Media Release, 1 December 2005

The RTA promised the Cross City Tunnel would improve surface traffic. The traffic is worse. DRAG is joining other resident and business groups to call for a Boycott to End the Tunnel Funnel.

The group has launched a Petition calling for an End to the Tunnel Funnel and for a re-opening of public roads. We hope to have 1000s of signatures by the end of February.

We have seen no action from the government, the city council or the tunnel operators to reverse the road closures and stop the sordid tunnel fiasco.

The Iemma State Government must face facts and re-negotiate the contract or just buy it back.

Not only is there is an urgent financial incentive for the government and RTA to close roads, but the contract demands more road closures if local roads are used to avoid the tunnel. The toll free period was only extended to enable more road closures and traffic "funneling" arrangements than originally planned.

The Roads Minister Joe Tripodi’s call for the operator to lower the toll is little more than a cynical public relations exercise. Even the sacked head of the RTA, Paul Forward, has said that restoring public roads could trigger damages "so great" that it might be better to buy out the $680 million tunnel.

Premier Iemma has promised to re-open Bourke Street. The ‘wait for it to fail’ strategy only punishes local business. Re-open it now. Reversing the lane closures in Kings Cross closures do not trigger a ‘material adverse event’. Halt them now.

They hope it will all soon be all over - public roads will be closed, the concrete set, and the RTA no where to be seen. They are very wrong.

Ordinary people, workers, local business and public transport users will not forget that this government has handed over to a private enterprise, a public roads and transport monopoly.

Contact:

Jo Holder 9331 6621; Julia Perry 9331 2129; Carole Ferrier 8356 9229.

PETITION VENUES

Woolloomooloo: East Sydney Hotel. William Street: Peter Caroll’s Hardware, Sprint DigitalDarlinghurst: Voi Hair, Darlinghurst Road Oxford Street: Oxford Health Foods, Burdekin Hotel Kings Cross: Piccolo Bar, The Cross Art + Books Elizabeth Bay: EB Cellars

DETAILS End the Tunnel Funnel Petition

Principal Petitioner: Urban City East Traffic & Planning Partnership

Comprising: DRAG, 2011 Residents Association Inc., Residents of Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst Business Partnership.

Opening date: 28/11/2005. Closing date:  28/02/2006

ADD YOUR NAME TO THE PETITION ONLINE