News
Australia’s first electric public transport bus route powered by ABB
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he Public Transport Authority (PTA) of Western Australia has appointed ABB to supply charging infrastructure for WA’s first electric bus trial
Global industrial technology and electrification leader ABB will supply and install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Transperth’s Joondalup Bus Depot to power electric buses along the popular, free five-kilometre Joondalup CAT (central area transit) route. Transperth is the PTA’s metro-area operating arm. ABB’s EV chargers will provide overnight charging for the new Volvo electric buses to operate this CAT route, ensuring zero-emission transportation throughout the day. These compact, highpower fast chargers can charge two buses simultaneously, ensuring less downtime and improved utilization of the vehicles across the planned route.
Trucking Industry Backs Proposed Payment Times
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he trucking industry welcomed proposed Labor amendments to the Payment Times Reporting Scheme, which would introduce penalties for big businesses who continue to pay their bills late, Australian Trucking Association (ATA) Chair David Smith said. Mr Smith was responding to the Labor Party’s proposed amendments to the Payment Times Reporting Bill 2020, currently under debate in the Senate. The proposed legislation by the Coalition Government would establish a new
Payment Times Reporting Scheme. “The ATA has been calling for the new Payment Times Reporting Scheme to be backed by stronger action to deliver fair payment times for the trucking industry,” Mr Smith said. “Without amendments, the new scheme would try to improve payment times by transparently reporting the payment practices of big business. “In the UK, a similar approach reduced the proportion of big business paying bills late from 30 per cent to 28 per cent over two years.
Transformation complete of Reid Highway upgrade
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onstruction is now complete on a new four-kilometre westbound dual carriageway on Reid Highway. The dual carriageway between Altone Road and West Swan Road was the final section of the $77.5 million project to be opened to motorists. The much-needed upgrade removes the last single carriageway section, delivering an efficient east-west route across Perth's north eastern suburbs for residents, commuters, and the freight industry. The project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth ($56 million) and State ($14 million) Governments, with an additional $7.5 million contribution from the City of Swan towards the Arthur Street Bridge. Federal Minister for Population, Cities, and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said, "We're pumping billions of dollars into WA as we come out of COVID and you can see the construction activity right across the metropolitan area." Federal Member for Pearce Christian Porter said this was an important connection for local Pearce residents. "The project has eliminated the final section of single carriageway on Reid Highway between Marmion Avenue and Great Northern Highway," he said. "This will reduce congestion and significantly improve safety at the West Swan Road, Lord Street, and Altone Road pinch points, where traffic was previously required to merge into a single lane."
Perth’s Smart Freeways switched on
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erth's first Smart Freeway opened with southern suburbs drivers on the Kwinana Freeway northbound the first to experience a faster, safer, and more reliable journey. The new smart technology allows Main Roads' Network Operations Centre to actively manage the freeway in real-time by controlling the flow of traffic, opening and closing traffic lanes and adjusting speed limits when required. The $56 million Smart Freeway project is expected to deliver a quicker and smoother journey between Roe Highway and the Narrows Bridge during the morning peak hour. Historically, traffic entering the freeway from Canning Highway during peak periods was a major contributor to congestion. By converting the existing emergency lane from Canning Highway to the Narrows Bridge into an additional traffic lane, this bottleneck is expected to ease. Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure
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WATM • October 2020
Alan Tudge said the smart technology would help ease congestion, improve safety and productivity for people driving into the city south of Perth. Western Australian Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti said, “This is the first time we have used this technology in WA and I thank everyone in advance for their patience while we get used to this new system. Federal Member for Swan Steve Irons said new traffic signals have been installed on five northbound on-ramps from Farrington Road to Cranford Avenue. "These will help manage stop/start conditions on the freeway improving congestion and make merging easier and safer during busy periods," Mr Irons said. The project is jointly funded by the Australian and State governments with the Commonwealth providing the majority funding.
