Translink missinformation

[mufreight]

Failures of and misinformation from Translink

Over a recent five week period it has been necessary for me to make the bus and train journey from North Ipswich into the Brisbane CBD
The timetable for the route 505 bus service from Tivoli into Ipswich Bell Street shows that a service departs Tivoli at 7.25 am making the stop at Nth Ipswich (Pine & Wyndham Streets at 7.38 am and arriving at Bell Street Ipswich at 7.48 am with the rail service shown on the timetable published by Translink departing Ipswich at 7.57 am and arriving in Central at 8.53 am.
On Tuesday 16th February the bus ran late not arriving at the North Ipswich stop until 7.54 am, needless to say it did not arrive in Ipswich in sufficient time to enable catching the 7.57 train nor the 8.05 service to Brisbane.
As I had to make the same journey on Friday 19th February having a later appointment although the timetable showed that I could have caught the  I allowed for the bus to run late 504 service timetabled at North Ipswich 8.13 am arriving at Bell Street Ipswich at 8.19 am to connect with the 8.27 rail service to Brisbane departing at 8.27am and arriving at Central  9.21 am, I thought it prudent to catch the 505 route service timetabled for 7.38 at North Ipswich to ensure that I would be in the Brisbane CBD by 9.30 am.
Again the 505 bus was late and did not make the connection for either the 7.57 train nor the following 8.05 service.
Similar trips were made on Tuesday 23rd February, Thursday 25th February, Friday 26th February, Monday 1st March, Wednesday 3rd March, Friday 3rd March, Monday 8th March, Tuesday 9th March and Thursday 9th March.
On none of these trips did the bus run as per the Translink published current timetable available from the Ipswich Railway Station and make the connection with the train service indicated on the timetable and only on Thursday 9th March was I able to connect with the 8.05 rail service which did not depart Ipswich until 8.06am
Prior to my making the trip on Tuesday 23rd February I contacted Translink to verify the timetable and was advised that the bus was timetabled as was shown on the printed timetable, I also made the call to Translink to verify the times I had been given on Monday 1st March and was again given the same information and again on Saturday 13th March with the same result when I was advised that the bus and rail services as shown on the timetable are NOT CONNECTING services and that I should allow an additional 30 minutes for my journey.
Two points arise from this,
1.   Obviously the bus timetable as published is unable to be maintained as the service at North Ipswich is consistently 15 to 25 minutes behind the timetable and this has been the case for some considerable time.
2.   Translink is providing inaccurate and misleading timetable information both in the published timetables and more pointedly from their call centre.
From this one can only draw the obvious conclusion that Translink is incapable of providing either integrated services or accurate information.
What then is the purpose of Translink?
If this is the standard of service provide by Translink in the Transport Ministers own electorate what hope is there for the rest of South East Queensland and how interested is the Minister in the malfunctions of Translink and the provision of efficient reliable public transport.

[brismike]

If this is the standard of service provide by Translink in the Transport Ministers own electorate what hope is there for the rest of South East Queensland and how interested is the Minister in the malfunctions of Translink and the provision of efficient reliable public transport.

Not much obviously! 

[ozbob]

It is most unfortunate.  The problems with the bus timetables has been brought to the attention of the authorities for some time now (years).  It is seems that because it is a labor stronghold (for how much longer?) nothing much happens.  The operator is constrained by a timetabling process that is flawed. The gap in the rail timetable is another example (IPS to Rosewood M to F 4.38pm - 5.51pm).  During the period when Sadliers crossing bridge was being repaired there was an additional rail and two buses in that gap, when the bridge opened again normally the gap was re instituted.  It has been  said that patronage is poor and the gap doesn't need fixing?  Hold on, the reason patronage is poor is because of the abysmal frequency.  Would you wait an hour or longer when you have finished work to go home? 

The gaps on the Sunshine Coast line don't encourage public transport use either.  The 2 hour evening weekday gap is another significant disincentive for use.

Thanks for reporting the facts mufreight.  Documenting the actuality is an important step in hopefully finally gaining an improved service all round.

[#Metro]

Really? Things like this should simply not exist on the network.

I didn't know there was a "Car rapid transit" promotion on   

[somebody]

I was advised that the bus and rail services as shown on the timetable are NOT CONNECTING services and that I should allow an additional 30 minutes for my journey.

