The Greens uncover the $60 million dollar 'free buses'

The Greens have been doing some digging on how the ACT Government and its consultants URS artfully gave us a lowball $300 million BRT option - by not counting the buses or depots they neeeded for BRT. The Greens have found the real cost of BRT hidden in the 2012 Budget. That figure is $60 million dollars for new buses and a depot.

Read the Canberra Times article 'Light Rail costings queried' here

"The ACT Greens says the territory's 2012-13 budget debates shed more light on the ACT government's light rail efforts.

Greens transport spokesperson Amanda Bresnan said in the cost projections presented to the community, the government did not make a ''like for like'' comparison between bus rapid transit and light rail, because it excluded the capital costs for buses and bus depots.

The budget revealed the real capital expenses by allocating more than $60 million to the purchase of new buses and a new northside bus depot.

''We believe light rail is the transport system that would make the biggest and most lasting changes to Canberra's transport.''

The Greens and ARA have again asked to see all the data the government used to project the costs of light rail, and which it used to consult the community.