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Transport

Objectives
The Transport Program is responsible for producing statistics on transport and transport related activities and undertakes a coordination and liaison role between producers and users of transport data.

The main clients of the program include various Australian government agencies, in particular: the Department of Infrastructure and Transport; the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics; the Commonwealth Grants Commission; the Treasury; as well as State and Territory Government agencies; the National Road Transport Commission; as well as industry and academic organisations.

Statistics from the transport collections are used to assist in policy and planning deliberations by governments and transport organisations, particularly in the areas of long term planning, the regulation of road transport operators, and for accident exposure and fuel use analysis. Information about the vehicle fleet provides a measure of the stock of vehicles registered for road use at a point in time and supports the study of links between demographic change and vehicle ownership and use. Statistics on new motor vehicle sales provide an economic indicator of consumer confidence.

Outputs
The outputs of the program are the monthly publication of Sales of New Motor Vehicles, Australia (ABS cat. no. 9314.0), a major economic indicator; biennial publication of the Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia (ABS cat. no. 9208.0); and annual publication of Motor Vehicle Census, Australia (ABS cat. no. 9309.0).

Developments
The main medium-term developments in the program are to:

• work with the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Economics on a project to collect nationally consistent freight data on an ongoing basis utilising administrative data. An initial feasibility assessment will be undertaken as the first phase of the project – due September 2012
• support the other activities of the Australian Transport Data Action Network as it progresses the Data Action Plan for the Standing Council on Transport and Infrastructure, including enhancing the comparability of nationally significant datasets through harmonisation of standards and classifications – due June 2013
• undertake research to further develop the Transport Satellite Account framework presented in Information Paper: A Future Australian Transport Satellite Account: ABS Views, 2011 (ABS cat. no. 5269.0.55.001) – due June 2013
• support the Annual Integrated Collection case study investigations relating to transport activity and evaluate the results – due June 2013
• provide administrative support for the maintenance of the Transport Metadata Portal – ongoing.

References
Industry @ a Glance - Transport