Transport Minister Rita Saffioti blames Robbie Williams concert traffic planning for debacle, not roads

The blame game over the Robbie Williams concert debacle has seen the event organisers hand-balling responsibility to the winery and Rita Saffioti saying more public transport would have solved it - but a lack of traffic light control has emerged as the key stuff-up. Thursday night’s concert at Nikola Estate was described as “absolutely horrendous” by furious fans who were stuck in hours-long traffic jams to get into the Swan Valley and then get out afterwards. Some concertgoers said on social media that traffic was so bad they were still stuck in the carpark at 1.50am, while others gave up and slept in their vehicles, with a bogged bus adding to the chaos. Ms Saffioti was asked on Tuesday if the event exposed the need for road or other infrastructure upgrades in the area, responding that similar Swan Valley events in the future had to be “more of a mass transit solution”, with the Public Transport Authority working with the promoters and venue operators. “I’m very keen to have a joint ticketing arrangement like we do with other major events,” the Minister said. “We can stand up our dedicated bus services, dedicate routes. We’re happy to do that and we’ll do that in the future.” The Member for West Swan said shuttle buses would run from Guildford and Midland train stations, and the new Ellenbrook train station after it was complete next year, “dispersing the crowd across the entire area”. “We know that putting people on buses and trains is the easiest way to clear big crowds,” she said adding that traffic management and controlling intersections around the event area was “also a key part”. Concert organisers, Mellen Events referred comment to Nikola Estate, saying the car park and traffic management was implemented and operated by the venue. The winery’s co-owner Graeme Yukich said the main problem was timing on filter traffic lights for turning from Reid Highway into Great Northern Highway and vice versa not being stretched out long enough to account for higher volumes. A crash on Roe Highway didn’t help, Mr Yukich said. “We used the best, recommended by the promoter, their traffic management people,” he told The West Australian. “They worked with Main Roads. Well, they were supposed to have worked with Main Roads, police, and all that stuff. “They thought they had it right but a lack of control of the lights caused the problem.” On its website, Mellen Events highly recommended attendees use public transport due to traffic congestion but engaged private company Buswest to provide pre-paid transportation from locations around Perth. “They thought they had the plan, the plan was going to work,” Ms Saffioti said. “But I think it’s the volume of activity ... it’s the hard end (to the concert). And you have to move people quickly.” Mr Yukich said the promised NorthLink and EastLink road projects would make a big difference to traffic flow in the region, along with the Ellenbrook train line.