TransLink Cairns

[ozbob]

Cairns Post --> Passengers say free airport bus to and from Cairns is unreliable

CRACKS are starting to appear in Cairns Airport’s free bus service, less than halfway through its three-month trial.

Airport Connect, which started on March 27, has so far attracted 8-10 passengers a day, according to airport data.

But passengers claim the service, which runs a loop from the airport to each side of Sheridan St near the Tobruk Pool, has been arriving up to 45 minutes late and, on occasion, not at all.

The service was a safety initiative implemented after mother-of-two Dinah Boughton was killed when struck by a sedan while walking along Airport Ave in January.

Public transport campaigner Geoff Holland said the service, operated by Sun Palm Transport, was unreliable.

“Sun Palm Transport is not meeting its commitment to pick up passengers from the Cairns North Community Health building on Sheridan St,’’ he said.

“This is serious as people could miss their plane.”

Airport Connect operates each day, going to the airport between 4.15am and 10.15pm, and coming out of the airport from 4.30am until after the last flight for the day.

Mr Holland, who met with airport representatives yesterday, said service was difficult for passengers to hail and ride.

“The Cairns Airport website shows a view of the Sun Palm van from the side and rear,’’ he said. “But if anyone was going to hail it, they need to see a view of the van from the front.

“Also, at night time, identifying the van in a sea of headlights is nigh impossible.”

There also did not appear to be any proactive promotion of the service, he said.

A survey of about 20 tour agencies in Cairns revealed that only three had heard of the service, but have no details.

Cairns Airport CEO Kevin Brown said the two-month review of Airport Connect would be carried out later this month.

“We are implementing a range of improvements and opportunities to further promote the service,” he said.

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[ozbob]

Cairns Airport --> Airport Connect Shuttle

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[SurfRail]

What they really want is Sunbus to do it, but probably too expensive for what the airport and council are prepared to pay.

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[ozbob]

Cairns Post --> Calls for City Loop bus service to promote Cairns growth

A CITY Loop bus service for Cairns could promote economic growth by providing public transport to two CBD university campuses, the ­marina and the airport.
City Councillor Richie Bates says it is time for Cairns Regional Council to discuss a much-needed public transport upgrade, particularly given CQUniversity and James Cook University’s growth plans for the Far North.

CQU has officially opened its Cairns campus on Abbott St, while JCU is seeking a location for its own inner-city campus.

Cr Bates said with high visitation and residential projects, there needed to be a dedicated City Loop bus route.

“Such a service would convey passengers between key locations in the city area, reducing journey times and bottlenecks,’’ he said.

He envisioned the service linking shopping centres, office and residential towers, carparks, the two university campuses, tourist attractions, and even the airport.

A free public transport trial at the airport, operated by Sun Palm Transport, has been branded a success by the airport, however it only ran between Sheridan St near Tobruk pool to the domestic and international terminals.

It requires a fare to remain viable.

“Why wouldn’t you include your Reef Fleet terminal, your airport, maybe a couple of office towers or residential towers in the CBD, shopping centre, and then Lake St as well?’’ Cr Bates said.

“You need to look at all those as well.

“Because you don’t want the loop too big, because then it takes too long to get around.

“The loop’s got to be compact enough, so you can run two buses in opposite directions or something like that.

“So it’s got to be compact enough but also long enough to also take in those key areas where you want it to go.”

He said he had not yet put any formal proposals forward for a City Loop service, only had informal discussions about it with Mayor Bob Manning.

Townsville has, for the past decade, had its own city loop service, operated by Sunbus.

The service, which travels between major carparks and the CBD, is funded by the Townsville City Council.

Townsville Acting Mayor Vern Veitch said the service had worked very well for a number of years, connecting the CBD, the Strand and the ferry terminal as part of regular public bus operations.

“The convenience of good bus services is extremely important to support our local businesses in the inner-city and to attract more people to places like the Strand and other attractions,’’ he said.

