Should the Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe resign ?

[ozbob]

It is now two months of ongoing service cuts on the rail network. 

What is particularly concerning is the lack of transparent and timely communication to explain what is actually going on.

It is clear that there are major issues that are being covered up.

The State Government seems detached and disinterested in the impact on the community.  Many people have been forced to either abandon public transport and drive (where that is an option) or extend their journey times to allow for the erratic delivery of services and non-connections be it bus or rail.

The Queensland Rail Board should join the Minister and resign too.

[#Metro]

Queensland Rail, and indeed every other operator in QLD or SEQ will just continue on.

They have nothing to fear because they are guaranteed to have their contracts renewed, no matter how poorly they perform.

A one horse race.

The communications are diabolical, often coming just the evening before or at very short notice. Why change, there is no penalty.

If something goes wrong, just roll out the PR department to smooth things over. Then back to the same thing, different week.

My hunch is the bus network will collapse next week as well.

If they haven't fired the board or minister by now, they probably never will. Ex ALP-transport minister is on the board also. Difficult to see

why they would fire a mate. Half the board is also new, been there just a few months. Difficult to see how they (newbies) are to blame as

they just arrived.

[ozbob]

It was the ' new ' board that wanted to redact and block stuff.  This contributed to the escalation to a formal Commission of Inquiry.

I have no confidence in the Board at all I am afraid. Get rid of the lot!  And it could end up being a recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry too, no doubt about that.

[mufreight]

There is an obvious short answer to this mess. Minister Hinchliffe is obviously out of his depth and the joint responsibility of Main Roads and Railways is not working.  Remove the Railway portfolio from Minister Hinchliffe and appoint a Minister for Railways then separate the two departments back into a Railways Department and a Transport and Main Roads Department to avoid the continuing conflict between the two sections of the existing shambles that lacks expertise in railways and has a bias to road projects.
The next step then is to sack the current railways board which serves no purpose other than to spread the blame when anything goes toes up under their administration and take money better spent on the operation of the railways and replace the board with a Railways Commissioner who has ground up railway experience and who would then have absolute control and report directly to the minister.
One of the Commissioners first jobs would be to weed out the level of nepotism in the management of the department, all of those jobs that are more about justifying their employment than running the efficient railway that commuters and taxpayers of this state have every right to expect.

[techblitz]

My hunch is the bus network will collapse next week as well.

They've still timed it perfectly.....with school/uni essentially wound down....buses will move through much more smoothly....mind you the real test will be when uni and school returns....

[ozbob]

Spot on TB.  The real problems will surface early next year.

I have been supplied with this comment by the Minister. Amazing what a poll can do.  Something at last from the Government on Victoria Bridge ...

Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games, Stirling Hinchliffe:

I am open to further discussion with Brisbane City Council, although closing a river crossing to motorists is a significant decision that should not be rushed into without extensive consultation with the community.

Any proposal from Brisbane City Council to remove cars from Victoria Bridge will require a comprehensive implementation plan from council for managing the upgrades that will be needed to the surrounding local road network, traffic signalling and access to the South-East Busway's Melbourne Street portal.

There will be changes to Brisbane's bus network from Monday 12 December to allow work to begin on the Queen's Wharf Project. I have written to the Deputy Mayor to ask Brisbane Transport use alternative routes to Victoria Bridge for empty buses returning to the depot during peak periods.

Brisbane Transport and TransLink have been working together to minimise any disruptions caused by these changes.

For discussion of this post ( Victoria Bridge bus changes etc. ) >> https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12370.msg184722#msg184722

[ozbob]

There is an obvious short answer to this mess. Minister Hinchliffe is obviously out of his depth and the joint responsibility of Main Roads and Railways is not working.  Remove the Railway portfolio from Minister Hinchliffe and appoint a Minister for Railways then separate the two departments back into a Railways Department and a Transport and Main Roads Department to avoid the continuing conflict between the two sections of the existing shambles that lacks expertise in railways and has a bias to road projects.
The next step then is to sack the current railways board which serves no purpose other than to spread the blame when anything goes toes up under their administration and take money better spent on the operation of the railways and replace the board with a Railways Commissioner who has ground up railway experience and who would then have absolute control and report directly to the minister.
One of the Commissioners first jobs would be to weed out the level of nepotism in the management of the department, all of those jobs that are more about justifying their employment than running the efficient railway that commuters and taxpayers of this state have every right to expect.

Sage comment.  Thank you mufreight!

[ozbob]

Interesting results ...

3 days to go!

[ozbob]

Bit over 2 hours before poll closes.

[BrizCommuter]

The person who voted no is apparently called Stirling.

[Fares_Fair]

The person who voted no is apparently called Stirling.

touche 

[SteelPan]

Nothing will happen to improve things - how can it - the rail unions shout "jump" and the entire Qld Cabinet say "yes Sir...how high"?

[#Metro]

Stirling Hinchliffe is Mr. Connex.

Didn't he say that there would be " no more cancellations? "

Palaszczuk govt is now poison if you ask me. 👎