Public Transport Queensland - An Independent Transport Authority

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

5th August 2016

Public Transport Queensland

Good Morning,

It is a very sad situation with public transport in Brisbane and South East Queensland.  It is headlong into failure.

Our last hope is that a proper statutory authority be formed - Public Transport Queensland*, and given the authority and resources to put things ' back on track '.

TransLink is a failure under the present administrative structure, clearly.  Failure to sort the Brisbane bus network speaks volumes.  All bus regions are suffering as a consequence.

The nonsensical Quirk ' metro ' proposal is just further evidence of the corruption of public transport policy.

Look around Australia.  We are a backwater.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

*Public Transport Queensland > http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.msg177297#msg177297

[ Attached: http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=11952.msg177500#msg177500 ]

[ozbob]

Latest media: ' Public Transport Queensland '
> https://t.co/dZvErIy8jl#qldpol@QLDLabor @LNPQLD @QldGreens pic.twitter.com/5xht3WJcRV

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) August 4, 2016

[ozbob]

I think it is now clear.  The administration of public transport in SEQ under the present arrangements, within the TMR cloister is a gross failure.

To be fair, Q-connect which has been administered by TMR has generally been a success IMO.  I think this because that it is not politicitised in the same way as the mess in SEQ is.  There is no BCC to majorly disrupt things, and a sensible fare path has been followed for years.

Within SEQ public transport it is now a diabolical mess. MBRL is just one sign of the failure.  The failure to actually do anything about the Brisbane bus network - the bizzarre situation with the bus changes associated with Queens Wharf Brisbane and the Victoria Bridge issue are just more signs of failure. TMR also seems to have an anti-rail pro road bias.  Not surprising when you look at the massive staff role for roads vs rail vs public transport.

A proper statutory authority with the clout and resources to sort is definitely needed.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

16th August 2016

Public Transport Queensland

Good Morning,

It is a very sad situation with public transport in Brisbane and South East Queensland.  It is headlong into failure.

Our last hope is that a proper statutory authority be formed - Public Transport Queensland*, and given the authority and resources to put things ' back on track '.

TransLink is a failure under the present administrative structure, clearly.
BCC pushes its own selfish political agenda at the expense of the rest of the public transport network running rough shod over SEQ and proper transport planning.
Failure to sort the Brisbane bus network speaks volumes.  All bus regions are suffering as a consequence.

The nonsensical undeliverable Quirk ' metro ' proposal is just further evidence of the corruption of public transport policy.

Look around Australia.  We are a transport backwater -  is there anyone in Government with the leadership and courage to sort it out?

Best wishes,
Robert

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


*Public Transport Queensland > http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.msg177297#msg177297

[ Attached: http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2034.msg177501#msg177501 ]

[ozbob]

Latest media: ' Public Transport Queensland '
> https://t.co/GcZu6Mdp6a#qldpol@QLDLabor @LNPQLD @QldGreens pic.twitter.com/2TTFb41Ah5

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) August 15, 2016

[ozbob]

Time the festering issues addressed hey?
' Public Transport Queensland '
> https://t.co/GLD9FsAQE7#qldpol pic.twitter.com/ZlzVA5H0n0

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) August 22, 2016

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

23rd November 2016

Time to get fair-dinkum about public transport in Queensland

Good Morning,

We have reached a critical  point in the future of public transport in SEQ and Queensland generally.  The rail network has serious issues as do the bus networks in SEQ.

The Council of Mayors (SEQ) have said  " work is need to improve transport and regional connectivity in SEQ regardless of any Olympic bid " [1]

We agree. There are many issues, the fundamental issue being a lack of a proper public transport authority and competition between all levels of Government with crass politics usually trumping sound and rational policy.

TransLink is now a division of Transport and Main Roads, without the authority or the resources to sort out the festering mess which is now public transport in Brisbane and SEQ particularly.