A TransLink spokesman said there were no plans to introduce any new bus services to Cairns, with the city’s public transport network reviewed in September last year as part of the Lake St redevelopment.

“Council is welcome to submit a formal request to TransLink for consideration,” he said. “TransLink works with councils and operators right across Queensland to make improvements to the public transport network, and considers any request for a new service in light of competing statewide priorities, as well as recent reviews and changes.”

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[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransLinkSEQ/status/890044019685953536

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[verbatim9]

TMR satisfied with only buses servicing the Cairns region for the next decade.

Cairns Post----------------------------------->https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/busbased-transit-system-is-flexible-and-costeffective-no-plans-to-overhaul-cairns-public-transport/news-story/df5172a15acbce3640193d0efa40653f

Bus-based transit system is flexible and cost-effective’ - no plans to overhaul Cairns public transport
Daniel Bateman, The Cairns Post
March 26, 2019 5:00am
Subscriber only
Vision to transform Cairns tourism drawcard
The number of new suburbs Cairns will need by 2030
CAIRNS residents shouldn’t expect any radical changes to the city’s public transport network within the next decade.

While Cairns Regional Council has toyed with ideas such as light rail and automated buses to get more cars off the road, any improvements to the public transport system appear to rely solely on the current bus system.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said that it regularly reviewed bus network and service planning in consultation with the council, considering public transport requirements in the context of population and employment growth, the impact of changing travel trends, and emerging transport modes and technology.


A Sunbus public transport bus on Lake Street in Cairns. Picture: BRENDAN RADKE
MORE ‘FUTURE CAIRNS’

“For Cairns, the bus-based transit system is flexible and cost-effective, and can be developed over time as the city grows and demand for public transport increases,” he said.

“TMR has developed a long-term vision for a staged delivery of bus priority corridors and high quality stations connecting Cairns communities.

“Public transport enhancements are continuing to be delivered in line with the vision.”

Within the past five years, these improvements have included the Cairns City bus station on Lake St, and the James Cook University bus station.

Proposed for the near future are staged improvements and bus stop upgrades on key corridors from Woree to the CBD, and between the city centre and JCU.

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[verbatim9]

TMR satisfied with only buses servicing the Cairns region for the next decade.

Cairns Post----------------------------------->https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/busbased-transit-system-is-flexible-and-costeffective-no-plans-to-overhaul-cairns-public-transport/news-story/df5172a15acbce3640193d0efa40653f

Bus-based transit system is flexible and cost-effective’ - no plans to overhaul Cairns public transport
Daniel Bateman, The Cairns Post
March 26, 2019 5:00am
Subscriber only
Vision to transform Cairns tourism drawcard
The number of new suburbs Cairns will need by 2030
CAIRNS residents shouldn’t expect any radical changes to the city’s public transport network within the next decade.

While Cairns Regional Council has toyed with ideas such as light rail and automated buses to get more cars off the road, any improvements to the public transport system appear to rely solely on the current bus system.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said that it regularly reviewed bus network and service planning in consultation with the council, considering public transport requirements in the context of population and employment growth, the impact of changing travel trends, and emerging transport modes and technology.


A Sunbus public transport bus on Lake Street in Cairns. Picture: BRENDAN RADKE
MORE ‘FUTURE CAIRNS’

“For Cairns, the bus-based transit system is flexible and cost-effective, and can be developed over time as the city grows and demand for public transport increases,” he said.

“TMR has developed a long-term vision for a staged delivery of bus priority corridors and high quality stations connecting Cairns communities.

“Public transport enhancements are continuing to be delivered in line with the vision.”

Within the past five years, these improvements have included the Cairns City bus station on Lake St, and the James Cook University bus station.

Proposed for the near future are staged improvements and bus stop upgrades on key corridors from Woree to the CBD, and between the city centre and JCU.

