Congestion costs the Australian economy $16.5 billion a year, and now a new app has been revealed that will enable commuters to see the personal cost of that congestion and compare and share with friends.
AAA spokesman Nick Tyrrell said the app will empower more Australians to make the personal cost of congestion and chronic infrastructure under-investment an issue at the federal election.
“Every Australian loses out from this job-killing drag on the economy. From farmers whose trucks grind to a halt at the edge of our cities, to parents doing the child-care drop-offs, and to long-suffering public transport users on late and crowded carriages and buses. It’s only getting worse, but our politicians have the power to fix it if we tell them we care about it,” Mr Tyrrell said.
“People know their commute is getting more expensive as fuel prices and public transport fares rise. They know they are spending longer in their car or on late or crowded public transport. But many have no idea they spend on average 10 to 15 entire days every year getting to work and back.
“We’ve launched this app to help Australians understand the time they lose as a result of congested commutes, and understand what they could have done with the wasted time. People can then share and compare the results on social media, and even use the app to contact their local candidates once they’ve found out just how much time they waste commuting each year.”
The app has been launched by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) in partnership with all Australian motoring clubs as part of the nation-wide Keep Australia Moving campaign, and is available at www.australiasworstcommute.com.au
