ACT 2021-22: only 49 EVs sold with Sustainable Household Scheme

We are not selling many electric cars with the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme, but we are selling a lot of electric bicycles WITHOUT it. Better cycle infrastructure would permit bicycle use for transport, especially for commuting to work, university, or school. Only 49 EVs were purchased in 2021-22 as a result of this scheme, compared to 54,000 electric bikes in Oz. Data from the Sustainable Household Scheme was released by the ACT Government in late June 2022.

History of the ACT Conservation Council

ACT Conservation Council is an environment and sustainability advocate. At its heart, the ACT Conservation Council is about conservation and, in that sense, has an environmentally friendly agenda but not necessarily a progressive one. Transport is a major contributor to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. For this reason, the ACT Conservation Council has made strong and valuable statements supporting the transition of transport to more environment friendly modes such walking and cycling that are worth looking at more closely here.

ACT Labor: direction of the wind

For cycling, ACT Labor is the driving force. The ACT Greens in comparison have proven unable to deliver on their ideas. Worse still, the ACT Greens have failed to approached cycling advocacy strategically. ACT Labor is delivering on its election pledges, although the achievement humble, as ACT Labor do not plan to do much. They lack the ambition necessary to get cycling moving in the ACT.

Speeding: can we kick the habit?

Speeding has become the norm in Canberra. “In a 60 km/h speed limit area, the risk of involvement in a casualty crash doubles with each 5 km/h increase in travelling speed above 60 km/h.” 5 km/h above the speed limit is the equivalent of the blood alcohol concentration of 0.05. We have kicked the drink driving habit, can we now kick the speeding habit? A 25-year-old Australian study warns of the dangers of speeding.

Investigating Minister Steel’s $77 million claim

Minister Steel claims that $77 million is earmarked for active travel in the ACT over the next four years but in the 2021-2022 ACT Budget we find only $20 million, leaving a large discrepancy. The Standing Committee On Planning, Transport And City Services questioned where this difference is to be found during the Inquiry into ACT Budget 2021-22.

Low active travel investment: ACT Budget 2021-2025

Few items in the budget are directly related to true active travel. The new investment in Active Travel for the period 2021-2025 is just $21.529 million. Source: TCCS 2021-2022 ACT Budget Statements, Summary of 2021-22 Infrastructure Program

Vulnerable road users: Hansard 22 June 2021

Jo Clay MLA introduced an amendment to the Transport Act to encourage motorists to show more concern for vulnerable road users. The effect of the bill would be to increase the fine, but her speech was of a more general nature and sheds light on her thinking.

40 km/h zone rollout confusion

Belconnen Town Centre has been trialling 40 km/h zones for over two years. The rollout to other town centre is causing confusion as commuters notice the changes.

Cycling and the ACT Greens

The ACT Government is ACT Labor and the oppositions the Canberra Liberals. Democracy is made up from government and opposition. The balance counts. What is the role of the ACT Greens in promoting cycling?

Vehicle occupant and cars safer: pedestrians left behind

In a society that gives priority to keeping the traffic moving at speed (time is money), little consideration is often given to the vulnerability of pedestrians and cyclists. Road safety is still mostly about the safety of vehicle occupants. Yet it is the vulnerable road users and not the vehicle occupants that mostly get hurt in a collision.