Sensational-Adelaide.com

Another tram breakdown as Conlon faces no-confidence motion



MICHAEL OWEN, POLITICAL REPORTER

November 13, 2007 12:15pm

ON the day Transport Minister Patrick Conlon is to face a no-confidence motion in Parliament, a tram has broken down yet again in the city.

The tram broke down outside the Hyatt, between the City West and Railway Station stops, late this morning. There was apparently a problem with one of the wheels.

The tram was stuck between stops for about 20 minutes - but when Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith arrived to do a press conference criticising the Government's handling of transport matters, TransAdelaide workers moved the tram to the City West stop while they continued maintenance work.

Mr Conlon is today preparing to announce a major overhaul of the way troubled transport operator TransAdelaide is governed.

frank1 wrote:On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

Ben wrote:

frank1 wrote:On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

I'm sure they could find someone far more competant who is just as enthusiastic.

rhino wrote:

Ben wrote:

frank1 wrote:On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

I'm sure they could find someone far more competant who is just as enthusiastic.

You think? I can't remember the last minister for transport who was as enthusiastic or as competant as Pat Conlon. Can you? Please don't say Di Laidlaw, I will slap you. Unfortunately for Pat, the buck stops with him when realistically he's not an engineer, and is taking advice from those who are supposed to get it right.

Ben wrote: An underpass here and a conversion to light rail for the outer harbour line - what a joke!

rhino wrote:

Ben wrote:

frank1 wrote:On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

I'm sure they could find someone far more competant who is just as enthusiastic.

You think? I can't remember the last minister for transport who was as enthusiastic or as competant as Pat Conlon. Can you? Please don't say Di Laidlaw, I will slap you. Unfortunately for Pat, the buck stops with him when realistically he's not an engineer, and is taking advice from those who are supposed to get it right.

rhino wrote:

Ben wrote: An underpass here and a conversion to light rail for the outer harbour line - what a joke!

South Road underpasses at

1)Port Road - Grange Road - Outer Harbour Railway Line

No timeline or specific detials hves been set for this

2)Anzac Highway, inc a tramline bridge over South Road

Construction has commenced on a 2 lane underpass in each direction (this is not good enough. No future planning has been put into this at all. Basically at time of completion it will already need upgrading to three or four lanes each direction.

3)Sturt Road

Once again no timeline or specific detials.

4)Grade seperation at Cormack Road - South Tce - Dry Creek-Port Adelaide railway. This was announced by the Federal Labor Party, but don't you think the idea came from Pat's Dept?

Exactly right announced as part of the Fedral government election campaign - nothing further to be said.

Northern Expressway: Apart from the published plan, an extension beginning approx 2014 linking the end at Port Wakefield Road to the Port River Expressway via a new route through the area near the Salt Evaporation Pans.

So this will start in 7 years time? So this is totally dependant on labour staying in power for another two terms.

Grand Junction Road: Underpass at Gepps Cross, allowing freight traffic from the southeast & Victoria smoother access to the Port.

Part of the federal labour party election campaign.

Henley Beach Road: (almost completed) demolition of the accident-causing Bakewell Bridge and replacement with a tunnel under the railway lines and James Congdon Drive.

This bridge was taken out by trucks that many times the government did not have a choice. they didn't just woke up one day and decide it would be a good idea to upgrade this intersection... it was literally falling apart.

Outer Harbor Railway: (completed) re-sleepering project, re-sleepering with gauge-convertable concrete sleepers allowing us to change our rollingstock to standard gauge when all the lines have been completed.

Noarlunga line: A similar re-sleepering project has been announced. You can see that this won't be the last - they'll all ge done eventually, and then we can get new rollingstock and/or switch to light rail.

I would hope that they would replace the sleepers as they become almost unusable...

Tramline extension: The new extension is a spectacular success, and has paved the way for it to be extended in a loop around the City West, rejuvenating that part of the city. More will follow, there is no doubt about that.

This is a great start but it is tiny and there have been no details of any further tramline extension projects they are all pie in the sky ideas at this point in time. Nothing concrete.

Exactly how many projects do you want announced, and how far into the future?

How about a north/ south free way, what about a conversion to electric for our rail, what about new rail and tram routes and extensions, what about increased and improved public transport, what about a freeway to victor harbour, the above projects are crucial maintenace issues that any governement in power would HAVE to do. there is no fore thought involved at all. I am surprised you think so highly of our Transoport Minister.