The failure of the Brisbane bus network reform process in 2013 is a real example of how backward we have become.  There is a real lack of overall integration, there is direct competition between modes, much duplication, waste and inefficiency.  The rail meltdown is another symptom of the structural failure.

We need to start sorting it out.  Rapid regional rail between Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts is just another pipe-dream.  Unless Cross River Rail is done, and the North West Transport Corridor activated for rail it will never happen.  This is Queensland, the state of transport failure.

It is clear that the present administration of public and active transport in Queensland is a fragmented mess to put it mildly.

TransLink a division of TMR (TransLink - once a statutory authority) seems to lack the resources and authority to do a great deal.  Brisbane bus network reform and improvement remains  in limbo captured by politics in essence. Clearly, TransLink is unable to sort this, and as a consequence all bus regions are suffering.

Even simple things like reporting of OTP, inconsistency in mapping and ticketing are a fragmented mess.  We have TransLink, starting to exert a presence in Mackay, we have TransLink Cairns and the rest of urban bus still under the Q-Connect banner. Brisbane City Council runs rough shod over sound network planning and as a consequence all of SEQ is suffering.

It is time we followed the lead of other states that have much better coordinated public transport administration.

We call for the formation of a statutory authority - Public Transport Queensland [2], to be given the authority and the resources to get on with it.

Best wishes
Robert

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

1.  https://twitter.com/SEQMayors/status/758145825750953984

2.  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.0

3.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_authority

Rationale

The Parliament of Australia, or a constituent State Parliament, will delegate its Authority to a statutory authority for several reasons;

    Efficiency - State and Federal Parliaments do not have the time nor resources to investigate, analyse, draft, enact and monitor laws for every area of our increasingly complex society. By delegation of legislative power to a statutory authority, a specialist body may subrogate parliament and use its authority in a more efficient manner
    Bipartisanship - Statutory authorities are usually responsible for areas of legislation where there is a common goal or direction desirable within the community. Delegation of authority away from parliament prevents these areas of law from becoming partisan issues.
    Transparency - The disclosure requirements placed upon statutory authorities are generally stricter than that of State and Federal Parliaments; statutory authorities cannot rely upon the same government secrets provisions as can State and Federal governments.
    Accountability - The jurisdiction of a statutory authority is expressly set out in its corresponding act (i.e. the Act of Parliament which created the statutory authority). This, therefore, makes switching, sharing or evasion of responsibility in the instance of a scandal more difficult for officers of the statutory authority.

Statutory Authorities in Australia

The power to enact legislation has been delegated by Australian Parliaments (State and/or Federal) in the following areas;

    Consumer affairs - Where authority is delegated to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
    Road and traffic safety - Where authority is delegated to various bodies by state, for example, VicRoads in Victoria
    Public transport - Where authority is delegated to various bodies by state, for example, Public Transport Authority in Western Australia.
    Collection of taxes - Where authority is delegated to the Australian Taxation Office
    Corporate law - Where authority is delegated to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
    Prudential regulation - Where authority is delegated to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
    Monetary Policy - Where authority is delegated to the Reserve Bank of Australia established by an Act of Parliament, the Reserve Bank Act 1959, which gives it specific powers and obligations.
    Workplace Health and Safety - Where authority is delegated to Safe Work Australia and to various bodies by state, for example, WorkSafe in Victoria and subsidiaries such as the Accident Compensation Conciliation Service
    Communications and Media - For example, ACMA is responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications and telecommunications.

