20 Jul 2008: SEQ - Make travel free for all from Brisbane CBD to 2008 Ekka!

[ozbob]

Media Release 20 July 2008

SEQ:  Make travel free for all from Brisbane CBD to 2008 Ekka!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users highlighted in 2007 the fare cost discrimination against rail travel to the Ekka (1).  Travel by bus was free but rail passengers were required to pay an additional fare.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?Why was it that for the 2007 Ekka QR Citytrain Translink passengers who held regular tickets had to pay for an additional ticket cost, an add on fare, to travel to the Ekka; and bus passengers who held regular tickets did not? This was clearly indicated on the Translink web site at the time.?

?The apparent justification for this discrimination against rail passengers was that the Exhibition station is a special stand alone zone. We said then that was ?spin? and nonsense and it still is.  It complicated the travel of regular ticket holders who had to fuss around and buy an additional ticket.?

?A further complication for travel to the Ekka this year will be the procedure for go card users. Will they be able to travel seamlessly to the Ekka using their go card?  Will they be debited with an extra fare on bus and rail whilst other ticket holders on bus travel free??

"Can the TransLink Transit Authority please make a timely statement as to what the public transport ticketing arrangements will be for the 2008 Ekka??

?RAIL Back on calls for travel to the Ekka on bus and rail to be free for all from the CBD to the Ekka bus stops and Exhibition station!  This would encourage maximum use of public transport and help avoid road congestion and gridlock.?

"Further more, the Exhibition loop line should be operated 52 weeks of the year, with an additional rail station at Normanby!" (2).

Reference:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=179.0

2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=990.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

http://www.citytrain.com.au/events/my_ekka08.asp

My EkkA - 7-16 August 2008
QR will operate a City Circle Loop Service to the EkkA, departing approximately every 10 minutes from Roma Street Station Platform 9, Central Station Platform 6 and Brunswick Street Station Platform 4 from 9.20am to approximately 8.00pm daily.

QR services will arrive Platform 1 at the EkkA and will depart from the EkkA approximately every 10 minutes.

There will be additional City Circle Loop Services during weekends and the Exhibition Show Holiday on Wednesday 13 August 2008.

[ozbob]

I have heard that Go card readers may be in place at the Exhibition station (still to be confirmed).

Let's hope that this year (and from this point on) the Exhibition is just treated as zone one station.  All regular ticket holders who cover at least Zone 1 have travel to the Exhibition with their normal weekly, go card or daily etc.

This might assist to keep crowd numbers at at the Ekka who are no doubt very worried about the general economic climate which might keep people away.