Commenting on the story: Knoll admits more than 900 bus stops could be lost to commuters

What Minister Knoll fails to add in the loss of bus stop numbers, is the number of bus routes that will no longer exist.

The 491 service to Hewett and Willaston, the most northern bus service of greater Adelaide, is to cease, meaning a 3km walk to our nearest public transport. – Ann Maree Roche

My 645 bus route is apparently going to be changed to an “on demand” service only.

There is no clear explanation of what this means, but I assume it depends on one’s having access to a mobile phone to “book” a bus in some way?

I am 77 and do not have a mobile phone. While I could in theory use my landline home phone to “book” an initial bus ride to say, a shopping centre, there is no way I could book a return bus ride when (laden with shopping) I want to return home. There are no public phones any more. And it is impossible to know in advance the exact time to pre-book a return bus ride.

It also makes it very difficult to plan catching connecting buses, since there is no way of knowing when exactly an “on demand” bus will reach a connection point.

This move hits the most disadvantaged people – the disabled, the elderly and the poor who may not have or use mobile phones, let alone a computer to make a complaint! – Lesley Sangster

As a person living with disability I am greatly concerned at the increased distance required to walk to the bus stops.

National disability strategy stresses access for all people, and this proposal goes against all good universal access principles. 

Public transport users include parents with children and older people; cohorts experiencing increasing difficulty in actually getting from their from their front door to the bus stop and possibly at their destination. 

Not all trips finish in the CBD, and trips to friends, local shops, doctors and other services e.g. Centrelink and post office can require short trips between bus stops that may disappear.

This does not facilitate access. In fact it could further disadvantage people who  are already struggling to connect and use their community resources and make their  income stretch.

In short, this proposal disadvantages those who can least afford a less accessible public transport system. – Yvette Gray

This is a typical cut to people who can least afford it.

I personally may not suffer the consequences of this cut, but it’s very hard to analyse because of the way the information is presented.

I am outraged at this sized cut to workers and others who find it difficult enough to catch public transport.

This cut will clearly not help. It’s a serious cut to bus service. To say it’s a reform is a lie, basically. – Graham Bartlett

With  so many proposed cuts to routes in the Golden Grove and surrounding suburbs, what are the school children supposed to do to get to and from school?

Just from the top of my head head I know of six schools that will be affected. I’m actually wondering why the routes are being cut so dramatically when the city is growing, not shrinking.

Is it that the government wants to soon say: ‘Well look at it this way, there are not that many people taking buses anymore, we should cut the bus routes.’  

Well, I say if you want to save money, then you need to put on smaller busses during non peak times. Only use the concertina buses in peak hour. Use smaller buses at night when we don’t need the bigger buses.

I also think you need to either train your staff better or make them more honest. I am a disability pensioner with a school age son and I’ve been told, and paid so many different amounts between 9.01am and 2.59pm.

I was shocked when my girlfriend told me as a disabled pensioner going to hospital it costs her .90c return to the Royal Adelaide. I’m a bit mystified about that one. – Heidi Smith

“Headway management to remove delays at timepoints” is sprinkled all through the “A new bus network with more frequent services” on Adelaide Metro.

This key phrase is central to a subculture of computer consultants that believe that controlling priority of the traffic lights in peak periods is the answer to making buses run faster.

 The problems with this method showed up at Hackney Rd and Botanic Rd when long streams of buses tried to turn right every morning. 

The solution was to build a bus tunnel under the intersection. – Neil Hamilton

Adelaide public transport is on a hiding to nothing. We have the perfect storm when it comes to inefficient public transport.

1. No matter whether you live, be it 2km or 35km from the city, your trip costs the same. No public transport system in the world has this socialist model (except maybe Socialist states and then from memory they didn’t either.) 

2. Public transport for seniors is free between 9am and 3pm. I have no issue with that but isn’t this segment hit hardest by the changes?

3. Public parking in the city. There is ‘Early bird parking’ from $8 per day (Currie Street on the south side, west of Morphett St near old Colonel Light Hotel) and even Wilsons have offered me $9 per day as a ‘member’. Most expensive I have seen is $15. When bus fare on a  card is $8 for 2 trips v comfortable car, maybe with one other …. driving stacks up pretty good.

4. Public parking on an hourly basis (during the day) averages $6 per hour. 1 hour and 1 minute during the day (usually on the top level) costs more than ‘Earlybird all day’.

5. There are more public parking spaces per head of population in the Adelaide CBD than anywhere in Australia.

6. Too many stops on major roads. I live near Henley Beach Road 5km from city and there are 14 stops before West Tce, so that is one every 350m or so.

Throw in COVID and people’s concern about being close to others and you have a very unprofitable model.

Until Adelaide car park owners (the biggest one being Adelaide City Council) remodel their pricing to increase for ‘Earlybird’ and reduce per hour to maybe $3, people will not take public transport in mornings to subsidise the later day. Also, people will drive in for appointments versus public transport if cheaper to park.

Introduce tag on and tag off (like rest off Australia) on public transport and pay for how far you travel. Build more park and rides in ‘transport hubs’ and improve the bus to train interface.

This is the most inefficient public transport system I have experienced anywhere in the world and I have visited 38 countries. – John Rolfe

Commenting on the story: Seven axes newsroom stars and bulletin

Yet again a very wrong decision made, to whomever is responsible.

Tim and Jessica are viewed as our family members, for a long time.

