Canberra Airport Terminal Upgrades

[Rod Sloan]

Todd. Let me buy you a coffee sometime and sit down and I will explain the taxi industry so you have a better understanding..if you want.

[Ash W]

Rod am surprised someone actually knows how the industry in Canberra works. I am impressed as it is a very messy system indeed.

PS. Have a question and before anyone jumps on me I am not being racist, my question is serious. But where did all the Indian taxi drivers come from? Yes I know the answer is India but how did some many end up driving cabs in Canberra? When I left Canberra 4 years ago there were more or less none, but now it seems as if almost every cab is being driven by an Indian. I dropped off a hire car at the airport yesterday and then wanted to go to Fyshwick to pick up a new car and the driver had no idea where Canberra Toyota was.

[Ash W]

Used the airport outbound for the first time today, seems to work pretty well.

Though who ever it was that designed the multistory carpark should be taken out the back and shot. The turn into ramps between floors are so tight it wouldn't take much to scrape the side of the car on the Armco that lines the side of it. Indeed on every corner there was clear evidence that this has happened many times. In fact even the presence of Armco on the corners would be a clue to say the turn into the ramps is not wide enough.

[Rod Sloan]

Originally Posted by Ash W

PS. Have a question and before anyone jumps on me I am not being racist, my question is serious. But where did all the Indian taxi drivers come from?

Melbourne

[Bevan Webber]

The renovations at Canberra airport are looking good. Well the Qantas side of the terminal looks all shiny and new, when I was there in January.

Originally Posted by Ash W

PS. Have a question and before anyone jumps on me I am not being racist, my question is serious. But where did all the Indian taxi drivers come from? Yes I know the answer is India but how did some many end up driving cabs in Canberra?

It isn't just Canberra but also Brisbane has a lot of Indian taxi drivers.

The main reason is the rules set up allow overseas students to work in Australia.

Link to story from Brisbanetimes.

Under visa rules students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week.

[Rod Sloan]

Originally Posted by Ash W

Though who ever it was that designed the multistory carpark should be taken out the back and shot. The turn into ramps between floors are so tight it wouldn't take much to scrape the side of the car on the Armco that lines the side of it. Indeed on every corner there was clear evidence that this has happened many times. In fact even the presence of Armco on the corners would be a clue to say the turn into the ramps is not wide enough.

The inside (left) barriers have been removed.

Waste of money putting them in ? Yup

Lack of forethought before they went in ? You bet

Remember the PPPPPP's Prior Planning Prevents P*** Poor Performance.

[Ash W]

Think the problem wasn't the barriers but the tightness of the turn to get onto the ramp. But good to hear they have disappeared.

One other thing I have noticed as a twice daily visitor to the airport (owing to my wife now working there and not having her own car yet) that has been poorly done is the exit road, in particular where city bound traffic merges with traffic from QBN. As you leave the airport there are two lane that go beside the fly-over. The left lane continues without merging but the right lane has to merge with the left hand lane from the fly-over. The problem being the merge is so close to where the fly-over ends that it is hard to see what is coming to merge safely coupled with the fact the traffic on the fly-over is coming faster than airport traffic. Of course the sensible thing to do is to get into the left lane, but if you are coming from the terminal then you are funneled into the right lane and if your a first time user, unfamiliar with the road you wouldn't know this, so is an easy recipe for an accident in the future.

Would have though the most sensible thing to have done here is to have the two lanes from the airport merge beside the fly-over and not have to worry about merging with the QBN traffic. It's not like the traffic from the airport is that heavy to actually need two lanes at this point, one would suffice.

[Kim F]

Plus 1 to Ash - That is a very short merge zone!

[Rod Sloan]

Another merge blackspot is coming off the upper level you merge with traffic on the lower level. Problem is that due to a concrete wall you can't see what's below you till you are almost merging.

I did suggest to Steve Byron that it was an accident waiting to happen and that perhaps a convex mirror might be a good idea.

I'm thinking due to the lack of a mirror he didn't think my idea had any merit

Re the barriers. The ability to get up those ramps has been greatly improved since the barriers were removed. Still a reasonably tight turn but well within the capabilities of the average driver I just wouldn't try taking a Hiace or anything up there is all.

[Todd Milton]

Looks as though they have listened to people and have atleast created at 10 minute pick up zone. Still, it does not stop people using the round-a-bout as a damn pick up point though (Or the one lane road that leads to the carparks and BBP).