20 Oct 2013: SEQ: BCC bus cost explosion to engulf ratepayers?

[ozbob]

Media release 20th October 2013



SEQ: BCC bus cost explosion to engulf ratepayers?

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport believes that the Brisbane City Council bus review is a failure. It is concerning to read that BCC is now borrowing increasing amounts of debt to run council operations (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"We think it is time to split the bus operations from BCC. This would help pay back the debt load that the council is taking, in part due to the failed gamble of 770 million dollars on the hi-waste Clem 7 tunnel project, a tunnel that has a market value of $618 million dollars. This is money that could have gone into public transport for the entire city. BCC has also been unable to find the funds to deliver 2000 daily express buses down Legacy Way, as promised, or fund high frequency bus services to Albany Creek, Yeronga, Morningside, or the Centenary Suburbs."

"BCC's government bus monopoly must be dissolved, it has led to gross waste, inefficiency, poor services and network design, a cost explosion, escalating fares and taxpayer and rate payer subsidies."

"Now it seems that BCC is having financial problems and may need to resort to escalating rates. Can Lord Mayor Graham Quirk rule out increasing the BCC bus tax of $400 levied on all ratepayers in Brisbane annually to run air all around the city to cover the cost explosion at Brisbane Transport? Or will rates have to rise to pay for BCC's hi-waste bus operations?"

"What is not financially sustainable shall not be sustained!"

"The State Government must do something and not sit idly by as workers, families and ratepayers are are taken to the proverbial cleaners. It must pass legislation altering the City of Brisbane Act 2010 to strip BCC of all public transport functions. The failure to back TransLink with the necessary bus network connective changes for Brisbane has set back public transport years in Brisbane."

"The Lord Mayor and BCC can no longer be trusted to run Brisbane's buses. After a decade of games, it's time to dump Brisbane City Council and separate Brisbane Transport."

References:

1. Brisbane City Council borrows to overcome rates shortfall http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-city-council-borrows-to-overcome-rates-shortfall-20131017-2vpnk.html

2. Lord Mayor and BCC can no longer be trusted to run city's buses http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9895.0

3. Bus boom causes council staff crunch http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/bus-boom-causes-council-staff-crunch-20100914-15atl.html

4. Turning $3b into $618m: Brisbane's failed Clem7 tunnel sold off http://www.smh.com.au/business/turning-3b-into-618m-brisbanes-failed-clem7-tunnel-sold-off -20130927-2uihw.html

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9045.msg133533#msg133533

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

26th October 2013

BCC Bus cost explosion engulfs Bulimba - residents fight back

Greetings,

Residents of Bulimba are now petitioning BCC to reverse the Lord Mayor's CityCat cuts, a direct result of failing to reform BCC's hi-waste bus network which has led to a cost explosion. It is our opinion that the present BCC bus network is financially, operationally and politically unsustainable.

We  encourage the public to sign the ePetition on the BCC website http://www.epetitions.brisbane.qld.gov.au/petition/view/pid/137

Bulimba, Balmoral, Hawthorne and Morningside residents are also encouraged to fill out the RAIL Back On Track 2013 Public transport passenger survey http://railbotforum.org/lime/index.php/342895/lang-en

The residents of Bulimba should not have to pay for the spending problems caused by BCC's lemon investment into Clem 7, or buses carrying 50% air at the height of peak hour. Bulimba residents already pay $400 per household in the BCC bus tax for worst class deficient and defective transport services to their area, particularly after BCC rejected a Bulimba-Glider and Bulimba-Hopper to their area. This lack of decent service must be having an impact on the local Bulimba economy and small businesses in that area.

Brisbane City Council and its Councillors should be embarrassed that they were all unable to deliver high frequency services to Yeronga, Albany Creek, Morningside, Inala, Enoggera, the entire Centenary Suburbs and the promised 2000 daily express buses down Legacy Way despite publicly boasting that they could do a better job than TransLink. They couldn't, the BCC review is actually worse; much worse with services cut in West Toowong, CityCats cut, cuts in Yeronga and more.

BCC rejected the TransLink bus review and refused to allow Brisbane Transport to meet with TransLink on at least six occasions.

We doubt, with the rising debt levels at BCC, that the council will be able to continue to fund Brisbane Transport under the current hi-waste direct service congestion prone bus philosophy without major increases in rates.

RAIL Back on Track calls for the separation of Brisbane Transport from Brisbane City Council and bus contracts to be thrown open to competition. The funds generated from separating Brisbane Transport from BCC can then be used to pay down BCC's growing public debt.

The Lord Mayor and BCC can no longer be trusted to run Brisbane's buses or ferries. After a decade of games, it's time to dump Brisbane City Council and separate Brisbane Transport.

Best wishes,
Robert

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