Transport is ultimately about access. People need to be able to get to work, visit businesses, attend appointments, participate in sport and community activities and move around the city without unnecessary difficulty. 

 

Hobart’s geography makes this challenging. We have a relatively constrained road network, a mountain on one side, a river on the other and growing commuter movements across the wider metropolitan area. That makes good transport planning essential. 

 

Public transport must be a much bigger part of the solution. Hobart once operated an electric tram system that helped open up suburban areas and supported the city’s growth. The technology may be different today, but the underlying principle remains relevant: efficient mass transport allows more people to move around without continually adding private vehicles to already congested roads.

Council cannot solve greater Hobart’s public transport problems alone, but it should be a strong advocate to the State and Federal governments for better services and infrastructure.

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At the same time, transport policy must recognise how people actually use the city. Cars will continue to be important for families, tradespeople, people with mobility difficulties, visitors, businesses and residents travelling from areas poorly serviced by public transport. That means sensible traffic management and appropriate parking remain necessary.

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Walking and cycling also have important roles, particularly where infrastructure can be provided safely and effectively without creating disproportionate problems elsewhere in the network.

Transport decisions should therefore be based on evidence, safety, movement of people and the practical needs of the community rather than treating different forms of transport as competing political causes. A functioning city needs choices.

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The objective should be straightforward: make it easier, safer and more efficient for people to get into Hobart and move around it.