In itself, that is not acceptable.

[cartel_brisbane]

At the moment I view most timetables as merely 'informal guidelines' and thus accommodate them as such.

[mufreight]

If the timetables as published by Translink are only informal guidelines as suggested by Cartel_Brisbane then perhaps Translink should publish that fact on the published timetables, however there is no escaping the fact that the information provided by the call centre is even more misleading and is tendered to those enquiring as to what services a commuter should use to travel from point A to point B to meet a required arrival time such as for an appointment and Translink should be held accountable for any loss or inconvenience incured as a consequence of following such inacurate misleading information.[color]
On a trip from Ipswich accross Brisbane to Carseldine for an appointment with transport arranged by car from the Brisbane CBD to Carseldine the misleading information supplied by the Translink resulted in a $71.oo taxi fare when according to the information supplied by Translink I should have had a better than 15 minute wait at Central.

[ozbob]

Media Release 15 March 2010

SEQ:  Ipswich public transport commuters call for action

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has called for immediate revision of the bus timetable in the Ipswich area, and for the gaps on the Ipswich and Rosewood train timetable to be fixed.  The ongoing problems with bus and rail out west have reached a crisis.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track members have documented the timetable difficulties faced by the bus operator in Ipswich (1).  Constant late running and a failure to meet rail connections is causing much hardship for commuters."

"We have previously highlighted the gaps on the Ipswich to Rosewood train timetable (2).  A timetable which has a peak service gap, between 4.38pm and 5.51pm outbound between Ipswich and Rosewood.  What a farce!  Would you wait 70 minutes for your train to go home after finishing work?"

"Is the fact that Ipswich is thought of as Labor heartland got something to do with the public transport neglect in the area?  We have been highlighting the mediocre public transport arrangements in Ipswich for years.  Enough is enough!"

"The gaps in the rail timetable and the poor timetable reliability of the bus is forcing people on to the congested roads, and causing much personal hardship and cost.  Time it was fixed please."

References:

1.  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3568.0

2.  28 July 2007: Ipswich to Rosewood Citytrain Services: Timetable improvements needed!
     http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=173.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[STB]

Just a general comment here.

With the bus timetables, it's generally accepted among planners that the bus timetable itself will be a guideline only, and to allow a small variance of 3 to 5 mins either side of the time allocated to allow for traffic conditions and passenger flow.

And more specificially...

The Ipswich bus timetables were done some years ago by the operator themselves who kept it a tad too tight, by allowing 1 bus to do 3 routes with little recovery time.  The operator was being more operationally focused than passenger focused, ie: keeping it cheap to run, with as little dead time as possible.  TL accepted them as they didn't want to rock the boat with the operator. 

The operator, Westside, has since had an overhaul in management over the past 12-18 months, although some culture of the old management is still around.  The new management I do know for a fact is keen to become more passenger focused than operationally focused and hence has allowed TL to do the planning of the next round of services, including the timetabling and reviewing the run times for every route.  Financial problems has prevented any changes thus far, although hopefully later this year those financial constraints won't be as much of a problem.

The other problem that can contribute to late running is the layout of Ipswich CBD itself, which I have been led to understand that they (Ipswich City Council and the State Government) are currently thinking of redoing Ipswich CBD itself, including moving the current Bell St bus interchange to a more traffic friendly location to try and ease the late running occuring and other traffic problems.

I should also mention that there has been a culture in the past, and continues with some operators today that a late bus is a good bus, ie: if a passenger is running late than they will not miss the bus.  Obviously that sort of culture, especially among the middle management and senior drivers needs to stop.

[mufreight]

Sorry but bus services consistently 20 plus minutes behind timetabled times as published by Translink (and this has been the case now for well in excess of two years is simply not acceptable.
Westside has asked for changes to both timetables and routing for over that same period.
Translink has no valid claim that it has had no knowledge that the timetables are impossible to operate and has been aware of this situation for the three years that I have been resident in this area yet Translink still continues to provide information with regard to the connection of services that it knows is inaccurate and misleading, a three to five minute variance from tometable is not consistently 20 minutes plus, and this in the Transport Ministers own electorate.
If this were a private operation unfettered by the Translink beancounters more interested in building a bureaucracy than providing a service it would not be tolerated.
Translink was touted as an authority to co-ordinate and intergrate public transport, a task obviously completely beyond it's competence or ability or the governments political will.
The obvious solution is the axe, and to replace both with fresh blood that has both the motivation and the ability to provide the standards of safe and reliable public transport services that the Government is obliged to provide.

