The Budget that was trumpeted as a big infrastructure investment is nothing more than a cash splash for private toll road operators and has nowhere near enough investment in the public transport that will unclog our cities and bring down pollution, say the Greens.

“Less than $1 in every $5 is going to public transport from the Government’s infrastructure grants,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport & infrastructure spokesperson.

Greens transport spokesperson, Victorian Senator Janet Rice, says that Malcolm Turnbull’s pledge for Melbourne Airport Rail is a welcome turnaround by the federal government after years of inaction on public transport.

“Melbourne has been crying out for a rail link to the airport for decades, so it’s a welcome step for the federal government to finally commit real funding to this vital public transport service.”

Responding to Infrastructure Australia’s latest priority list release, the Greens say that transport infrastructure decisions and funding must prioritise public transport if we are to unclog our cities and reduce pollution in the long term.

“Infrastructure Australia has included a number of public transport priorities on their priority list, and governments must get those congestion-busting projects moving before turning our cities into a tangled mess of freeways,” said Senator Janet Rice, federal Greens transport spokesperson.

The Greens have repeated their calls on the federal government to show leadership in ensuring all Australians have the freedom to ride safely, following the release of a Bicycle Network report that shows virtually no improvement in cyclist fatality rates over 20 years.

“Every bike rider death is one too many, and an annual average of 37 people killed while out riding is a sobering figure,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.

The Greens call on the federal, Victorian and NSW governments to heed Infrastructure Australia’s warning that they must commit to building the public transport we need to alleviate congestion and pollution rather than allowing big private toll operators to dominate the planning of our major cities’ transport networks.