Article: No fare freeze but Anna Bligh promises more park and ride spaces

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

No fare freeze but Anna Bligh promises more park and ride spaces

No fare freeze but Anna Bligh promises more park and ride spaces

    by: Robyn Ironside and Sarah Vogler
    From: The Courier-Mail
    March 07, 2012 8:09PM

THE cost of public transport will continue to climb after the election but those who can afford to use it should find it easier to get a park at a train or bus station.

Although both the major parties have refused to commit to a cap on 15 per cent annual fare hikes, Premier Anna Bligh promised to build 700 new park'n'ride spaces at "key locations" if her government is re-elected.

The Premier also pledged to handover $1 million to Brisbane City Council to build facilities at the problem spots of Chermside and Carindale, which was immediately attacked by the LNP as a "backflip".

Opposition transport spokesman Scott Emerson said Labor had consistently refused to build park'n'rides in those suburbs because they were within 10km of the CBD or 1km of a major centre.

"Now Labor has waited until the eve of an election to backflip and bend the rules of its own policy for its own political gain," Mr Emerson said.

"Park'n'rides have traditionally been constructed by the State Government, so Ms Bligh's announcement is typical Labor buckpassing. She wants the glory but won't put in the hard yards."

Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner agreed Labor should do the work itself if it wanted park'n'rides at Chermside and Carindale, where local streets have been parked out by cars forced out of Westfield shopping centres.

"Park'n'rides are a State Government responsibility and as such Council would support the State Government using this money to build the park'n'rides themselves," Cr Schrinner said.

"What's next? Will they be asking Council to build hospitals and police stations?"

The LNP has previously promised to build an extra 3000 park'n'ride spaces and said it would consider sites closer to the CBD to avoid congestion in local streets.

The additional spaces promised by Ms Bligh include up to 400 bays at the Rochedale park'n'ride, 100 at the North Lakes interchange, another 50 at both Lindum and Dakabin stations and up to 100 at Morayfield Station.

Moreton Bay Regional Council would also score $3 million for additional commuter carparking in the Caboolture CBD.

[Jonno]

The cycle continues...

http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7811.0

[#Metro]

There is an election on, 'lollipops' tend to be given out... I doubt it represents a major policy shift.
If they were smart they would be promising more BUZ services (594, 350 and 359) though Ashgrove....

[Jonno]

There is an election on, 'lollipops' tend to be given out... I doubt it represents a major policy shift.
If they were smart they would be promising more BUZ services (594, 350 and 359) though Ashgrove....

Your mean if they really saw public & active transport plus long distance/freight rail as the primiary mode of transport they would be promising more BUZ services (594, 350 and 359) though Ashgrove....