"Canberra News, Views and Opinion"
The Chief Minister is letting everyone know that ACTION are putting on a free “Centenary Loop” bus:
ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, today launched ACTION’s Centenary loop bus, which will provide free daily transport to a range of the city’s top attractions throughout 2013.
“In celebration of Canberra’s Centenary, ACTION’s Route 100 offers locals and visitors a regular and convenient way to see the capital’s icons this year,” the Chief Minister said.
“The hop-on/hop-off service runs on the half hour between the City Bus Station and the parliamentary triangle, stopping at or near our most treasured national institutions.”
The route includes stops at the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, Old Parliament House, Parliament House, Albert Hall, National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive.
From the 4th of February to the 31st of December 2013, the bright Centenary-themed buses will run every 30 minutes between 9am-4.30pm, seven days a week.
“As well as being a convenient way to see the city, the service will help take pressure off tourist parking in the parliamentary triangle and enable government employees to head into the city for lunch or to run errands.
Here’s a map of the loop. Picture Courtesy @CentenaryofCanb.
Loading ...
Shame the loop isn’t bidirectional, or at least it doesn’t appear to be; details on the action website are minimal.
In Civic and want to pop over to the NMA? That’ll be a 30 minute tour of everywhere else first, please. That government employee “popping into the city” might want to factor in a 2 hour lunch break for the round trip + eating.
Guess you get what you pay for…
+1 for bidirectional services
Also, it should run during weekday peak hours. One of the reasons for the whole Parliamentary Triangle parking issue is the lack of appropriate public transport for workers. Here’s a possible solution!
smcphill said :
Goes one way, and the first one gets into Civic at 9:40 to stop lazy sods from using it for free parking.
ROFL
Not much change then, huh? I recall catching a bus in Southern Cross Drive, Holt to the Parliamentary Triangle 10 years ago …. at 8 am and I got into work at 9.30. I was past caring and resigned soon after.
I also caught a bus from the same bus stop to Woden for a while (6 months) and that was much quicker. Faster than one could actually drive and find a park there.
Somebody (who IS the Boss there?) at ACTION needs to do some “research”. Students, Public Servants and even TOURISTS do not want to waste time hanging about bus stops.
An Abbott government will fix any parking problems. All the remaining public servants will be spoilt for choice when it comes to parking their cars.
Useless if you work in Barton – you’d be better off getting to Civic on a route bus, eg 200, 4, as the centenary bus goes completely the wrong way! (unless of course it IS bi-directional?)
I fail to see how this creates free parking in the triangle. There is no free parking presently unless you ride a bike or catch a bus and all the tourists attracted to this will surely take up the currently cherished prizes, leaving the workforce wondering what happened.
Excellent! Now i can park in those big free carparks in Russell, and catch the free bus to Civic. Double win!
“… enable government employees to head into the city for lunch or to run errands.”
FAIL! Anyone parked in the Triangle would rather drive the five minutes into town and pay for half an hour’s parking than spend 20 minutes to and 30 minutes travelling back from town (or vice versa). This is for tourists – not locals. Why on Earth is Katie attempting to dress this up as a bonus for Canberrans?
I bet the Explorer Bus is none too pleased…
damien haas said :
But you have to enjoy the tour of the parliamentary triangle, NMA and ANU first.
Ian said :
Folding bike. Ride down hill to Civic in the morning, get the bus back in the afternoon.
“Centenary Loop” – could describe Ms Robin Archer her very self!
Free parking will only work for public servants who start after 9am and leave before 4.30pm.
Masquara said :
Ian said :
Except the departments Abbott is going to “fix” are ones like climate change and health (i.e. the line agencies, no *actual* people).
The departments located in the triangle are for the most part vaguely important to running a government/country and therefore the impact on parking as a result of cuts is likely to be minimal or nil.