1303.8 - Australian Capital Territory Business Indicators, Apr 2000  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/04/2000   
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  • Survey shows how ACT people use Public Transport, Emergency Services (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

April 27, 2000
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
44/2000

Survey shows how ACT people use Public Transport, Emergency Services

According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today, almost one third (31 percent) of the ACT's 271,500 people used some form of public transport during October 1999 with the majority (71,100 people) electing to use the ACTION bus service.

School age children were the largest group to use ACTION. Of all users of public transport one quarter (25 percent) were aged 15-24 years and 17% were 5-14 years. These age groups reflect those most likely to be attending educational institutions.

Of those who usually used ACTION services for travel to an educational institution or to work most made six to ten trips per week (64 percent and 62 percent respectively). Over two thirds (69 percent) of people who travelled on ACTION in October 1999 used the service between 1-5 days a week.

The survey also found that 92% of people living in the ACT did not make use of the emergency services number "000" in the 12 months leading up to October 1999. The majority of calls made requested ambulance services (56 percent) and a little over a third required police assistance (36 percent). The remaining 8 percent were calls for fire and other services.

The ACT State supplementary survey topic Usage of Emergency Services and Public Transport was conducted in October 1999 and provides estimates for the ACT. Great care needs to be taken in comparing estimates from this survey with those from similar surveys conducted in October 1995 and October 1998. Because of the relatively small sample size, the estimates for small populations of interest can have high standard errors. In addition, direct comparisons are also affected by calendar effects in relation to the timing of the survey weeks, school holidays and events such as Floriade.

Further details can be found in the April issue of Business Indicators, ACT (cat. no. 1303.8) available in all ABS bookshops. If you wish to purchase a copy of this publication, contact the ABS Bookshop in your capital city.