Plummeting public transport use under spotlight in Perth

A five million fall in the number of trips made on trians and buses reported by the Public Transport Authority in Perth, the fifth annual fall, has been reported in the local news.

ABC News said that a downturn in the economy and the fact that driving is "simply more convenient" were both factors, but then goes on to quote former South Perth Mayor James Best as saying that public transport was convenient because he could "do all of my emails and admin while I'm being chauffeur-driven in a fantastic green 'limousine' - it just happens to be a big Renault bus." However, he said that this was only because he was able to live close to public transport, and called for more housing to be built in central locations.

It also quoted Curtin University lecturer Giles Thomson as saying that he cycles because there is no public transport link to his destination due to the 'hub and spoke' planning of transport routes. While Professor Peter Newman, quoted as a transport expert, said that links between existing train lines (pictured), as well as higher density housing near stations, would help reverse the decline in use of public transport.