[ozbob]

Media: ' Time to get fair-dinkum about public transport in Queensland '
> https://t.co/OFISF0szS8#qldpol@AnnastaciaMP @StirlHinchliffe pic.twitter.com/3DVUFiaUyB

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) November 22, 2016

[Stillwater]

From the SEQ Council of Mayors website:

"South East Queensland generates one fifth of Australia's economic growth, houses one in seven
Australians and continues to be a key driver of economic growth for Queensland and Australia.  SEQ accounts for approximately 75 per cent of Queensland's growth.  With a projected population growth of 4.4 million by 2031, SEQ faces the challenge of planning for and delivering the infrastructure and services needed to improve productivity, reduce cost of living pressures and maintain the liveability of the region."

http://seqmayors.qld.gov.au/news/expression-interest-seq-people-mass-movement-study-released

Poorly coordinated PT across the region is a major inhibitor to economic growth and prosperity.  Not having this as their focus, politicians instead want to score cheap points off each other.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

28th November 2016

Public transport failure SEQ

Good Morning,

The Transport Authorities' lack of response to the scourge of ad-wrap is symptomatic of the wider issues.

It is as if they have contempt for public transport passengers.  Despite constant feedback that ad-wrap is very disorientating for many, and is in fact a genuine security risk they ignore our pleas to remove it. Public transport vehicles have windows for a reason - it is not for ad-wrap.

Public transport in SEQ is headlong into failure.  The problems with Queensland Rail were seen to be coming and we highlighted those concerns.

A list of a few more concerns with public transport in SEQ.

1. Organisational structure - a circus of mismanagement with TransLink, Brisbane City Council, Queensland Rail, and  the State Government sitting in silos of replication and inefficiency.  Politics dominates sound policy. No wonder little actually gets achieved.

2. Brisbane bus network - needs urgent reform.

3. Brisbane Metro - as proposed an absurdity.  The State Government has failed to challenge this with the end result that Brisbane ratepayers money is being wasted on a nonsense, and Prime Minister is attempting to link funding of Cross River Rail to the Brisbane ' Metro ' which has to be one of the most perverse outcomes for public transport in SEQ ever!

4. The simple things, like all door boarding on high frequency buses is too hard for Queensland.  Logical arrangement of CBD bus stops too hard!

5. Infrastructure stalemate.

6. Failure to convert Victoria Bridge into a bus and active transport bridge only.  Massive bus network failure looms.

7. Snail pace fare reform - is to eventually happen, hopefully in January 2017, but we cannot be to confident can we?

8. New Generation Rollingstock trains - clearly problems, trains have been in Queensland since February 2016, none have seen a passenger yet.

9. Failure to clarify fare policy on rail replacement buses - despite assurances that this would be done.

10.  Ongoing signalling issues with Petrie - Redcliffe Peninsula line.

Not a pretty list is it?  But that spells out the mess it actually is.  Want a cash bonus with that?

Best wishes
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10971.msg184102#msg184102 ]

[ozbob]

Latest media: ' Public transport failure SEQ '
> https://t.co/DyWhUXnJyJ#qldpol #railfail@AnnastaciaMP @StirlHinchliffe @TimNichollsMP pic.twitter.com/Kw8rnPm2pL

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) November 27, 2016

[#Metro]

TransLink needs teeth - the power to reject a contract and seek a new operator. Politics flourishes where credible penalties are unenforceable and where contracts are awarded on principles other than merit. This applies to all modes, bus and train.

7. Snail pace fare reform - is to eventually happen, hopefully in January 2017, but we cannot be to confident can we?

There is a very real possibility that this fare reform may not stick - incoming Blue Team gov't could mess it up. Back to 9 then waste or similar.

[ozbob]

I am confident now though that the present mob look like surviving into 2017.  That is some relief as at least the new fare structure will be rolled out in January.   The only thing we can really look forward too with any certainty.  Even if subsequently a new mob comes along, I doubt it will be tinkered with as the priority after January will be the Next Generation Ticketing system.

[Stillwater]

And any more information on NGR trains?

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

1st December 2016

Time to listen and fix public transport in SEQ

Good Morning,

As we highlighted on the 28th November, there are issues with the New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) trains.

Couriermail: New train testing delays could cost taxpayers billions in compensation
> http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/new-train-testing-delays-could-cost-taxpayers-billions-in-compensation/news-story/e2109febaf1cb5a607f90ce98a4ac3e5

The taxpayers of Queensland deserve to know the truth.   Public transport in SEQ is headlong into failure.   Any chance of Government and Transport Authorities really listening and start to fix the obvious issues please?

