The following residents of the ACT draw the attention of the Assembly to the public transport deadzone on ANU campus.
For the 3700+ students who will be living in an on-campus residential hall this year, their public transport options are dire. For many, they face over an hour of travel to and from civic for groceries and commuting. At a time when students are already stretched thin through skyrocketing rents, stagnant wages, and a full time load of study, such extra time burdens mean skipping meals. Or it makes it harder to hold down the kind of job required for students to survive. This particularly affects those with specific dietary requirements, such as those who need halal, vegetarian or kosher food which may be hard to find without travelling around the city.
Additionally, ANU is one of the least safe campuses for SASH in the country, and being forced to walk back through a dimly lit sparse campus on a night out does nothing to help those matters. Having a safe, public, alternative to running the gauntlet of making their way back to safety would be very valuable for the most vulnerable people on campus.
It would be a huge improvement in student welfare, equity, and safety, to restore a bus line that could transport on-campus students to and from civic, joining them up with the existing bus network.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to restore a bus route from Daley Rd to Civic.