[somebody]

The obvious solution is the axe, and to replace both with fresh blood that has both the motivation and the ability to provide the standards of safe and reliable public transport services that the Government is obliged to provide.

That's the obvious solution, but hasn't it already been tried?  Didn't they change CEOs 2 years ago or so?

[mufreight]

Yes they did but that was much like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, what is needed is not a cosmetic makeover but a replacement with something that functions in its entirety and as taxpayers that is what commuters are entitled to expect.
It is quite obvious that neither the Government as a whole or the Transport Minister who holds responsibility for this disfunctional mess cares other than to trot out another book of platitudes and a packet of band-aids when an election comes around.

[somebody]

So, change the Minister, is that what you are suggesting?

[mufreight]

Government, Minister and Translink, the lot, they have had more than enough time to do something effective and to date, zilch and that is not what I or a million or so commuters (read voters) pay taxes for

[#Metro]

How much impact would it make?
Elections don't seem to change much in my mind.
But then again, it has been such a long time since the state had a nappy change...

There have been important gains:

North, South, East and Boggo Rd Busways (no west though)
ICRCS study
TransLink set up
Ticketing
Brand new trains
Track improvement projects
New stations at select locations (Indro, Ferny Grove & Beenleigh lines)
Richlands line

Not much in the way of higher frequency trains though. Seriously, this should be the first things...

[somebody]

Government

I think the libs would do a worse job with PT.  Remember the 7 car train proposal at the last state election?  The council did get the Eleanor Schonell bridge built, although I'm not sure if that was signed while Campbell Newman was Mayor or if Labour was in power then.

[mufreight]

Well the fact remains that this lot has made a mess of everything they have had a finger in, and promises, well they passed a law so that they could lie in parliament without any consequences, where are the additional seats on rail services they promised, so far not a single additional rail service since that promise was made and June is fast approaching.
To be realistic a couple of blind monkeys and a 20 year old drovers dog could not do any worse and that change is needed is beyond question.
I have worked most of my life in the transport industry and if I did not produce productive results I would have quickly been joining the unemployed, the same should be applied to the current crop of those managing our public transport and the buck stops with the Government and the Minister, time they accepted their responsibilities and if they are incapable of doing the job then if they have any of that much espoused integrity they should quit and make way for fresh blood that may be motivated to do the job.

[longboi]

mufreight you must have a very short memory. Public Transport has NEVER been as good as it is now in Brisbane!

Things don't change overnight - There is still 9 months in the year for TransLink to introduce more of their touted new services.

[#Metro]

On the other hand, to be "fair and balanced":

1. ICRCS has had a study into it, it is unbelievably late and hugely expensive; funding seems like a distant hope.
What if we don't get the funding from the feds? Trains won't run properly in 2016 if it is not built soon.

2. 30 minute frequency off peak is just bad.

3. Judging by the lord mayor's piece in the paper, the Gold Coast probably needs more services as people are still driving to 8 mile plains and catching a bus.

4. Springfield train line will not be going all the way, and the delivery date has been pushed out

5. Kippa ring left high and dry. Also Sunnybank-Browns Plains not likely any time soon.

6. GoCard was 4 years late, and still has lots of problems (though improving)

7. Busway construction, on a per kilometer basis, actually has been very expensive

8. Delays in rolling out new services, 66 + 109 not happened

9. Brisbane City Council has introduced BUZ and Express ferries. Ideally, these are ideas that TL would have come up with, not BCC.

10. Subsidy standards don't seem to be standard across operators and regions. It seems to reflect historical arrangements.

11. Exhibition is in a special Translink zone (or has special arrangements) which incur a charge. Unlike all other services to any other event, which are free.

[#Metro]

Public Transport has NEVER been as good as it is now in Brisbane!

Things don't change overnight - There is still 9 months in the year for TransLink to introduce more of their touted new services.