^^Translink buses need to service Cairns Airport full time - The Airport is under serviced in respect to affordable Public Transport

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[verbatim9]

Cairns green train: Airport public transport proposal gains legs

https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/cairns-green-train-airport-public-transport-proposal-gains-legs/news-story/c9fef1c4be3ebe6d500c0a8b8db623a4

A PROPOSAL for a new clean, green public transport system is getting a renewed push with the promise of the global tourism hub casino development adding to its viability.

Cairns Regional Council will tomorrow debate the merits of the so-called Cairns Metro system – an electric bus route ferrying visitors from the airport to the CBD.

Mayor Bob Manning pledged ahead of the 2016 local government election to get a green light rail system off the ground in Cairns. It has failed to move ahead, with a 2017 study commissioned by the council finding it would not make financial sense to launch a city loop shuttle bus.

However, a Cairns Post reader survey last year found people wanted drastic action to be taken to fix the city’s ailing public transport system.

A resounding 69 per cent believed light rail should be pursued.

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[verbatim9]

^^Using similar model electric buses as they do within the Bne Airport precinct would be ideal. But I still think that one or two of the Northern Beach's services should have their route amended to include the airport terminals. Every second bus of the 2 Northern Beach's services should service the Airport terminals giving the Airport a full time 30min frequency 7 days a week until 11pm.

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[verbatim9]

This has been an ongoing issue and Saga for the Cairns community and visitors to Cairns


Calls to amend the 111 and 120 routes------->https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https%3A%2F%2Frailbotforum%2Eorg%2Fmbs%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D12129%2E0&share_tid=12129&share_fid=4639&share_type=t

I call on support to have the 111 Translink service stop at Cairns Domestic Terminal. Affordable Public transport to and from airports are essential for the local community and budget tourists. A stop can be made at Cairns domestic now with minimal disruption to the 111 schedule.  This will give a 1/2 hourly service 7 days a week from early in the morning to late evening connecting the centre of Cairns to the Northern suburbs via Cairns domestic Airport.

If you were to divert a route to the airport, wouldn't it be the 120 (or 113) since that makes a couple of other diversions off the highway anyway.

The 100 and 111 are fast direct routes that offer a combined 15 min frequency between JCU, Smithfield and the CBD.

If one of those routes is diverted, you muck up that headway, and the attractiveness of public transport.
Because the bus will already be full when passing the airport turnoff, and I'd be angry if I lived up in northern cairns and had my time wasted on every trip to go in and pick up a couple of airport passengers......Especially since the 100 and 111 already are a bit of a long commute.

If you divert the 120 or 113, the routes are not direct anyway...

Sure the 120 sounds good too

Petition:  A bus to Cairns Airport

>> https://www.change.org/p/cairns-council-a-bus-to-cairns-airport?recruiter=22182427

Not just in Se Qld but Cairns needs a Translink bustop at the Airport too
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/transport-push-to-boost-tourism-with-more-airtrain-and-gold-coast-services/news-story/b010f60a240e8f1d69776621d1478070

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[SurfRail]

I think in practice you would be wanting a dedicated service from the airport to the CBD, which kind of already exists in the form of the existing transfer operators and cabs.  It isn't an enormous impost in terms of time or cost the way it is at SEQ airports.  Diverting services from the northern suburbs via the airport is a bit much in my view.

With some creative rostering you might be able to create a simple connection from the CBD corridor (Cairns Central and the city bus station) up Lake St and straight into the airport which doesn't chew up too many resources.

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[verbatim9]

^^I don't blame the local community advocating for a direct Public Transport solution to the airport other than ride share, cabs and private shuttle in Cairns. It must be highly frustrating for both residents and visitors to area. Cairns deserves a proper full time bus to the airport, especially with the population approaching 200,000 in the not to distant future.

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[ozbob]

TransLink Cairns

https://translink.com.au/cairns

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[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1276897628513374209

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[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransLinkSEQ/status/1345885299763630080

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