They are highly regarded as true media professionals. Tim, a natural easygoing individual who gave us a simple understanding of the weather and other various interesting stories in and around SA that other states will never cover properly going forward.

Jessica has the warmth and passion to report what is really going on in SA.

This is yet another swipe at SA and its community. We deserve local representation to accurately report on local stories.

ABC local news is going to be our channel from now on. – C & S Degabriele

I heard only 2 days ago that the ABC is dismantling its Sydney headquarters, axing hundreds of jobs and cutting its public interest content, because of further huge cuts in Government funding.

Now the Adelaide 4PM Bulletin is being deleted by Channel 7.

This is the only bulletin on commercial tv that I watch, mainly for its local content. For the most part I gain my current affairs updates from the ABC and SBS. This follows news that regional newspapers are disappearing forever.

It is crystal clear to my mind that the independence of the ABC is in a precarious state. To take in commercials to survive will immediately place its opinions and orientation under suspicion. To withdraw funds and eliminate its central headquarters leaves it as disembodied limbs lacking cohesion.

Big business is the driver of the main political parties in today’s world, and the ordinary citizen is being fed mindless gossip and meaningless sound bites, believing he is hearing the news, but in fact only hears what the plutocrats want us to hear. Bread and circuses are coming back in force.

With regard to our Adelaide bulletins being axed, it seems I won’t be taking in the 4pm news bulletin each day.

Back to the ABC for as long as that lasts. Perhaps the BBC will have to be my fallback position in future. – Susan Martin

Yet again we lose our local identity to the Melbourne-centric media.

This time I vote with my feet and boycott Channel 7. – David Brown

Please keep Jessica Adamson reading the news. She should be Jane Doyle’s successor. Or better still, why can’t we have two female news readers?

Make a difference be the first to do something different, you will have more women watching.

Please send my regards to Jessica and the weekend team and congratulate them on all their fantastic work. I think I’m watching another channel on the weekends now. – Leonie McMahon

Very disappointed with the departure of Jessica Adamson.

She has been a beacon over her time and let’s hope a rival station provides an opportunity. Jess wouldn’t be out of place on radio. – Les Harrison

I am appalled at this news for several reasons. 1. Jessica Adamson is the best weekend newsreader (and journalist) with excellent diction/articulation of words.

2. Why oh why do we have to put up with a news feed from Melbourne with “inserts” from Adelaide? I for one do not want to hear the Victorian news!

3. Tim Noonan is excellent both as a weather presenter and journalist – shameful, Channel 7 decision-makers.

Channel 7, please return the 4pm news bulletin and find some other way of cost cutting – perhaps spend less on time-wasting reality shows like Big Brother etc.

Furthermore, Channel 7 news bulletins from the eastern states need to remember that we do exist in the west and that the news is important as a whole country and not not just eastern states-centric.

It was evident during several bulletins during the height of Covid-19 that news from SA was not reported. We are one country and all States and Terrorities should be acknowledged accordingly.

All my best wishes to the staff that no longer have a position at Channel 7. – Paula Furlani

Channel 7 paid way to much for the coverage rights for AFL , now they are hurting.  

They flood the Channel with rubbish about AFL and the players and their wives and girlfriends, which players “might” not be available next week, vision of “training”, interviews with players who are trying to politely say ” go away, let me play football”, stories about Ricciuto,  we might have the AFL Grand Final in Adelaide (not a hope in hell that would happen) etc, etc.

Channel 7 want to make a story out of nothing. We are just not interested. And why do we have to take the cameras into the change rooms and watch all players stand in a circle and try to sing the club song after every match.

We are just drowning in this rubbish. Channel 7 we are just not interested. – Ken Branch

Commenting on the story: ABC shake-up slashes jobs and flagship radio bulletin

Welcome to the real world, ABC. Commercial entities are losing jobs at an unprecedented rate, travel is being slashed, offices are being gutted and real estate consolidated.

Do you know how many times I’ve been on a domestic flight and seen Ministers or business leaders in economy and ABC staff and Board members in business?

Have a look at the furniture in ABC buildings or on set – Arne Jacobson and Wilkhahn as far as the eye can see. Does the average punter know how much a Swan Chair is worth? Let’s talk about that.

 This is long, long overdue. No entity or organisation should have unlimited or unrestricted funding growth. It promotes malaise, laziness and arrogance.

Everyone in the country and the world needs to learn to live with less, why should the ABC be any different. – Andrew McKenzie

Commenting on the story: Central Market traders nervous about arcade revamp

The costing for the redevelopment has not included the costs to neighbours like the Market.

Was any thought given to moving the Market to temporary accommodation? The amenity of the Market will be significantly diminished.

The noise of demolishment and construction alone will be enough to discourage many customers. Access will be another factor which will be difficult to manage beyond some mitigating band aids. – Craig Delaney

Commenting on the story: Clock ticking on permanent Channel 44 switch-off

I am an age pensioner who watches Channel 44 almost every day, and am quite distressed at the thought of losing community TV.

Programs like Colour in your life, Art Studio and Plein Aur Painting inspire me, enrich my daily life and offer me practical knowledge to improve my own and at no cost outlay.

I love the local stories  and  relate well to the Move it or lose it program which also is targeted to the retirement community.

Without these programs and others like it my world will shrink enormously, and lives and career opportunitues for participants and volunteers will disappear.

Please be kind to us all. Keep community TV alive after June 30. – Rosslyn Werner

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