On the Buses

[Cazza]

Also I think they'd be a good idea for the Glider (if they can get around corners) because of the big rear door and that the Glider has rear boarding.

These new buses have a double leaf back door now. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I believe buses 2805 onwards have been fitted with a double back door, so that includes these buses that are currently being delivered to Toowong (the one pictured is 2820). I believe Buses 2801-2818 are currently at Virginia depot and 2819 onwards will be at Toowong (not sure how many will be delivered).

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

12th January 2019

Updated wrap for the Blue CityGlider

Greetings,

Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner has announced a new updated wrap for the Blue CityGlider.

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/1083608319997005825

We are particularly pleased that Cr Schrinner and Transport for Brisbane have taken note of feedback concerning the loss of window visibility with all over ad-wraps over windows of public transport vehicles.  The new wrap does provide much better visibility into and out of the buses, for us an important point.  Thanks.

Best wishes,

Robert

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

[SurfRail]

I'm curious about why articulated buses are not being procured for this route - it is one of the busiest and relies heavily on high volume repeated passenger turnover, and already has all-door boarding.  Artics should fit everywhere on the route, unless there are bus stops that can't accommodate articulated buses (in which case fix them).

[James]

I'm curious about why articulated buses are not being procured for this route - it is one of the busiest and relies heavily on high volume repeated passenger turnover, and already has all-door boarding.  Artics should fit everywhere on the route, unless there are bus stops that can't accommodate articulated buses (in which case fix them).

I think there might be size issues, particularly given the tightness of turns going in and out of Mollison St, as well as around West End Ferry.

I think there is also consideration that as a liveried bus, the bus would be on the route 24/7 - while artics might make sense in peak hour, it would be too much bus at most other times. It is also one of many services which does the South Brisbane - City - Valley haul (including many bus routes and multiple rail lines), where as Route 66 is the only link between thousands of student accommodation beds at South Bank and UQ.

Personally, I've never seen a CityGlider full to overcrowding - I imagine it happens, but not often. Compare this to the 66 where people get left behind almost every hour because demand is more 'peaky' (in/around class start times).

[achiruel]

I'm curious about why articulated buses are not being procured for this route - it is one of the busiest and relies heavily on high volume repeated passenger turnover, and already has all-door boarding.  Artics should fit everywhere on the route, unless there are bus stops that can't accommodate articulated buses (in which case fix them).

I think there might be size issues, particularly given the tightness of turns going in and out of Mollison St, as well as around West End Ferry.

I think there is also consideration that as a liveried bus, the bus would be on the route 24/7 - while artics might make sense in peak hour, it would be too much bus at most other times. It is also one of many services which does the South Brisbane - City - Valley haul (including many bus routes and multiple rail lines), where as Route 66 is the only link between thousands of student accommodation beds at South Bank and UQ.

Personally, I've never seen a CityGlider full to overcrowding - I imagine it happens, but not often. Compare this to the 66 where people get left behind almost every hour because demand is more 'peaky' (in/around class start times).

Check out some of the Gliders leaving Teneriffe around 8:00am especially when a CityCat/ferry has just arrived from Bulimba with 30 people on. Packed by the time they get to the Valley. I guess the good thing is, there's another one along in a few minutes. But they definitely get full.

[Arnz]

Not sure if Toowong depot even has the space for arctics, even if there is room there would be a fair amount of bus swapping involved with roughly double the MAN gas rigids transferred to Garden City in tradeoff for the 30 MAN gas arctics fitting in the Toowong yards.  That on top of Garden City currently withdrawing the Gas Scanias from service.

BCC iirc would want to keep the vehicle types at each depot down to a minimum, so I would think the Volvo artics would be at a depot that already has them (either rigid or artic).

[SurfRail]

Not sure if Toowong depot even has the space for arctics, even if there is room there would be a fair amount of bus swapping involved with roughly double the MAN gas rigids transferred to Garden City in tradeoff for the 30 MAN gas arctics fitting in the Toowong yards.  That on top of Garden City currently withdrawing the Gas Scanias from service.

