Transport officials have set their sights on boosting passenger numbers across Canberra's bus and light rail network to pre-pandemic levels as quickly as possible.
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But the government still has not made a firm commitment when it will return to its full timetable, reiterating instead it would prioritise reliability over service frequency.
It marks a shift from managing passenger levels well below usual levels and encouraging passengers to avoid peak travel times to aid social distancing on the network.
An update transport recovery plan, released on Thursday, said passenger numbers across the public transport network were about 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels but one in six passengers had not returned since the beginning of the COVID era.
Fare revenue was down by $18.3 million in 2020-21, the plan said.
The plan said commuter travel to work had shifted as a result of the pandemic, with fewer trips made on Mondays and Fridays as people choose to work from home.
"Off-peak passengers have been returning to public transport more quickly, which suggests our peak has flattened. We are also seeing a stronger return in patronage on evenings and weekends," the plan said.
Transport Minister Chris Steel told a budget estimates hearing on Thursday the government was in the last stages of procuring a new ticketing system for the public transport network.
Contracts for a new system were due to be signed before the end of the last financial year. The negotiations have been in "final stages" since July.
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Mr Steel was also asked by the Canberra Liberals to set out a timeframe for the completion of light rail to Woden, which the minister declined to do on the grounds the government had yet to finalise construction contracts.
The Greens spokeswoman on transport, Jo Clay, also used the hearing to query whether the government had fallen behind on plans to deliver future stages of light rail - and used a following media statement to call for faster delivery of transport infrastructure.
Mr Steel said in a statement the delivery of light rail to Woden and roll out a fleet of electric buses.
"We hope the Greens support the delivery of the Government's priority infrastructure this decade from new hospitals, schools and light rail stage 2 - rather than searching for cheap headlines," he said.
The updated transport recovery plan set no date for a return to the full transport timetable, which was replaced with an interim timetable with fewer services in response to the August 2021 COVID lockdown.
"Transport Canberra's priority will continue to be reliability with the bus network being updated to ensure Canberrans can travel on public transport during the delivery of major infrastructure projects and light rail stage 2," the plan said.
"We will closely monitor public transport patterns, reliability, and staffing availability as the COVID-19 situation progresses, and will increase service levels when possible."
The plan also said transport authorities would be guided by health advice in managing passenger numbers.
"We will continue to respond to the best health advice to ensure that passengers and Transport Canberra workers are safe. This includes ongoing use of masks on public transport until directed otherwise. We will continue to promote and encourage practices that help everyone feel safe and support Canberrans to use public transport," the plan said.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
