3 Oct 2011: SEQ: TransLink's annual report - good and bad news

[ozbob]

Media release 3 October 2011

SEQ: TransLink's annual report - good and bad news

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers welcomes the patronage targets in the 2010-2011 TransLink Transit Authority Annual Report (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track refers to page 39 of the annual report which lists an annual patronage target (all modes) of 288 million trips by 2018. While we welcome decent patronage targets, the next paragraph states that most of the growth will come in peak hour! Really?! RAIL Back on Track would like to know specifically how this is going to be achieved when both the Busway and train systems are approaching maximum capacity during peak hour, and 'big ticket' infrastructure items such as Cross River Rail have been postponed."

"Furthermore, there seems to be no concrete action or signs that 15 minute trains in the off-peak will be delivered generally anytime soon. There is undeniable proof from Brisbane's BUZ buses that increasing off-peak service frequency and later operating hours is the 'silver bullet' to increasing both patronage overall and spreading the peak hour load. So why is it so difficult to apply this principle to trains by simply putting more trains on more often in the off peak? Cities such as Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and most comparably, Perth (which is smaller than Brisbane!) have managed to do it!"

"So it would seem that this ambitious patronage target is quite unachievable on present policies. Firstly it would need Cross River Rail to be expedited to have the capacity in the rail system to support the growth.  More importantly, the current persistence with the failed fare strategy of 15% year on year price rises until 2014 is causing negligible to negative patronage growth.  This strategy needs to be reviewed immediately."

"The public is losing patience with failures to implement cheap, practical & obvious solutions.  South-east Queensland is headlong into a looming transport failure!"

Reference:

1. http://translink.com.au/resources/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/2010-11-annual-report.pdf

Contact:

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

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Discussion thread --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6790.0

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Extra 100 million trips expected to be made on southeast Queensland public transport by 2018

Extra 100 million trips expected to be made on southeast Queensland public transport by 2018

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    October 05, 2011 3:00AM

GETTING up close and personal with fellow public transport commuters is only going to get worse in coming years with an extra 100 million trips expected to be made in southeast Queensland by 2018.

The annual TransLink report tabled in State Parliament last week predicts 288 million trips will be taken annually seven years from now - up from 178.6 million in 2010-11.

"The majority of these new journeys will occur on what are already our busiest peak routes, particularly those leading in and out of Brisbane City," read the report.

Already 86 buses a day in Brisbane are forced to ignore waiting passengers because they are full and commuter group Back on Track fears the daily crush will soon be unbearable.

"It would seem this ambitious patronage target is quite unachievable on present policies," said Robert Dow from Back on Track.

"Firstly it would need Cross River Rail to be expedited to have the capacity in the rail system to support the growth."

Projects outlined in the report to provide "a better customer experience" include the extension of the Northern and Eastern Busways, the Moreton Bay Rail Link and the Cross River Rail.

No date has been set for the busways' completion, the 12.6km Moreton Bay Rail Link is not due to be finished until 2016 and the Cross River Rail is unlikely to be ready before 2020.

Mr Dow said southeast Queensland was heading into a "looming transport failure".

"The public is losing patience with failures to implement cheap, practical & obvious solutions," he said.

"What is needed is more frequent off-peak services and later operating hours to increase patronage overall and spread the peak-hour load."