BCC iirc would want to keep the vehicle types at each depot down to a minimum, so I would think the Volvo artics would be at a depot that already has them (either rigid or artic).

There's no reason the service needs to be run from Toowong, or that facilities can't be modified to accommodate them.  "The back end infrastructure is not good enough" is not an excuse we accept for rail services, so why should we accept every operational excuse put up by BCC is immutable?

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Bianca_Stone/status/1084562223316357120

^

Brisbanetimes --> Council bus crashes into three cars, closing major Brisbane road

A bus has crashed into three cars, blocking a major arterial road on Brisbane northside.

The Brisbane City Council bus hit the parked cars on Hamilton Road approaching the intersection with Gympie Road in Chermside about 6.15am.

Hamilton Road was closed in both directions between Farnell Street and Gympie Road and police were asking motorists to avoid the area.

The bus driver, a man in his 50s, was believed to have suffered a medical episode behind the wheel and was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a stable condition, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service.

Australian Traffic Network spokesman Jay Lane said drivers on Hamilton Road were getting around the accident scene thanks to diversions being in place.

He said the road was still busy but the crash was having more of an effect on Gympie Road traffic.

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> Bus driver stood down after threats to kill teen passenger

A SUNSHINE Coast bus driver has been stood down after threatening to kill a teenage boy when he didn't pay his bus fare.

A 16-year-old boy was verbally abused by the Sunbus driver who repeatedly told him to "get off the bus" after boarding at the Coolum bus stop, 7 News Sunshine Coast reported.

The boy and his friend allegedly boarded the bus with no money but the driver let them on anyway.

His patience quickly disappeared after a drink can rolled down the aisle and he accused the teenager of it being his.

"He thought it was mine and told me to pick it up," the teenager said.

"He started screaming and stormed to the back of the bus."

The driver walked up to the boy saying "mate if I grab you I'll break your f**king neck" and "I might go to jail but you'll be f**king dead".

The bus driver grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him out of his seat before thrusting him towards the exit.

On-lookers who filmed the incident yelled at the driver saying "mate he's on 16" before both boys were kicked off the bus to walk home.

"I didn't want to be left at the bus stop," the teen said.

"I don't think it's right that he did that."

Sunbus Sunshine Coast general manager Neil de Silva was quick to respond saying the driver had been stood down.

"The behaviour demonstrated by the driver does not in any way reflect our company values," he said.

"He's been stood down immediately, pending a full investigation."

One fare evader too many ..

[James]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> Bus driver stood down after threats to kill teen passenger

One fare evader too many ..

I think there is a lot more to the story than the supposed victims are letting on... but why ruin a good story with facts?

[Otto]

That driver has done what a lot of us would like to do given the current culture of NO SUPPORT from our employers.
We just have to say the wrong word to a ( quite often "professional" ) fare evader and we are automatically in the wrong regardless of how threatening or intimidating the person may be.

I had a situation last October where a evader boarded my Glider service. I dared to question him and he just stood in the doorway preventing me from continuing the service.
He had a threatening presence as he tried to stand over me. I called Bus Control to report the situation and ask for security. The reply was, "Allow him to travel and just press Fare Evade".. Great Support not.. What they don't realise is that I was feeling so threatened that I had pins and needles affecting my arms and hands and my pulse was through the roof. I had absolutely no feeling at all with the steering wheel and I had to continue on as normal. It's not nice when you then have to negotiate the Melbourne St portal which is one of the most dangerous maneuvers in our job and have no feeling or feedback from your arms and hands. After that trip, I just told Bus Control I'm going home and get someone else to finish my shift.
Of course, the next day I have to front the boss to explain. They just don't get it.. It's more than just fare evasion but that is all they can see. That's the first time I have ever done anything like that in 37 years of full time driving. My experience counts for NOTHING !

Just 2 weeks ago, 2 drivers ended up having to take a week off due to fare evaders chroming down the back of a bus. 2 different drivers, 2 different buses, SAME fare evaders !
Both drivers had to stop their services mid trip as the substance these people were using had an immediate reaction with the health of the drivers resulting in swelling, rashes and unwell feelings.

