ALP: Brisbane lord mayoral candidate launches Fare Free Friday

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane lord mayoral candidate launches Fare Free Friday for public transport

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

7th February 2016

Fare Free Friday? No, and Terminate BCC Transport Powers

Greetings,

We have become aware of a 'fare free friday' proposal by a Lord Mayoral candidate, which would use ratepayer funds to give everyone 'free' fares on Brisbane City Council bus and ferry services on Fridays.

Such a move would send the message that Brisbane City Council doesn't want to be part of TransLink's integrated network or fares. We cannot have one fare system for some people in South East Queensland, and another fare system for everyone else. That is not on.

Let's get real here - residents will pay for this proposal through increased quarterly rates bills, rather than it being truly 'free'. Why is this proposal even on the table when unemployed and health care card holders are slammed with full fare?

Council may also be exposed to unacceptable financial risk with this idea.  Passengers from outside the BCC area would have a strong incentive to get off buses and trains at stations at the Brisbane City Council boundary and then catch Brisbane City Council buses into the CBD to exploit the 'freebies'. This is particularly likely for Logan 555 passengers (change at Eight Mile Plains) and Gold Coast / Beenleigh line passengers (change to BUZ 150 / 130).

There is already a fares review panel, it is only right and proper to await the outcome of that, rather than run roughshod over TransLink.

Our public transport system has become a circus! The Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council have let it become a circus.

RAIL Back on Track calls on the State Government to discontinue Brisbane City Council's bus contracts. It must also legislate the removal of all public transport from Brisbane City Council by amending The City of Brisbane Act (2010). Every other Australian capital city manages transport without contracting it out to a local government.

Enough is enough. Legislation stripping Brisbane City Council of all public transport functions must be introduced to the Queensland Parliament immediately.

Circus!

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

References:

P332 Zillmere to UQ changes
http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-notices/70496/details

Brisbane lord mayoral candidate launches Fare Free Friday for public transport
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/brisbane-lord-mayoral-candidate-launches-fare-free-friday-for-public-transport/news-story/47236e87cc66cf4e900d95da6aa550a0

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

BCC election has just hit peak idiocy. 

I give up ....


It is a shambles sadly.   

[STB]

Oh FFS! 

[BrizCommuter]

Another reason by Brisbane City Council needs to be completely removed from public transport!
Rod Harding just keeps shooting himself in the foot!

[techblitz]

surely this wouldnt even get approved as it discriminates against non bcc passengers(including rail). The uproar would be huge!

[ozbob]

[techblitz]

has he thought about the probably guaranteed friday overcrowding effects on routes such as 220/340/460? people will hop off train and onto the bus just to get the free trip.....

[ozbob]

It is nonsense TB ...

[kaykayt]

Really? Srly? Wow it's only for buses, CityCats and ferries only?? What about trains??

[BrizCommuter]

The BrizCommuter word on Rod Harding's latest policy.
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/fare-free-friday.html
It's not the 1st of April yet is it?

[SurfRail]

At least with the GCCC off-peak seniors policy it is basically self-contained, so nobody misses out just because you happen to live on some other operator's bus route (albeit it still does not include the trams - and it is also broadly a sensible move which many other jurisdictions already offer.

This however is just dribble.

[verbatim9]

Lol

[ozbob]

Twitter

Rod Harding ‏@Rod4Bris 3 minutes ago

JUST ANNOUNCED: The people of Brisbane will ride buses & ferries for FREE on Fridays under my #FareFreeFriday policy



==============

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow now

. @Rod4Bris sabotaging the Fare review. Not very bright at all. Absurd stunt. #qldpol

[ozbob]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/brisbane-lord-mayoral-candidate-launches-fare-free-friday-for-public-transport/news-story/47236e87cc66cf4e900d95da6aa550a0

LORD Mayor Graham Quirk has labeled his Labor counterpart's plan to offer 'fare free Friday' a "gimmick."

Lord Mayor hopeful Rod Harding this morning announced the ambitious plan that would see commuters travel for free on all buses, CityCats and ferries on Fridays.

Mr Quirk said if Mr Harding was to permanently implement the free travel, it would result in a 4 per cent rate increase.

"The reality is what we need in this city is improvements to the transport infrastructure," he said.

"The state government are responsible for fares and they're undertaking a fare review at the moment.

Mr Quirk said that the proposed plan would create a log jam of commuters from the outer suburbs who would be driving into Brisbane boundaries, just to take the free transport each Friday.

Sensible comment from the Lord Mayor other than the infrastructure fetish.