Thank you.

Best wishes
Robert

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

Sent to all outlets:

28th November 2016

Public transport failure SEQ

Good Morning,

The Transport Authorities' lack of response to the scourge of ad-wrap is symptomatic of the wider issues.

It is as if they have contempt for public transport passengers.  Despite constant feedback that ad-wrap is very disorientating for many, and is in fact a genuine security risk they ignore our pleas to remove it. Public transport vehicles have windows for a reason - it is not for ad-wrap.

Public transport in SEQ is headlong into failure.  The problems with Queensland Rail were seen to be coming and we highlighted those concerns.

A list of a few more concerns with public transport in SEQ.

1. Organisational structure - a circus of mismanagement with TransLink, Brisbane City Council, Queensland Rail, and  the State Government sitting in silos of replication and inefficiency.  Politics dominates sound policy. No wonder little actually gets achieved.

2. Brisbane bus network - needs urgent reform.

3. Brisbane Metro - as proposed an absurdity.  The State Government has failed to challenge this with the end result that Brisbane ratepayers money is being wasted on a nonsense, and Prime Minister is attempting to link funding of Cross River Rail to the Brisbane ' Metro ' which has to be one of the most perverse outcomes for public transport in SEQ ever!

4. The simple things, like all door boarding on high frequency buses is too hard for Queensland.  Logical arrangement of CBD bus stops too hard!

5. Infrastructure stalemate.

6. Failure to convert Victoria Bridge into a bus and active transport bridge only.  Massive bus network failure looms.

7. Snail pace fare reform - is to eventually happen, hopefully in January 2017, but we cannot be to confident can we?

8. New Generation Rollingstock trains - clearly problems, trains have been in Queensland since February 2016, none have seen a passenger yet.

9. Failure to clarify fare policy on rail replacement buses - despite assurances that this would be done.

10.  Ongoing signalling issues with Petrie - Redcliffe Peninsula line.

Not a pretty list is it?  But that spells out the mess it actually is.  Want a cash bonus with that?

Best wishes
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10971.msg184102#msg184102 ]

[ozbob]

Media: ' Time to listen and fix public transport in SEQ '
> https://t.co/BTzCNrD02V#qldpol@AnnastaciaMP @StirlHinchliffe @TimNichollsMP pic.twitter.com/m4zHubKrPk

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) November 30, 2016

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 2nd December 2016 page 13

Time to fix state's public transport

[ozbob]

ICYMI @QueenslandRail #railfail is only the tip of the iceberg ..
> Public transport failure SEQ >> https://t.co/RPg6VvU87y#qldpol pic.twitter.com/VupOEAfI1F

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 8, 2016

[#Metro]

I support the formation of A Public Transport Authority in Queensland.

It should be responsible for all passenger modes that are subsidised, such as long distance passenger rail and subsidised air services.

There are two things to consider here:

1. Within South East Queensland services run across council boundaries and thus whole-of-network co-ordination is required.

2. Outside South East Queensland, services are generally self-contained and public transport services are extremely poor. They require more money to be decent.

I am not convinced that it is a good idea to co-ordinate services across Queensland with one agency like this. There is a clear physical reason in SEQ, but outside SEQ there is not.

So what I would do is have PTQ delegate its authority to all local government areas outside of South East Queensland.

Local councils would hire transit staff and be responsible for bus network planning and fares. When local councils are given control, they will (hopefully) be more interested in funding it.

Local councils would not own the operators, but would be required to plan the services, determine the fares and pricing, and provide all the subsidies.

PTQ's role would be to support local councils (training, consultancy), and ensure that councils regularly review the services every 5-8 years. PTQ would have to sign off on the network as meeting the state government standards for consultation, contracting protocols, and bus stop design etc.