This is a fair point. Things don't happen overnight.
However, be careful about the "never" bit. I think those 1960 trams came every 5 minutes or so on all lines (I can't check this, has anyone a timetable?). Only a few BUZ and rockets have such a frequency today...

[ozbob]

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=66877
15th October 2009

"Mr Lucas said extra funds would be used to help add more than 301,000 additional passenger capacity a week to the SEQ network by July next year".

The 1st of July is rapidly approaching,  looking forward to a couple of interesting months ...

[#Metro]

And other things- the statistics

1. Financial and efficiency indicators for the network are all missing!
Perth publishes theirs, and you can see how the cost to run the service per passenger has been falling as their network improves.

2. There are some statistics I don't agree with. QR's definition of "overcrowding" is debateable, the "on time" performance only appears to apply to peak hour trains (correct me if I am wrong)...

[david]

And other things- the statistics

2. There are some statistics I don't agree with. QR's definition of "overcrowding" is debateable, the "on time" performance only appears to apply to peak hour trains (correct me if I am wrong)...

Agreed. 1 person standing on a Gold Coast service is enough to call it overcrowded. However, jammed-packed Ipswich and Caboolture services, which are definitely overcrowded wouldn't stand a mention, especially if they are all-stations services.

I think that QR should incorporate "visual" overcrowding into it's surveys. That way, we weed out the 1 person standing on a Gold Coast service as overcrowding issue, and give the Ipswich and Caboolture, as well as the shorter Ferny Grove line (where almost none of its services would rate as "overcrowded") its fair share of attention.

[cartoonbirdhaus]

I think those 1960 trams came every 5 minutes or so on all lines

Every 10 minutes weekdays, and every 18-20 minutes evenings and weekends. And the #23 trolleybus ran every 6 minutes on weekdays. (The nearest equivalent's the Spring Hill Loop, although I'd rather see a 321 shortworking between the City and RBWH.)

[#Metro]

Hi MaxHeadway!
Long time no post  

Was that all day as well, off-peak?
Do you have any info about the first and last services of the day?

Every 10 minutes, every 18-20 minutes.

Most buses are every half hour in the off peak. BUZ off peak is 15 minutes.
With all the money "saved" by ripping up the trams, we should have bus frequencies at a much higher, or at least as good level, today.

[longboi]

Ok, I'll change my position slightly...PT has never been as good in the past 10-20 years 

[mufreight]

Another apples agains oranges comparison that is irrelevant to the topic

[STB]

Government, Minister and Translink, the lot, they have had more than enough time to do something effective and to date, zilch and that is not what I or a million or so commuters (read voters) pay taxes for

That's a bit harsh.  TL look after far more than just the area where you live, and the problems occuring are a lot more complex than you are suggesting. 

I'm not saying that it's acceptable to have late running services on any operator, but to just simply say replace the lot won't achieve anything really.

Tell me, was the service ie: Westside, really any better prior to TL?

[mufreight]

In fact the services localy were better in pre Translink days, and yes Translink has a large area to oversee, the solution to the Ipswich area transport problems can be readily and easily solved without any impact on other services in other areas.
Translink has been fully aware of the problems for over three years and despite being fully aware of the problems and the possible solutions has made promises and done nothing, a but harsh to suggest that they are incapable seat polishers you have to be kidding, after one year it should have been sorted, after two years of doing nothing and more misinformation and spin they should be gone, even if Translink was simply removed from the scene and not replaced the mess could not be worse and contracted service providers to ensure their survival would improve service standards.

[Arnz]

I'm not saying that it's acceptable to have late running services on any operator, but to just simply say replace the lot won't achieve anything really.

Yes, Lets go back to the Pre-TransLink (mk 1) days where every operator had separate ticketing, unintegrated scheduling and even higher combined fares across the board than the fare levels now.  It would truly would solve things.. 

Tell me, was the service ie: Westside, really any better prior to TL?

This varies by region.  Up here on the Sunshine Coast, Bus services (provided by Sunbus) before the implementation of TransLink (mk 1) were a lot worse back then (unreliability due to use of old vehicles, traffic conditions, amongst other things).  At least TransLink mk 1 made some noticeable improvements up here.

TransLink (mk 2) on the other hand, is another story..

[O_128]

I'm not saying that it's acceptable to have late running services on any operator, but to just simply say replace the lot won't achieve anything really.