[achiruel]

Well, I he is partly right about infrastructure; Brisbane does need some, just probably not what he thinks it needs.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Would be good if it was free travel friday/saturday/sunday nights across all modes.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

7th February 2015

Re: Fare Free Friday? No, and Terminate BCC Transport Powers

Greetings,

Bus reform is what is needed.   Lord Mayor Quirk proposes a half baked metro solution.

ALP has proposed light rail, without much detail.

The Greens have really made some constructive policy announcements, sorting out Victoria Bridge and the bus mess, and hinting at bus network reform.  This is the main game.

Why do we have to have expensive infrastructure solutions when network reform can proceed for near neutral cost?

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

7th February 2016

Fare Free Friday? No, and Terminate BCC Transport Powers

Greetings,

We have become aware of a 'fare free friday' proposal by a Lord Mayoral candidate, which would use ratepayer funds to give everyone 'free' fares on Brisbane City Council bus and ferry services on Fridays.

Such a move would send the message that Brisbane City Council doesn't want to be part of TransLink's integrated network or fares. We cannot have one fare system for some people in South East Queensland, and another fare system for everyone else. That is not on.

Let's get real here - residents will pay for this proposal through increased quarterly rates bills, rather than it being truly 'free'. Why is this proposal even on the table when unemployed and health care card holders are slammed with full fare?

Council may also be exposed to unacceptable financial risk with this idea.  Passengers from outside the BCC area would have a strong incentive to get off buses and trains at stations at the Brisbane City Council boundary and then catch Brisbane City Council buses into the CBD to exploit the 'freebies'. This is particularly likely for Logan 555 passengers (change at Eight Mile Plains) and Gold Coast / Beenleigh line passengers (change to BUZ 150 / 130).

There is already a fares review panel, it is only right and proper to await the outcome of that, rather than run roughshod over TransLink.

Our public transport system has become a circus! The Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council have let it become a circus.

RAIL Back on Track calls on the State Government to discontinue Brisbane City Council's bus contracts. It must also legislate the removal of all public transport from Brisbane City Council by amending The City of Brisbane Act (2010). Every other Australian capital city manages transport without contracting it out to a local government.

Enough is enough. Legislation stripping Brisbane City Council of all public transport functions must be introduced to the Queensland Parliament immediately.

Circus!

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

References:

P332 Zillmere to UQ changes
http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-notices/70496/details

Brisbane lord mayoral candidate launches Fare Free Friday for public transport
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/brisbane-lord-mayoral-candidate-launches-fare-free-friday-for-public-transport/news-story/47236e87cc66cf4e900d95da6aa550a0

[ozbob]

The BrizCommuter word on Rod Harding's latest policy.
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/fare-free-friday.html
It's not the 1st of April yet is it?

Nice work!

[#Metro]

Thanks to everyone who participated in the New Bus Network Proposal formulation.
All other proposals look completely ridiculous when compared against the New Bus Network Proposal.

And I love how it is cost-neutral. Saying that 'we don't have money for it' isn't an excuse!!

[aldonius]

Well, it's not entirely cost neutral; it relies on putting in some new bus infrastructure at Coopers Plains and Zillmere stations among others.

But it is pretty cheap.

[ozbob]

No better demonstration as to what is wrong with public transport in SEQ than this stunt.

[dancingmongoose]

Both Harding and Quirk are lost causes. I'm voting for Dow

[HappyTrainGuy]

Well, it's not entirely cost neutral; it relies on putting in some new bus infrastructure at Coopers Plains and Zillmere stations among others.

But it is pretty cheap.

I've said it before the Zillmere mods won't be cheap for the 'advantage' that you would get on a potential transfer. Far more effective to reverse the 330 running through bracken ridge and extend it through areas where there are no public transport/bus services to Carseldine where there are already interchange facilities on both sides of the railway station. There should be a proper network before silly infrastructure like this is added.

[James]

This policy is absolutely stupid. Plain and simple. I am in disbelief.

[BrizCommuter]

This policy is absolutely stupid. Plain and simple. I am in disbelief.

I bet Anna Palaszczuk is face palming as well.

[Derwan]

The one thing out of this shambles is that it shows that successive state governments have FAILED when it comes to public transport.  Light rail, metro, additional concession fares and "fare-free Friday".  None of this should be part of a council election campaign - but the politicians know that people are desperate for improvements and fare relief, so they come up with grandiose promises that they simply can't keep.

If they REALLY wanted to improve public transport, they'd promise the one thing that the council COULD do........ BUS REFORM!  But they know that that's not popular with the people because it means they might have to change buses (heaven forbid), so of course it won't become part of an election campaign.