I just don't see why people in Brisbane should be responsible for designing bus networks in Townsville and Cairns. Local councils can do that, free the time for PTQ public servants to focus on the problems in SEQ.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Local council designed the P332.

[SurfRail]

There is a single contracting and planning regime run by the state, we don't need 20 or more councils all doing their own thing.  It would be a win for "job creation" and little else.

For that matter, where do you draw the line?  If it is OK for Cairns to run itself, why not the Gold Coast?  There is virtually no commonality of interest between the Gold Coast's public transport network and Brisbane's except for the fact there is a railway connecting them.

[#Metro]

There is a single contracting and planning regime run by the state, we don't need 20 or more councils all doing their own thing.  It would be a win for "job creation" and little else.

For that matter, where do you draw the line?  If it is OK for Cairns to run itself, why not the Gold Coast?  There is virtually no commonality of interest between the Gold Coast's public transport network and Brisbane's except for the fact there is a railway connecting them.

Disagree. Local councils are there to deal with local issues, and for areas outside of SEQ, they are well suited to do that.

I already discussed the difference between SEQ and areas outside SEQ in my previous post. Basically, you can have people commute from Gold Coast to work in Brisbane (such as yourself) so there is value in a common ticketing, fares, and co-ordinated timetabling regime, but it is not so likely someone in Cairns commutes to Townsville daily for work.

Let local councils deal with it. Auckland Council in NZ manages the rail network, ferries, buses etc. In overseas places, it is the norm.

A key question here is what to do with Toowoomba. Should Toowoomba be part of the TransLink SEQ area, or be its own thing.

Local Government areas in Queensland ---> https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/electoral-boundaries/find-my-electorate/local-government-electoral-maps-new#interactiveMapIFrame

[HappyTrainGuy]

Local council also designed the 327 termination mess. The 338/357/359 Albany Creek-Terminus mess. The 328 and 329 mess.

[#Metro]

Local council also designed the 327 termination mess. The 338/357/359 Albany Creek-Terminus mess. The 328 and 329 mess.

And all were funded and approved by TransLink, weren't they?

A Local Council also designed this:

Auckland's New Public Transport Network


Within Brisbane, TransLink pays the bulk of the subsidies, but BCC does most of the planning. So there is no incentive to save money by co-ordinating bus with rail. From BCC's perspective - it is somone else's money. Why be efficient when someone else is paying?

The central co-ordination of TransLink within the Brisbane area has been a failure. Not only because TransLink is paying, but also because monopoly contracting means that TransLink cannot get rid of Brisbane City Council no matter how un-cooperative it is. It has had more than a decade to get it right.

[Stillwater]

The state government will need to demonstrate that there is 'something different' happening around QR following the Strachan Review and the easiest thing to do would be to change the logo and the corporate colour from red to blue, and perhaps adopt a catchy name -- SEQ-Transit, or something similar.  Government's love this sort of stuff -- on the exterior it looks different, but all the old structures and inefficiencies are kept.  Think of it as putting a new coat of paint on a dilapidated shed.  Pollies stand in front of shed, cut a ribbon and get their picture taken.  Problem solved!  This cannot be allowed to happen -- full route and branch reform is required.

[#Metro]

The state government will need to demonstrate that there is 'something different' happening around QR following the Strachan Review and the easiest thing to do would be to change the logo and the corporate colour from red to blue, and perhaps adopt a catchy name -- SEQ-Transit, or something similar.  Government's love this sort of stuff -- on the exterior it looks different, but all the old structures and inefficiencies are kept.  Think of it as putting a new coat of paint on a dilapidated shed.  Pollies stand in front of shed, cut a ribbon and get their picture taken.  Problem solved!  This cannot be allowed to happen -- full route and branch reform is required.

Great point. This government loves dress-ups, 'authorities', reviews and commissions.