Yes, Lets go back to the Pre-TransLink (mk 1) days where every operator had separate ticketing, unintegrated scheduling and even higher combined fares across the board than the fare levels now.  It would truly would solve things.. 

Tell me, was the service ie: Westside, really any better prior to TL?

This varies by region.  Up here on the Sunshine Coast, Bus services (provided by Sunbus) before the implementation of TransLink (mk 1) were a lot worse back then (unreliability due to use of old vehicles, traffic conditions, amongst other things).  At least TransLink mk 1 made some noticeable improvements up here.

TransLink (mk 2) on the other hand, is another story..

integration?
Train guards or PIAs don't even acknowledge that the south east busway and boggo road busways exist at buranda and park road stations

[somebody]

Can I suggest that this whole saga be communicated to Translink, and you follow their complaints procedure at least as far as writing in to the CEO?  Really, it's not satisfactory and the CEO has to respond in writing to a doubly escalated complaint within 30 days.

Here's a link to their policy: http://download.translink.com.au/about/091028_complaintspolicy.pdf

Got to say, I don't at all believe that most of the suggestions in my "30 issues ..." thread have not occurred to anyone in Translink or BT, there's just always some @#$% in authority that says "We can't do that".

[mufreight]

The Translink complaints proceedure simply does not work, it has not worked for the last two and a half to three years and it is doubtful that that situation will change with the present management or government, a complaint made on Tuesday 19th January has to this time still not received a response or credible answer to the complaint despite a follow up phone call on 9th February.
Still waiting for a response to a further complaint relating to Translink misinformation regarding timetabled services lodged on Thursday 11th March
It is well past time that Translink learnt that basic of any service industry public relations, allways tell the absolute truth and ensure that when a standard proceedure is set up to handle complaints it is followed and if problems arise that prevent that then ensure that the customer is informed.
That Translink consistently fails on both counts is attributable to Translink Senior management and the Minister.  All comuters should thank whoever it was that derailed the rumored intention to franchise off public transport.

[Nightwriter]

Can I suggest that this whole saga be communicated to Translink, and you follow their complaints procedure at least as far as writing in to the CEO?  Really, it's not satisfactory and the CEO has to respond in writing to a doubly escalated complaint within 30 days.

Here's a link to their policy: http://download.translink.com.au/about/091028_complaintspolicy.pdf

And if you have followed the procedures in the complaints policy, in that you have escalated as far as you can go, and do not receive a satisfactory response, you are within your rights to go to the Queensland Ombudsman.

[somebody]

Why not request an "internal review" i.e. escalate to the CEO, with all this information?  Once the CEO has responded, can't he be held accountable for his response?

[mufreight]

Far simpler and more chance of a response by giving all the details and copies of the correspondence over the past years to the media for them to follow up, after all previous contact has been met with misinformation, spin and an arrogant attitude that any bull will do to fob off any responsibility for the failings of Translink and nothing seems to have been done to correct problems.

[somebody]

Far simpler and more chance of a response by giving all the details and copies of the correspondence over the past years to the media for them to follow up, after all previous contact has been met with misinformation, spin and an arrogant attitude that any bull will do to fob off any responsibility for the failings of Translink and nothing seems to have been done to correct problems.

Why do you think that the CEO wouldn't respond?  What do you have to lose?

[mufreight]

Because to this time the CEO has not made any response, probably due to the firewall system within Translink of we have stuffed this, do not let the boss have direct contact with this person who might prove to the boss how inefectual we have been and on closer examination of what we have or have not done decide how unessecary we are.
An Email to the CEO on a past occasion almost two years ago was responded to by a spin merchant who attempted to deny documented fact and avoided any relevant response to the matters raised, which incidentaly still have not been resolved and which sources now advise may be examined and altered possibly early next year.
It is more probable that nothing will be done untill a couple of months prior to the next state election in the vain desperate hope of saving the Transport Ministers seat.

[somebody]

The CEO doesn't take emails.  You need to use postal mail.  It's all in the document I linked above.

You are still leaving the CEO with the defense that no or few complaints were escalated to him.  Doing a web search, his appointement was announced Oct 2008.  So, if you emailed him nearly 2 years ago, no way would the current CEO have received it.

I still think that you don't have anything to lose, and plenty to gain.