On with the games.... what's next?

[#Metro]

Well, I don't think this is the worst of the worst.

There is another month to go. The worst is yet to come.

[ozbob]

The one thing out of this shambles is that it shows that successive state governments have FAILED when it comes to public transport.  Light rail, metro, additional concession fares and "fare-free Friday".  None of this should be part of a council election campaign - but the politicians know that people are desperate for improvements and fare relief, so they come up with grandiose promises that they simply can't keep.

If they REALLY wanted to improve public transport, they'd promise the one thing that the council COULD do........ BUS REFORM!  But they know that that's not popular with the people because it means they might have to change buses (heaven forbid), so of course it won't become part of an election campaign.

On with the games.... what's next?

Well said Derwan.   What's next?  Free doughnuts and fairyfloss on Sundays ...

[ozbob]

This policy is absolutely stupid. Plain and simple. I am in disbelief.

I bet Anna Palaszczuk is face palming as well.

All of George St is doing a giant collective face palm ... 

[ozbob]

Well, I don't think this is the worst of the worst.

There is another month to go. The worst is yet to come.

Monorail has been trotted out in Ipswich, how long for BrisBANE  ?   

[ozbob]

Kind of expect the LNP State opposition to attempt to sabotage the fare review, it is in their DNA ...  team red doing the same is a bit much for me I am afraid.

I am going to stand up for the right thing here relentlessly.

At this point Quirk is coming across as a wise cool head, despite the half baked Metro.  The metro will never be built as proposed once the detail is properly examined including passenger movements etc. The good thing about the Metro proposal is that it shows up the failed bus network and the need to fix it!

Metro is just another ' ' here today, gone tomorrow!   

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

8th February 2016

BCC Election:  Fare Free Friday is a stunt!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has rejected outright the ' Fare Free Fridays ' stunt by the Labor Lord Mayor Candidate.  Bus reform is needed not sugar hits and stunts.

Some reasons why this is dumb policy and an absurd stunt are:

1.  Anti-network integration.

2.  Will cause boundary issues - parking and bus congestion.

3.  Confusion.

4.  Cost.

5.  Will stymie service growth.

6.  Political stunt, measured balanced fare reform needed.

7.  The $28 million dollars could be spent on more high frequency buses to Centenary and Bulimba for example. Six new high frequency bus routes could be financed by the cost of the fare stunt.  This would generate at least 3 times the number of passengers than would be achieved with the fare stunt.

8.  Not sustainable and old policy in effect - Mr. Harding says it is a 'temporary' measure. When the measure goes, the pax will also disappear. Simple fare cuts don't work - LNP tried this already with 7.5% fare reversal and patronage kept going down. This is because bus network is grossly outdated and needs reform.

9.  Making services cheap won't increase frequency, and could delay introduction of more frequent bus routes. For people living in areas where service is only hourly or half hourly, this measure is next to useless.

10. Waste of money - most pax already travel and pay for Fridays as they have to work. These people would still travel to work discount or not, so it adds nothing new there.

11. Inequitable - real problem with fares is lack of concession for unemployed/healthcare holders. Fares are already under review.

12. Hard to remove - once freebies like this creep into the system and mess it up, even 'temporary', it becomes hard to remove them. We are still trying to remove the 9-then waste initiative put in by the LNP, and history shows that when former Premier Bligh did a fare freeze, she made up for it the next year by increasing fares by 20%.

13. Potential to raise rates, or TransLink fares, or both to make up funding shortfall.

14. Already have 9-then waste, complete rort, damaged the system and revenue. Cheap sugar shot, not sustainable.

15. The biggest issue will be patronage stolen off QR to then overcrowd certain Friday BT services. A few outer services to consider 220,460,310,150. We will see bus/rail transfers alright, just not in the correct order. This is inefficient and adds more costs to the system. Large numbers of people likely to get off at Toowong and catch bus into CBD on Fridays as well.

16. It's profoundly unfair. People might have Friday as a designated day off. They might travel 6 days a week excluding Friday.
They might only have access to trains or private operator buses.

We do support affordable fares, but that has to be across the board for everyone, and not an ill thought out anti-public transport policy like this.

Reference:

1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=11979.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[#Metro]

More problems with the Friday Free-for-all. There is an 'interaction effect' with the current 9-then waste gimmick that we are still trying to scrub away!

From Red Team FB page:

User Comment: Nine trips a week gets you you your tenth trip free and all travel for the rest of the week. Free Fridays takes away your right for free travel through the weekend. Wake up people, he has no clue on the current arrangement.