Queensland Rail is one of the most re-constituted organisations I have known. It has been through every imaginable structure you can think of, except perhaps, tribunal. At the moment Queensland Rail is an authority that contracts out a shell company called Queensland Rail Ltd.

In the late 1980s we did have a co-ordinating authority in SEQ called the SEQ Transit Authority or SEQTA. That was abolished, but I think there is a plaque at Enoggera station that still has its imprint.

Changing a few faces on the board is same thing different week. Part of the problem is monopoly contracting that insists we run races with 1 horse in it, and then declare the winner. Government contracting with itself has been exposed as an unenforceable nonsense - with the Transport Minister probably having to sit in a mirror as he is both responsible for TransLink and Queensland Rail, and thus the contract between TransLink and Queensland Rail seems to be a contract between himself and himself.

Had we not had monopoly contracting, there is little doubt in my mind that BCC would have The Boot right now, and Queensland Rail would have been penalised and gotten The Boot also.

People need to stop defending mediocrity, just because it is government-owned mediocrity. Deliver the services, or get out!

[SteelPan]

AS we look toward 2017 and indeed now, before too long, the 3rd decade of the 21stC, is it time to embrace a "post QR" vision of SEQ rail operation?

Can we, as SEQ Residents dare dream of a world with:

1) a dedicated "Metro" transit operator for all SEQ public transport? A "Translink on steroids", to both deliver infrastructure and operate transit services - both itself and through contracts as deemed most cost and delivery efficient and effective.

2) A state run entity charged with long-distance rail infrastructure and operation. [Q-Line, Q-Track etc]

It would seem to me, the day-to-day operation of high quality, regular train services throughout the SEQ region, is a very distant task from the desk of a State Transport Minister and QR Management have not exactly shown themselves to be over the issues.

We NEED a body that lives and breaths "Metro" transit!

[SteelPan]

apologies....don't mind this being put in your earlier thread do you support a new Qld PT authority!

[SteelPan]

I believe the outrageous events of Christmas Day speak for themselves!

[achiruel]

I believe the outrageous events of Christmas Day speak for themselves!

Which have lots to do with the operator (QR) and very little to do with the supervising authority (TransLink or whatever else is come up with).

I don't have any opposition to TransLink per se, but I believe it should be a Statutory Authority rather than part of DTMR, it needs to be funded properly, and needs to be given some teeth (i.e. fine/kick out substandard operators).

[#Metro]

I don't have any opposition to TransLink per se, but I believe it should be a Statutory Authority rather than part of DTMR, it needs to be funded properly, and needs to be given some teeth (i.e. fine/kick out substandard operators).

I agree. Right now TransLink is a 'tick and flick' organisation. BCC wants a rocket from Zillmere to UQ Lakes? Tick! Maroon CityGlider? Tick! Let operator reorganise bus network however it wants - tick!

Have they ever said NO to anything - ever? No wonder operators walk all over TransLink.

TransLink needs to be able to FINE and PENALISE. Let BCC run buses well below 90% on time standard for years - tick!

TransLink needs to be given the power to REJECT contracts and seek alternative suppliers. It is not only Queensland Rail and Brisbane City

Council (Brisbane Transport) that enjoy protected monopolies, but also private bus operators like Surfside, Logan City etc. They are just

getting their  contracts renewed and renewed and renewed. I think it is not right to have public money spent on "favourite" companies like

this at all.

[SteelPan]

Agreed....as far away from TMR as it can get!

[HappyTrainGuy]

Local council also designed the 327 termination mess. The 338/357/359 Albany Creek-Terminus mess. The 328 and 329 mess.

And all were funded and approved by TransLink, weren't they?

Not exactly. They were created before translink was formed. The wording is in the fine print and laws that Translink have no power over (that city of Brisbane Act in regards to it providing PT back in the 1820's ). Its the same fine print that the BCC find themselves in with the council paying for services to cover the short fall in what Translink actually pays them which they market as them doing good for the community when in reality its then just paying the difference in allowing the duplication and waste to continue in its network. The Minister could have got tough over it but we saw how flexible both have been when it has come to changing any bus route for the better in Brisbane.

