Investment in public transport is set to become a key Federal election issue following the launch of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union’s Fix My Ride campaign.

RTBU National Secretary Bob Nanva today said the Fix My Ride campaign would encourage commuters across Australia to demand action on better public transport.

“Australia has a new Prime Minister who loves taking selfies on public transport, but Federal funding for public transport projects is thin on the ground,” Mr Nanva said.

“Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t seem to understand that public transport projects aren’t built on selfies, they need to funded by cold hard cash.

“The Fix My Ride campaign will put pressure on all politicians to turn their rhetoric into reality, to take public transport seriously, and to put their money where their selfie sticks are.

“We’re calling on commuters to take their own social media selfies on public transport, tag them with the hashtag #FixMyRide, and to send a clear message to our Federal politicians that public transport matters.”

The launch of the Fix My Ride campaign comes just one day after the RTBU released a landmark research paper that showed how value capture mechanisms can revolutionise the way public transport projects are funded.

Projects being targeted for Federal funding include:

• A heavy rail link to the new Western Sydney Airport;
• Federal funding for the Melbourne Metro project;
• Light rail extensions in South Australia;
• Public transport projects in Western Australia, including the proposed Forestfield to Airport link; and
• Brisbane’s cross-river rail project.

“The old excuse that governments can’t afford to invest in new railways unless they sell off other public assets has been shown to be a myth.

“The time is right for governments across Australia to look to the future, and to look at how the rest of world is building new urban mass transit networks.”

Click here for more information about the Fix My Ride campaign.