So basically, free on friday, BUT then you pay on weekend, lose the free weekend!

TRAIN WRECK!! (Ozbob has a good meme photo of a steam train wreck!)

[SurfRail]

Actually it doesn't, because - and I sh%t you not - "they can just turn the machines off".

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

9th February 2016

Re: BCC Election: Fare Free Friday is a stunt!

Greetings,

We note that the Labor Lord Mayor Candidate has promised to turn off the ticket machines on Fridays.  LOL.

How will real time data be provided on Fridays for BCC Transport? The ticket consoles power the real time data feed. This is an insane stunt.  Obviously a knee-jerk political ploy oblivious to the wider impacts.

In addition to the issues identified below Fare Free Fridays on BCC Transport will result in:

1. Full/late-running buses,

2. Services not equating to demand, requiring more services on one day of the week only,

3. People undertaking useless travel,

4. Severe shifts in demand patterns which place communities under strain,

5. Will also cause problems with the go card fare algorithms,

6. Loss of passenger ticketing data. Loss of real time data.

Hopeless proposal. As Lord Mayor Quirk has commented.  "The state government are responsible for fares and they're undertaking a fare review at the moment."*

Candidates for BCC should simply leave fare policy to the appropriate agency that actually understands the complex components that make up a fare system, including the fare structure.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

*  http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/brisbane-lord-mayoral-candidate-launches-fare-free-friday-for-public-transport/news-story/47236e87cc66cf4e900d95da6aa550a0

On 08-Feb-16 1:34 PM, RAIL Back On Track Admin wrote:

Sent to all outlets:

8th February 2016

BCC Election:  Fare Free Friday is s stunt!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has rejected outright the ' Fare Free Fridays ' stunt by the Labor Lord Mayor Candidate.  Bus reform is needed not sugar hits and stunts.

Some reasons why this is dumb policy and an absurd stunt are:

1.  Anti-network integration.

2.  Will cause boundary issues - parking and bus congestion.

3.  Confusion.

4.  Cost.

5.  Will stymie service growth.

6.  Political stunt, measured balanced fare reform needed.

7.  The $28 million dollars could be spent on more high frequency buses to Centenary and Bulimba for example. Six new high frequency bus routes could be financed by the cost of the fare stunt.  This would generate at least 3 times the number of passengers than would be achieved with the fare stunt.

8.  Not sustainable and old policy in effect - Mr. Harding says it is a 'temporary' measure. When the measure goes, the pax will also disappear. Simple fare cuts don't work - LNP tried this already with 7.5% fare reversal and patronage kept going down. This is because bus network is grossly outdated and needs reform.

9.  Making services cheap won't increase frequency, and could delay introduction of more frequent bus routes. For people living in areas where service is only hourly or half hourly, this measure is next to useless.

10. Waste of money - most pax already travel and pay for Fridays as they have to work. These people would still travel to work discount or not, so it adds nothing new there.

11. Inequitable - real problem with fares is lack of concession for unemployed/healthcare holders. Fares are already under review.

12. Hard to remove - once freebies like this creep into the system and mess it up, even 'temporary', it becomes hard to remove them. We are still trying to remove the 9-then waste initiative put in by the LNP, and history shows that when former Premier Bligh did a fare freeze, she made up for it the next year by increasing fares by 20%.

13. Potential to raise rates, or TransLink fares, or both to make up funding shortfall.

14. Already have 9-then waste, complete rort, damaged the system and revenue. Cheap sugar shot, not sustainable.

15. The biggest issue will be patronage stolen off QR to then overcrowd certain Friday BT services. A few outer services to consider 220,460,310,150. We will see bus/rail transfers alright, just not in the correct order. This is inefficient and adds more costs to the system. Large numbers of people likely to get off at Toowong and catch bus into CBD on Fridays as well.

16. It's profoundly unfair. People might have Friday as a designated day off. They might travel 6 days a week excluding Friday.
They might only have access to trains or private operator buses.

We do support affordable fares, but that has to be across the board for everyone, and not an ill thought out anti-public transport policy like this.

Reference:

1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=11979.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow 5m

BCC Election: Fare Free Friday is s stunt! > http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=11979.msg168649#msg168649 ... #qldpol

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow 43s

. @Rod4Bris @Team_Quirk @BenPennings

Don't dabble in things you DO NOT UNDERSTAND >> ... #qldpol You're welcome!

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 9th February 2016 page 19

Free Friday travel will just cost more