And as such I like to get busy with practical solutions to problems at ground level.
Those of you who read my vent here a few days ago may have realised how passionate I get about things; red flag to a bull? Yep, I'm a typical Taurean (is that coffee I can smell....)
So in my typical manner, I want to figure out just how we can all 'lobby' our state govt's for a more user friendly public transport system. Cwm Goch left me a message in reply to my last post that it takes her over two hours ONE WAY to get to work!
How can people be expected to commute with a time frame like that imposed upon them?
So where do I start if I want to start writing letters? How about page 35 in the WA White pages.
Hon AJ Carpenter: Premier: 24th fl. Governor Stirling Tower, 197 St Georges Tce Perth
Hon E Ripper: Min. State Dev. 28th fl. Governor Stirling Tower, 197 St Georges Tce Perth
Hon A MacTiernan: Planning/infrastructure: 13th fl, Dumas House, 2 havelock st W.Perth
Hon D Templeman: Environment: 29th fl, Allendale sq, 77 St. Georges Tce, Perth.
Now those are just a start. I will be looking for contacts for my local council, my federal level representatives, anyone and everyone in the Green party I can contact !
I know that my letters will be answered by a poor sod stuck on 'please the consituent' duty for that week (The Husband just luuuurrrrrrrves it when it's his turn) but if we get enough of us writing in they may start to take some notice.
3 comments:
Aah a taurean, that explains a lot. I have a taurean daughter!
I have written so many letter over the last few years to local politicians....councils....the green party.....I can't say they have been helpful the majority of the time, there are exceptions of course. The trouble, I personally think, is that most people moan but won't do anything about it. People have busy lives and just don't find the time.....to write letter etc etc.
Good luck Crone with all your efforts, I wish there were more people like you.....
Hi Crone - I just reread what I wrote last night (I was tired!) and realised I didn't write 'to work' in it. The 2hrs 30mins (or 2hrs 45-50mins depending on the buses chosen) is my one way trip to WORK. To be fair, I could get to shops reasonably quick but the work trip is impossible because there are only 2 services leaving in the morning (the earliest is 7.04 and being that it's a 2.5 hours trip by bus I wouldn't make it to work in time.
I should mention though that my work is 50mins drive away too. Having said that - if there was one available earlier,I'd have to ask myself - 'Would I take the bus and add another 3hrs travel time to my work day/time away from my family? The answer would probably be no.
Having said all of this I can think of another solution - in my case particularly the Dept I work for is making me work at a workplace that far away from my home, when there is another suitable work place 5 mins from home (and I know people working THERE travel an hour in the opposite direction as they live where I work). Job swaps would be sensible - but we've talked to the Dept about this before to no avail.
Seems to me there are heaps of workable solutions - maybe the pressure will start some changes rolling.
Where we live relatively few people take public transport for these very reasons. Ironically they won't put more services on because 'there isn't a demand - as shown by the few patrons using the few buses' Apparently the powers that be don't understand the problem.(ie: no-one uses it because it isn't feasible)
Good on you for being so proactive.
And feel free to edit this comment - it's way too long - I tend to ramble!
P.S. People where I live have both moaned AND written letters (which is why we now have 4 runs a day more than we did 10 years ago) :)
Baby steps!
Post a Comment