Peak industry group, the Tourism & Transport Forum Australia (TTF), has expressed its disappointment that the ACT Government has refused to accept the recommendations of its own report supporting the privatisation of ACTION buses.

“The ACT Government’s decision to turn a blind eye to the recommendations of its own report that backs the privatisation of ACTION buses is not about delivering better bus services to commuters but old-fashioned politics,” said Margy Osmond, TTF CEO.

“This is a poor policy decision that fails to reflect the findings of the ACT Government’s own report that shows privatising ACTION buses would deliver savings of up to 50 per cent a year.

“Industry has long supported the case for the privatisation of ACTION buses and it was a key recommendation of TTF’s pre-budget submission for the 2016-17 ACT Budget.

“Private operators have a proven track record of being able to manage and deliver quality bus services at less cost to taxpayers than government.

“That is money that could be reinvested in more public transport for commuters in the nation’s capital – instead it’s going to continue to subsidise a sub-optimal bus network.”

Ms Osmond said that TTF would shortly be releasing a report into the benefits of privatising bus services across the country that would emphasise that the ACT Government was making the wrong decision to keep ACTION buses under government operation.