Article: Public transport seats not on time

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Public transport seats not on time

Public transport seats not on time

Chris Garry | 12th April 2010

IPSWICH is yet to receive one of the 300,000 public transport seats being generated this year by the Queensland Government's fare hike, and it's not known when the overcrowded line will receive any.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said more than 30,000 seats had been delivered because of the fare hike introduced in January.

Those seats had gone primarily to the Gold Coast line in the form of extra services, while Brisbane City buses had also benefited with an extra 5000 seats.

But while Ms Nolan said Ipswich would receive some of the 300,000 seats, she could not confirm when they would be delivered.

"The Gold Coast line has had serious overcrowding issues, so that was the main priority for the government," she said.

"The Ipswich line will receive some of those seats in the future but there are no concrete dates when that will occur.

"But Ipswich commuters have received a number of new services in the past year which helped reduce the crowding on peak services."

Robert Dow, head of the Rail Back on Track lobby group, said public transport in Ipswich had reached a crisis point.

He said the Queensland Government had failed to provide Ipswich rail and bus commuters with an adequate transport system, and a large percentage of the 300,000 seats being delivered this year must go to the Ipswich line.

"I hope the government does provide these extra seats and that they go to the Ipswich and Rosewood line, because that's where it's needed," he said.

"With the population growth in that region, the need for better public transport will only increase."

He also said there were major timetable difficulties faced by bus operators in Ipswich that the government had been aware of for three years and the Ipswich-to-Rosewood train service had large gaps between trains during peak hour which were causing immense frustration to local residents.

"Enough is enough," Mr Dow said. "It's a farce that the Rosewood line has a peak service gap, between 4.38pm and 5.51pm outbound."

But Ms Nolan said Mr Dow was making "rich claims".

"The Ipswich train line has received more new train services in the past two years than any other line across the TransLink network," she said.

[ozbob]

The definition of 'over crowding' was changed in the last TransLink Tracker ...   poof, no more overcrowding on the Gold Coast ...   beyond farce

Tell the punters in the Ippy flyers doing parallel runs with the Gold Coasters coming in Roma St in the peak who has over crowded trains?

Caboolture is worse than the Ippy ...

The situation with the bus in Ipswich is not good at all.  Timetables to fix the mess have been available for years, nothing happens ...

[#Metro]

But Ms Nolan said Mr Dow was making "rich claims".

"The Ipswich train line has received more new train services in the past two years than any other line across the TransLink network," she said.

Another one pulled up form the statistics and spin database they Government must have.
They must hire people full time to dig out statistics and hide the ugly ones.

In the past two years? More new services in the past 2 years? So how many did the other lines receive, zero?
And were those new services mentioned the services RailBOT lobbied for due to the coronation drive roadworks and bridge construction which were later incorporated into the timetable because they were so popular???

[#Metro]

If there is a problem, just alter the statistical definitions for it and watch it vanish.

Seats not spin!!!

[longboi]

Can you please stop using that obnoxious 'fine fine fine' line?

[somebody]

The definition of 'over crowding' was changed in the last TransLink Tracker ...   poof, no more overcrowding on the Gold Coast ...   beyond farce

I'm not convinced about that one.  They are still saying 4 of 8 Gold Coast trains are overcrowded in the AM, and 4 of 7 in the PM.  I'm sure we all hate the way they measure it, but by their brain damaged definition, they are correct that the GC is worse than the Ippy.

Not sure what Rachel Nolan is refering to in her "rich claims" statement.

[ozbob]

Yes.  We know it is a poor way of determining, direct observation confirms the reality for me.  A few standing is not overloading in reality but is under the 20 minute rule ....

Maybe the Minister was taken a bit out of context, sometimes happens.  Good that the local issues were highlighted, the bus timetables can be fixed.  Hopefully a few well placed rail services pending the major timetable changes will help, and restore some faith with the punters.

[ozbob]

From the Gold Coast Bulletin 12th April 2010 page 4

Overcrowding `eases'

Overcrowding `eases'

TRANSLINK figures revealing reduced overcrowding on the Gold Coast to Brisbane line are due to fed-up commuters abandoning the rail network, a local MP has claimed. The report showed overcrowding had eased on the line in the December quarter despite no new trains having been added. Coomera MP Michael Crandon said people were giving up on train travel in frustration. "We have a growing population... an increase in potential numbers and a decrease in the numbers of overcrowded trains," he said. Translink said there had not been a decline in passengers.