTY new buses will be added to Adelaide Metro's fleet this month.

Premier Mike Rann said the additional buses would provide 117 extra services from July 20.

"More than 180,000 Adelaide Metro bus trips are taken each weekday," he said.

"We will expect it to grow to 200,000 trips per weekday.

"These Scania buses are being built here in Adelaide and exceed the toughest emission standards anywhere in the world."

Transport services are also being extended to Seaford, the tramline is currently being extended to the Entertainment Centre and a dedicated corridor for O-Bahn buses into the city will be provided.

Acting Transport Minister Jay Weatherill said the new buses were part of the State Government's $2 billion investment in public transport.

"By 2012 we will have increased bus kilometres in Adelaide by almost 80 per cent," Mr Weatherill said.

I didn't know where else to post this, but this topic seemed the most relevant .

[danielphin]

Adelaide Metro adds 20 new buses to its fleet