6 Aug 2024: State' commitment to make Translink an Independent Authority

[ozbob]

State Government commitment to make Translink an Independent Authority welcomed!

6th August 2024

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) has welcomed Premier Steven Miles' policy to make Translink an Independent Authority.

Robert Dow said that the single public transport authority model had been proven successful beyond doubt in Perth.

"It might shock Brisbane residents to learn that in Perth, trains come every 15-minutes or better,  to all stations (bar one), all day on weekends and during the week, something that has never been achieved in Brisbane."

"In fact, Perth has a higher per-capita public transport usage than Brisbane, and higher train patronage as well."

"All of this is achieved in a city with a lower density, lower population, and a higher car dependency than Brisbane".

"Perth is able to achieve this because they run bus passengers to train stations, something that Brisbane City Council has been, until only recently, very averse to doing here."

"For decades, the Queensland Government has tried to make three agencies - Brisbane City Council, Queensland Rail, and Translink work more closely together."

"It has never really worked well, and perhaps never will."

"Brisbane City Council's bus operations, Queensland Rail and Translink should be combined into a single State Government public transport authority, just like Western Australia."

"Put everything public transport under one roof."

"We believe this change can happen quickly by amending the City of Brisbane Act 2010, and introducing new legislation to set up a public transport authority in the Queensland Parliament."

"If Queensland Government ministers want to see how it works, we recommend they travel to Western Australia. Members of their own political party will be able to show them how it is done."

"Our members look forward to a 'One public transport system, One public transport authority future where policy misalignment between bus and rail operators can no longer be possible."

References:

1. Premier promises to cap petrol price hikes, and take over Brisbane buses
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/premier-promises-to-cap-petrol-price-hikes-and-take-over-brisbane-buses-20240805-p5jzqs.html

2. RAIL Back on Track Public Transport Governance Mapping - Perth vs Brisbane



image: https://backontrack.org/docs/media/6aug24/BCC_Functions-3-min1.jpg



image: https://backontrack.org/docs/media/6aug24/BCC_Functions-4-min2.jpg

3. Review of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (a Translink predecessor)
PA Management Consultants - Year 1984
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/_/media/aboutus/rti/disclog/2023/rti-3474-release.pdf

See section 4.8 "Relationship with Operators, Agencies and Organisations" which illustrates why a governance model that relies on co-ordinating three separate transport agencies will always create major conflict and policy misalignment opportunities.



image: https://backontrack.org/docs/media/6aug24/MTA_1982_4.jpg

4. A South-East Queensland Transit Authority: Transport Planning And Coordination Amendment Bill 1995
Legislation Bulletin 7/95, David Thannhauser, Queensland Parliamentary Library, Brisbane.
November 1995. https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/explore/ResearchPublications/LegislationBulletins/lb0795dt.pdf

"In summing up the lessons which the demise of the MTA might have for similar coordinating bodies, John Minnery has warned that organisations created with charters that effectively restrict the powers of pre-existing agencies will be resisted and that their jurisdictional limits and powers must be developed and clearly defined or they may have to struggle for their very existence." (Page 5).

5. Light rail down under: Three strikes and you're not out!
https://trid.trb.org/view/700198

"Consequently, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane is pivotal in all decisions affecting the functioning of the city. As BCC also operates the municipal bus service, the extent of its influence on road-based transportation investment and operation becomes readily apparent. With BCC's preference for undertaking transport planning activities within its boundaries, any unaligned overlap between state and BCC planning activities can require vigorous negotiations."

6. RAIL Back On Track Discussion Forum thread:
Public Transport Queensland
https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.0

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

[ozbob]

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