Funny thing is, if we have too many days off caused by pax misbehavior, we will be performance assessed due to an excessive number of sick days. Can't win..

This is the stuff you will never hear in the media. It's all hushed up..
I'm getting sick of it !

[ozbob]

Thanks Otto for that insight.  Yes, the situation is not acceptable, it is putting too many bus drivers in very stressful and potential risky situations. The driver was just reacting to an unacceptable workplace environment in the end, probably pushed to the point of reaction by repetitive situations.  Serious consideration needs to be given to this fare evasion, it is rampant, and puts the drivers in very difficult situations.  Fare evasion data I have seen from Melbourne and Sydney has bus as the highest for fare evasion in those states too.  We can only guess what the rate is here, particularly in SEQ, but I have no doubt it would be greater than the other modes.  The transport authorities need to show some leadership from here, a novel concept for them but it is time they earned their keep in my opinion.

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily 21st January 2019 page 2

Union supports bus driver as investigation looms

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> Fare evaders making life hell for Coast bus drivers

HUNDREDS a day don't pay, according to a Sunshine Coast bus driver who has revealed the truth behind a clash between a colleague and a group of youths over the weekend.

The driver said kids under 18 were running amok with drivers under orders not to get out of their seats.

A 66-year-old driver, a year out from his 10-year long service leave, has been stood down after threatening to kill a fare-evading teenager last Friday.

He's been backed by the Transport Workers Union who want a thorough investigation into the incident.

"The kids involved give absolute sh-- to all drivers on the Coolum to Kawana route they take, and never pay and always swear," the driver who spoke with the Daily said.

"The ones that don't pay are always the loudest. Drivers have been spat on and one ended up in the foetal position on the floor being kicked.

"Most of the drivers are grey-haired. You can't retaliate at all, you can't say anything. I'd love to get out of my seat. You have to take the worst abuse you could possibly imagine"

He said the group who had been drinking alcohol were picked up by another bus and dropped at Maroochydore before taking another to Kawana. They did not pay for any of the three legs.

"The driver was under stress," he said. "His family's far more important to him than little "a......s" who treat us like sh--."

"I've been abused myself. None payment is constant on the Coast. There would be hundreds a day.

"They know they can get away with it and use the Daniel Morcombe case.

"I just say get on and don't waste my time. Even older passengers tell you to just press the fare evader button when they don't want to pay.

"The language gets so bad other passengers ask you to call for help. Everyone has to put up with it and it's been escalating over time.

"The government and the company won't do anything.

"It's not my responsibility. I just drive the bus and get people there safely."

Attempts were being made to secure Sunbus comment on the situation confronting its drivers.　

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1087176304682618880

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsSC/status/1087259363742429185

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily 22nd January 2019 page 7

Drivers always under attack

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1087431849784168448

[AnonymouslyBad]

I think there is a lot more to the story than the supposed victims are letting on... but why ruin a good story with facts?

Yep... and they even got a quote from the victim milking the 'no child left behind' policy. "Ohhhh, woe is me, I'm only 16, they shouldn't be doing this to a 16 year old"
Said with a huge smirk, I'm sure.

You're 16, mate, not 10. You're not a child, not in any way that counts for the purpose of catching a damn bus. And you're fare evading on purpose.

That said, policing fare evaders isn't (shouldn't be) a bus driver's job, so I'm not sure what the solution is.

[brissypete]

In various European countries such as Germany and Switzerland there is generally all door boarding so drivers don't do any checking of tickets. That said inspectors tend to be seen more as well.

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1088595441694822400

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1089951333551984640

[Cazza]

Not sure where to put this so I'll stick it here for now.

http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/37425/20030829-0000/www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/transinfohome.html

This website has most of the old timetables and some maps from around 2002ish, so I'm sure some will be interested.

[James]

This website has most of the old timetables and some maps from around 2002ish, so I'm sure some will be interested.

I think this link (or similar) was posted before - Webarchive also has a similar collection of timetables, mostly from 2002, but a few from 2000.

It is shocking to see timetables from 2000 which are identical to those being run in 2019. Really shows how much Brisbane's bus network has been ignored off the BUZ network. A full-scale rework is long overdue.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Most of Brisbane's bus network are just extensions of old routes to make long touring routes. Nothing else has been done.