Have they ever said NO to anything - ever? No wonder operators walk all over TransLink.

Plenty of times Translink has said no. Its just not public/gets big mentions. Hornibrook wanted to extend its hours or frequency on a couple routes but were denied. A couple rail services have been denied in the past (I swear I can remember talk a while back of the Caboolture night link service being transformed into the second service of the day instead of dead running 40-something-km back to Bowen Hills to form the first Beenleigh service). Sunbus also had an issue in regards to extending the running hours on a couple routes during the week IIRC.

[Stillwater]

Given the mess QR is in currently, the Strachan Inquiry may very well suggest re-organisation of TransLink/QR into a 'transit authority'.  What's needed from government is a clear statement that it would consider such an eventuality, if recommended.

It has got to the stage where the minister must state that the QR model is not working and he welcomes Mr Strachan's recommendations and possible alternatives.  He could say he would 'actively consider' alternatives that are put to him. 

It is clear that QR has been a law unto itself, lacking sufficient oversight.  Coordination among QR, TransLink, BCC etc. is a farce because of the silo administration arrangements.

Mr Hinchliffe needs to go beyond saying he is 'angry and frustrated' to a new stance.  That would give a signal to Mr Strahan to have the confidence to recommend alternative administrative arrangements.  The Strahan Inquiry must not just look at 'what went wrong', but should have strong emphasis on 'where to from here?'.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

2nd January 2017

Rail Advocate Flees Queensland Amid Rail Chaos

RAIL Back On Track  Administrator Robert Dow has fled Queensland for a while.



Horrified at the implosion of the state rail operator, Queensland Rail, Mr Dow has chosen to take a break.
On his way to board a flight for Perth, Western Australia, Mr Dow said that Queensland had become a 'failed transport state'.

"I'm going to Perth and then Melbourne, where they have frequent, functional and connected public transport."

"Other RAIL Back On Track Members have headed off to international destinations for top class public transport experience.
This informs our ongoing efforts for improvements."

Mr Dow said that the latest Rail Fail debacle, which saw nearly 1000 services cancelled over a period of months, was just the latest episode of chronic government failures with respect to public transport. We have had one major success, reform of the SEQ fare structure. For that we are very grateful.

He then singled out Cross River Rail, the Brisbane Metro, and failure to reform Brisbane City Council's bus network as examples of failure.

"They have done the Cross River Rail plans three times over, yet they have nothing on the ground to show for it after almost nine years."

"They have this 1.5 billion plus dollar metro proposal that will have trains so small that it will actually reduce passenger capacity and wreck the Brisbane busway network. An absurd nonsense."

"Then they have this anti-rail anti-connections bus network in Brisbane, designed to keep passengers away from trains as much as possible, which is transporting more air than passengers clogging up Brisbane CBD. Time the bus network was reformed."

Mr Dow said that businesses would now think twice about investing or setting up in Brisbane. He said that businesses needed certainty that their workers could actually get to work, and that infrastructure promised actually got built.  We need more than casinos, we need a reliable transport network!

"In Victoria, they actually build things, rather than just screen video animations about building things."

"Over in Perth, their rail network now transports more passengers than Queensland Rail and the trains come every 15 minutes on most lines.
I look forward to travelling on a frequent service network well connected with feeder buses."

"It's ridiculous, and an embarrassment the state of the public transport in SEQ."

"We look forward to some real progress now in 2017. We cannot afford to grind to a halt."

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

[ozbob]

Latest media: ' Rail Advocate Flees Queensland Amid Rail Chaos '
> https://t.co/8cqURngGx7#qldpol@TMRQld @TransLinkSEQ @QueenslandRail pic.twitter.com/lcPaZ2pUmG

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) January 1, 2017

[ezekial]

I don't think this quite necessitates a new thread, but it's an interesting move for BCC in the final days of 2016.

