26 Mar 2011: SEQ: Road meltdown and chronic congestion has arrived

[ozbob]

Media Release 26 March 2011

SEQ:  Road meltdown and chronic congestion has arrived

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has highlighted the worsening road and bus congestion in Brisbane.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The past few weeks have seen traffic and bus congestion nightmares in Brisbane. We have warned of this inevitable outcome previously (1).  Passengers on buses caught up in the road congestion are now facing constant and lengthy delays (2).  The removal of the bus lanes by the BCC on Coronation Drive has resulted in a failed western bus system (3). Time TransLink bit the bullet and organised buses into Indooroopilly railway station to allow public transport commuters to access the increased rail frequency and avoid the lengthy delays."

"Rarely does a day go by now without a major bus delay alert being issued by TransLink (2).  The present bus-centric public transport system is on the precipice of collapse.  Principally because of the constant failure to improve the rail frequency and then organise feeder buses to properly support.  The general public is generally not aware of the increased train frequency now between Darra and the CBD for example, and TransLink has done little to publicise this fact.  In fact they introduced the P88 bus route to run parallel and in competition with the increased train frequency between Indooroopilly and the CBD as a further demonstration of their total disregard for true integration and proper utilisation of the public transport network (4).  Massive fare increases for a failing public transport system are repugnant."

"We call on the Minister for Transport to implement an urgent review of the integration status of our public transport network.  Failed bus-rail connections, lack of proper feeder and cross suburban bus routes is just compounding the chronic congestion.  TransLink's present radial bus-centric fixation is actually anti-public transport. Proper integration and utilisation of all modes is needed."

References:

1. 6 Nov 2010: SEQ: Zero time left to can congestion http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4794.0

2. Bus delays  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2695.msg49299#msg49299

3. 4 Jul 2010: SEQ: Bus priority needed - more bus lanes and traffic light priority http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4045.0

4. 26 Dec 2010: SEQ: Route 88 bus absorbs money ... http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5146.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Bus delays thread --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2695.msg51115#msg51115

[Golliwog]

This got picked up by the Courier Mail. There was an article on I think it was pg 14 of today's edition?

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail 28th March 2011 page 14

Lost lanes increase the strain