Constance Grilled Over Bus Dealings

BY OLIVIA WILSON-WHEELER

Charlestown MP, Jodie Harrison is accusing Minister for Transport, Andrew Constance, of concealing incentive payments to Keolis Downer.

Ms Harrison found the per-passenger payment deep in the 10-year contract between the privately owned Keolis Downer and the state government and says the incentive may be encouraging bad bus routes.

"It’s actually a per-passenger incentive payment so if there is an increase in passengers - which can be created by chopping the routes up into multiple routes - then there are increased payments to Keolis Downer," said Ms Harrison. 

"I’m not saying it’s the direct catalyst for Keolis Downer to have done that, however I want the government to come clean on whether that is the case, whether there have been increased payments made to Keolis Downer because the bus routes have been chopped up."

This is not the first controversy over the privatisation of Newcastle's public transport; since the new network's implementation in January, there have been two public rallies and a multitude of complaints to the state government because of unreliable and indirect bus routes.

More direct services have been promised in the coming month following public outcry, however, Keolis Downer have said the changes will have a minor knock-on effect on other services.

Mr Constance has responded, stating the intentions of the incentive were innocent and just to attract people to public transport. 

The MP has not accepted his response.

"The minister displayed his arrogance for the people of the Hunter by making no apology for incentivising chopping up Newcastle’s bus routes." 

"The patronage incentive payment is hidden on page 239 of the contract with Keolis Downer and that contract has been heavily redacted so the general public don’t know the details of the contract," said Ms Harrison,

"Where is the openness and transparency in that?"

Transport Minister Andrew Constance. Image: Courier Mail.