12 Dec 2023: Revisited: 10 years of RBOT campaigning on BUZ upgrades ...

[ozbob]

Revisited: 10 years of RBOT campaigning on BUZ upgrades and bus reform

12th December 2023

RAIL Back On Track (https://backontrack.org) a web-based community group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has welcomed the Green's latest policy announcement to double the Brisbane City Council BUZ network (1).

About 10 years ago, and after a series of failed Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council bus reviews, our own members put together a bus reform proposal for Brisbane.

Among other things, we proposed a massive boost to the BUZ high-frequency bus network. Our work was published by Tony Moore at the Brisbane Times and is still available online (2). Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government were made aware of the proposals, which they were asked to comment on:

"Fairfax Media asked both council and the Queensland government for their views on Rail: Back on Track's suggestions in detailed questions."

"Neither replied, nor did the then Assistant Minister for Public Transport Steve Minnikin."

"Queensland Transport did not respond to Fairfax Media's questions."

"Council did not answer the questions, but sent a two-paragraph response ..."

Our point is, both Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government have been well aware of the issues with the Brisbane City Council Bus Network for over a decade. We have good reason to believe that in the future, the Brisbane City Council LGA will be flooded with potentially 1 million new car trips per day (3). What is their response?

Rather than expand high-frequency BUZ bus service to ordinary residents in Brisbane's suburbs, Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government have chosen to chase 'Car Rapid Transport' proposals and facilitate toll road tunnels instead.

It is not too late to make a different choice.

There is a reason why incumbent parties are slowly losing seats to Greens and independent candidates at all levels of government. It is about time they reflected on what that reason might be, and come up with sensible policy alternatives for the community.

We look forward to other political parties and candidates contesting the 2024 Brisbane City Council Elections announcing their policies on public transport.

References

(1) Greens Policy - Brisbane: Doubling high frequency buses & connecting suburbs directly
https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=11047.msg278053#msg278053

(2) Brisbane buses: Call for CityGlider in Centenary suburbs
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisbane-buses-call-for-cityglider-in-centenary-suburbs-20141105-11gxl3.html

(3) Are 1 million new car trips per day set to flood the Brisbane LGA?
https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=13410.msg273375#msg273375

(4) Greens propose 15 new bus routes, 10 upgrades, 13 added corridors to boost Brisbane transport network https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/greens-propose-15-new-bus-routes-10-upgrades-13-added-corridors-to-boost-brisbane-transport-network/news-story/3f28a9859d3990625130a4947e6c5907

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion --> https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?msg=278123