A Facebook post from The TransLink Ripoff mob alerted me  to the fact that "Brisbane Transport" is to be renamed "Transport for Brisbane".
Beyond the name change, it seems that CityCats and CityCycle will come under the same roof as BT buses

Here is the only relevant info I could find from council's minutes for 6 December 2016 https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/governance-strategy/committees-meetings-minutes/councils-meeting-minutes

DEPUTY MAYOR:   ...
   On item G, the administrative arrangements, this one is particularly exciting for myself. Because it flags the creation of the Transport for Brisbane Division. Now this division is certainly more than just rearranging the words, Brisbane Transport to Transport for Brisbane. This division is actually a step change and a significant change in the way this Council manages public transport.
   Many of you may not be aware, but at the present time, Brisbane Transport sits as a separate division in itself. But the management of things like ferry services is in a different section of Council. So we've got bus services and ferry services being planned and run by different sections of Council. By the same token, CityCycle, managed by a different section of Council. What this does today is to bring all of the transport planning and delivery into one section of Council, into one division, the Transport for Brisbane Division.
   Most importantly, it's about making sure that we are geared up and in a position to work closely with the State Government to implement our 10-point plan that was announced a couple of months ago. That 10-point plan is all about integrating transport, improving transport for the people of Brisbane. We need to ensure that the transport planning and delivery is done within the one section of Council. So this is an exciting change for the City of Brisbane and one that I believe will down the track deliver significant benefits in terms of transport planning and delivery.
   We want an alliance contract with the State going forward for the delivery of bus services. We want to see better integration of the different transport modes across the city. This today, this change and the creation of the Transport for Brisbane Division is the first important step in delivering our 10-point plan and delivering better integration between the different modes of public transport and active transport.
   So we'll see buses, CityCats, CityCycle all controlled within the Transport for Brisbane Division. That's really an important step going forward. I'm very excited about what's on the agenda for public transport in Brisbane and it is an absolutely essential part of our agenda as an Administration. Which is why we have called it Transport for Brisbane. This is not transport for Brisbane City Council, this is transport for Brisbane and transport for the people of Brisbane.
   We will definitely continue to work to ensure that the people of Brisbane have access to high quality public transport, integrated wherever possible with other modes. So integrating wherever possible buses and ferries, trains and buses—that's if the trains actually run. CityCycle with other modes, such as ferries, and ensure that there is a cohesive and coordinated plan for public transport for our city going forward.

[#Metro]

Brisbane City Council finally gets a Transport Department. 

Other cities have had that for years... decades even.

[Otto]

Brisbane City Council finally gets a Transport Department. 

Other cities have had that for years... decades even.

When I first started working for BT, It was called Brisbane City Council Department of Transport. Then it was Corporatised during the 90's and renamed Brisbane Transport.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I don't have any opposition to TransLink per se, but I believe it should be a Statutory Authority rather than part of DTMR, it needs to be funded properly, and needs to be given some teeth (i.e. fine/kick out substandard operators).

I agree. Right now TransLink is a 'tick and flick' organisation. BCC wants a rocket from Zillmere to UQ Lakes? Tick! Maroon CityGlider? Tick! Let operator reorganise bus network however it wants - tick!

Have they ever said NO to anything - ever? No wonder operators walk all over TransLink.

TransLink needs to be able to FINE and PENALISE. Let BCC run buses well below 90% on time standard for years - tick!

TransLink needs to be given the power to REJECT contracts and seek alternative suppliers. It is not only Queensland Rail and Brisbane City

Council (Brisbane Transport) that enjoy protected monopolies, but also private bus operators like Surfside, Logan City etc. They are just

getting their  contracts renewed and renewed and renewed. I think it is not right to have public money spent on "favourite" companies like

this at all.

It should also be noted that the way Translink/state laws in SEQ have been set up makes it easy for BT or any operator to run whatever route it wants.