[SurfRail]

It's not entirely limited to Brisbane, although Brisbane suffers most from it.

Route 756 on the Gold Coast is near identical to what it was before the year 2000 as the 4, but for a few very minor routing changes and chopping off the furthest end - and it shows compared to the other routes that have been created since then.

[verbatim9]

Most of Brisbane's bus network are just extensions of old routes to make long touring routes. Nothing else has been done.

It's not entirely limited to Brisbane, although Brisbane suffers most from it.

Route 756 on the Gold Coast is near identical to what it was before the year 2000 as the 4, but for a few very minor routing changes and chopping off the furthest end - and it shows compared to the other routes that have been created since then.

That's because alot of train lines don't go where the people need to go and the frequency is poor hence buses being the workhorses.

[SurfRail]

The buses don't go where people need them to go either.  How anybody can look at the 322 with a straight face is beyond me.

[Arnz]

BUZ TEH 314!!!!!!

On the other hand, some of the routes haven't changed since the 90s.  For example, 326/327 has gone through route number changes over the years pre-TL but has pretty much been the same since the 90s.

[STB]

BUZ TEH 314!!!!!!

On the other hand, some of the routes haven't changed since the 90s.  For example, 326/327 has gone through route number changes over the years pre-TL but has pretty much been the same since the 90s.

The last major network change for the BT/BCC network occurred in the late 90s - I worked with the guy years ago during my time at TL who redesigned the network and introduced the 3 digit route numbering system.

[achiruel]

The buses don't go where people need them to go either.  How anybody can look at the 322 with a straight face is beyond me.

It's the replacement for CitySights nicknamed HeightsSights.

[techblitz]

looks like there was one extra service on sundays between Caloundra/landsborough.......it needs to be re-instated NOW...

[Paul B]

STB, what was the reason Norris Road all of a sudden got a BUZ + plethora of rockets ? I recall the old bracken ridge CityExpress was closer to the current 325 (taigum,Grange,Newmarket) than the 330 BUZ.
In fact, the 1990s Bracken Ridge cityxpress gave a half-hourly frequency, which is now mostly hourly. Wonder why no grannies were screaming about the cuts?

then there's the cuts in Sandgate Road.
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/37425/20030829-0000/www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/qt/PubTrans.nsf/ReferenceLookup/RedcliffeBrightonCityTTInbound310-315.pdf/$file/RedcliffeBrightonCityTTInbound310-315.pdf

[cartoonbirdhaus]

http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/37425/20030829-0000/www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/transinfohome.html

This website has most of the old timetables and some maps from around 2002ish, so I'm sure some will be interested.

Back then, the 111 and 160 were evenly spaced, serving the same CBD stop. Noteworthy. (Not that the 160 is warranted.)

[brissypete]

Bus stop signage on Adelaide St has been improved. The new stop numbers are quite easy to read from a distance.

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[Cazza]

A much welcomed improvement

Edit: T2822 has been out and about doing CityGlider duties today.

[SurfRail]

They really need to sit down and work out a consistent standard for bus stop signage, like every other state has.

Orange and grey appear to be the system colours now (for better or worse), I think we should be moving to a position where everything is in that colour scheme - vehicles, stops, stations, signage, whatever.  Let's not have like 8 different types of bus stop sign, which vary depending on the council area or one of any number of other factors.

[Cazza]

For Brisbane at least, I don't think we will see any major changes in that type of stuff until Brisbane "Metro" has commenced.

Hopefully, there will be a full network overhaul (routes, stop locations, signage, interchange/transfer accessibility at stations etc. etc. etc.) and everything will be streamlined then.

A man can dream right?

[ozbob]

Too right ... 

[AnonymouslyBad]

Bus stop signage on Adelaide St has been improved. The new stop numbers are quite easy to read from a distance.

A much welcome improvement!

I hope whoever designed that sign realises how embarrassing it is that two blocks of one street needs such a complicated directory of what goes where. Definitive proof that Adelaide St is a mess.

But, it's a very good thing the sign at least exists.