16 Feb 2011: SEQ: Passengers left behind on Northern Busway

[ozbob]

Media release 16 February 2011

SEQ: Passengers left behind on Northern Busway

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport passengers and an advocate for public transport asks for capacity increased on the Northern Busway, in particular route 66.

"RAIL Back on Track understands that good public transport is popular, however we are concerned about Northern Busway feedback, in particular route 66 (1,2). It is apparently leaving passengers behind due to overcrowding and lower frequency during academic holidays and due to the 'bus full' problem passengers are apparently being left with excessive waits of 30 minutes or more!"

"We ask TransLink to investigate and consider turning some semester-only route 66 services into all-year round services, particularly during peak hours. Longer term solutions may be to have more articulated and tri-axle buses operate on the Northern Busways or introduce super-buses to cope with the loads."

"The Northern Busway is a great piece of infrastructure, but even success can bring its own challenges! Cross River Rail will bring into routine use Exhibition railway station and ease the pressure on the Inner Northern Busway, Cross River Rail cannot happen soon enough as the busway network is starting to approach capacity at peak. The delay of Cross River Rail is going to have very serious impacts and the decision to delay this critical project should be urgently revisited."

References:

1. Get kicked on Route 66
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2011/01/get-kicked-on-route-66.html

2. More Inner Northern Busway woes
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-inner-northern-busway-woes.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[somebody]

Or you could extend the 393 to make it useful.

Or put the out of service buses counter peak into service.

[longboi]

Or you could extend the 393 to make it useful.

Kangaroo Pt perhaps? Via INB, North Quay, Adelaide St, Ivory St tunnel, Story Bridge to Holman St ferry.

[somebody]

Or you could extend the 393 to make it useful.

Kangaroo Pt perhaps? Via INB, North Quay, Adelaide St, Ivory St tunnel, Story Bridge to Holman St ferry.

I was thinking to either Roma St or the Gabba.

[ozbob]

Follow up sent to all outlets:

24 February 2011

Greetings,

The show piece of the busway system all ready in trouble, and now more reports of pax being ask to leave overloaded buses to allow children on?

We MUST start using the rail network properly to give the capacity that is needed.

Busways must be converted to high capacity trunk routes using bi-articulated buses (just like a rail line) properly feed by feeder buses.  The problem with the busways is that the design prohibits bi-artics at this time ...  more transport myopia manifest.

Oil prices surging.  The transport 'perfect storm' is on the way.

Best wishes
Robert

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

Media release 16 February 2011

SEQ: Passengers left behind on Northern Busway

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport passengers and an advocate for public transport asks for capacity increased on the Northern Busway, in particular route 66.

"RAIL Back on Track understands that good public transport is popular, however we are concerned about Northern Busway feedback, in particular route 66 (1,2). It is apparently leaving passengers behind due to overcrowding and lower frequency during academic holidays and due to the 'bus full' problem passengers are apparently being left with excessive waits of 30 minutes or more!"

"We ask TransLink to investigate and consider turning some semester-only route 66 services into all-year round services, particularly during peak hours. Longer term solutions may be to have more articulated and tri-axle buses operate on the Northern Busways or introduce super-buses to cope with the loads."

"The Northern Busway is a great piece of infrastructure, but even success can bring its own challenges! Cross River Rail will bring into routine use Exhibition railway station and ease the pressure on the Inner Northern Busway, Cross River Rail cannot happen soon enough as the busway network is starting to approach capacity at peak. The delay of Cross River Rail is going to have very serious impacts and the decision to delay this critical project should be urgently revisited."

References:

1. Get kicked on Route 66
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2011/01/get-kicked-on-route-66.html

2. More Inner Northern Busway woes
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-inner-northern-busway-woes.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Radio ABC 612 Breakfast here!

Adults being asked to get off buses to make room for children

Adults being asked to get off buses to make room for children

24 February 2011 , 8:54 AM by Spencer Howson

What would you do if this happened to you? You're on a crowded bus and a school student hails the bus but there's no more room.

Under the Translink policy of "No child left behind" on buses the driver is obliged to let the child on the bus. But an adult has to get off.

Would you give up your seat? This is happening in Brisbane. David Matters is from the Rail, Tram and Bus union. Anastacia Palaszczuk is four days into her new job as Transport Minister:

[#Metro]

How  about: get a bigger bus. Arctics on the busway only.

[somebody]

Radio ABC 612 Breakfast here!

Adults being asked to get off buses to make room for children

Adults being asked to get off buses to make room for children

24 February 2011 , 8:54 AM by Spencer Howson

What would you do if this happened to you? You're on a crowded bus and a school student hails the bus but there's no more room.

Under the Translink policy of "No child left behind" on buses the driver is obliged to let the child on the bus. But an adult has to get off.

Would you give up your seat? This is happening in Brisbane. David Matters is from the Rail, Tram and Bus union. Anastacia Palaszczuk is four days into her new job as Transport Minister:

Sounds pretty unacceptable.

I do wonder if we have gotten a little carried away after Daniel Morcombe.  Still, it probably isn't likely to change.

The other issue this highlights is that it isn't actually a rule that children on cheap fares aren't obliged to stand for adults anymore, only a guideline.  Should be a rule, I say.

How  about: get a bigger bus. Arctics on the busway only.

All busway runs?  Do you include routes like the 105, 172 which only touch the inner parts of the busway and also aren't busy?  Or are you only referring to the 111/66/109?

[#Metro]

Maybe not all of them now, but I see most if not all busway runs, eventually. It will have to be phased in.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Adults bumped off crowded buses on busy Northern Busway to make room for students

Adults bumped off crowded buses on busy Northern Busway to make room for students

    * Robyn Ironside
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * February 24, 2011 9:09AM

ADULT passengers are being asked to get off crowded buses to make room for children on the flat-strap Northern Busway route between Woolloongabba and Herston.

The Rail Bus and Tram Union has confirmed drivers have had to ask people to get off packed buses in particular on route 66, because under Translink policy they are not allowed to leave children alone at bus stops.

The popular route 66 carries passengers from Woolloongabba, past the Mater Hospital and South Bank through the CBD on to the Queensland University of Technology at Kelvin Grove and then the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

The policy has created some tense situations for drivers and passengers, and the union is seeking a review or more services to be put on to cope with demand.

Divisional secretary David Matters said drivers have had enough with the "heavy-handed application" of the policy.

"What they've done with this policy, is a reaction to the Daniel Morcombe case," Mr Matters said.

"Daniel wasn't even at a bus stop and we don't think the bus was the major issue in the Morcombe case, it was the pedophiles."

He said the union would like to see a dedicated line to deal with kids on the school run and some people to supervise with loading to ensure properly, orderly conduct.

"We could also look at some mobile quick response teams to respond to children at bus stops, pick them up and take them where they need to go," Mr Matters said.

Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszcuk said the safety of children was absolutely paramount and the policy needed to be enforced.

"If there are problems on the network I think the first thing we need to do is find out where those problems and I'm prepared to sit down and work out where these problems are and to fix them," Ms Palaszcuk told ABC radio.

Robert Dow from public transport commuter advocacy group Back on Track said they would urge Translink to investigate the problem and consider turning some semester-only services on Route 66 into year-round services.