00:00It's been a year since the first passengers boarded the Parramatta light rail.
00:06The state government originally predicted it would have an average of 22,000 people
00:11using it a day by 2026.
00:14From January to November this year, the service averaged just below 12,000 daily trips across
00:19its 16 stops, an uptake that's slower than expected.
00:24It takes time for any light rail to build patronage, but it's lacking a cohesive plan
00:28around land use and events and places to go to drive patronage.
00:35Those who use it regularly say it's convenient.
00:38It's more open compared to the train, so yeah, and not much people use it, so it's alright.
00:42It's very good so far.
00:44I would much rather prefer light rail than Sydney trains.
00:47However, the Parramatta light rail still runs light.
00:50The Rosehill Gardens stop averaged less than 130 trips a day so far this year.
00:56It is also very easy to drive to, but over time that'll area will change.
00:59Uptake on the light rail has increased, but weekend patronage is still low.
01:04What they're showing is it's too dependent on commuters.
01:08There's not enough people using it to travel to the shops.
01:11The data shows the busiest day on the service was in August, with about 13,000 trips that day.
01:17These numbers are expected to gradually increase when stage two of the light rail opens,
01:22connecting Parramatta to Olympic Park.
01:25Transport for New South Wales says its main priority with the light rail is safety,
01:29with near misses across the service.
01:32We have seen a number of collisions with road vehicles at different areas of the
01:36Parramatta light rail, tapping on and off for years to come.
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