Road congestion is not only annoying but expensive, costing $16.5 billion in 2015 and forecast to nearly double by 2030. Some say autonomous vehicles (AVs) will help reduce congestion. But evidence suggests they could also make it worse. Without careful planning, we may even look forward to more congestion. Read More
Next time you turn on the car ignition, ask yourself how many thousands of times you have driven it and not crashed. Nearly all drivers get home safely nearly all the time. So it’s outrageous to claim autonomous vehicles will be better drivers than humans. Read More
We are all familiar with that sinking feeling when you find an official ticket on your windscreen. But did you know most people function better when their environment offers potential rewards? There are very few opportunities for rewards on NSW roads. The best we can manage is a 50% discount on your drivers licence – but only if you have no demerits for 5 years! Read More
A one-way commute in Sydney takes about 35 minutes. It might not seem that long. But it means the average worker spends 280 hours a year commuting – that’s 37 normal working days. Megacommuters will spend a lot longer travelling back and forth. Read More
If you live in Newport and work in Chatswood, it’s quicker for you to cycle than to drive or take public transport. But being faster is not the same as being safer. Deaths and serious injuries from cycling went up last year more than other types of transport. So the decision about how to get around is not as simple as it looks. Read More
Most Australians would think Sydney is the most expensive city for getting around. This is mainly because of toll roads. It costs $429 a week for an average Sydney household. But if you consider transport costs as a share of income, Sydney’s 15% is the fourth most expensive city for transport. Brisbane is the least affordable.
For the first time since 2011, all states and territories in Australia will miss their road safety target. The National Road Safety Strategy aims to reduce by 30% annual deaths and serious injuries from road crashes by 2020. A recent inquiry tried to pinpoint why the strategy is broken and what to do about it. Read More
The NSW government on 31 August 2018 sold 51% of Westconnex to Transurban, owner of 15 of Australia’s 19 toll roads. Competition regulator ACCC at the last minute, cleared the way for Transurban and its partners’ bid.
The hefty $19.3 billion sale price makes Westconnex the state’s biggest privatisation and infrastructure project. It will entrench the company’s position as the dominant operator of Sydney’s toll roads.
As my mother once memorably said: “What’s the point of traffic lights? They only waste electricity!” While traffic lights are a fact of life for motorists and pedestrians, nobody likes waiting at them. In fact, any more than 30 seconds and we start fuming. Read More
Not everybody is convinced it is dangerous to text and drive. A surprising 68% of participants in Australian research said they needed a lot of convincing to believe in the dangers of texting and driving. If this attitude is widespread, how do we get people to stop texting and driving? Read More
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