On the Buses

[ozbob]

From North West News click here!

Driver orders commuters off bus

Driver orders commuters off bus

STAFFORD: Commuters are concerned about the reliability of bus services around the suburb after a driver abandoned passengers 2km from their destination.

The 376 bus, bound for Stafford City shopping centre, stopped at Thistle St, Gordon Park after the Brisbane City Council driver said he had been driving for five hours and needed a meal break.

The 19 passengers were told to walk to Stafford City or wait half an hour for another bus.

"I was astounded. I had never encountered anything like that before. He just stopped the bus and said everyone had to get off,?? said a northwest resident who did not want to be named.

A regular bus commuter, John Pimm, was not on the bus but believed the driver should have driven the extra time from Gordon Park to Stafford.

"I have been on buses where they have driven past stops because they didn?t have time,?? he said.

"I heard the other day a bus was running late, so he piled everyone off the bus so he could get back to the depot on time.??

The 376 bus has three services per day on weekdays.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union secretary David Matters confirmed the incident involving the 376 service, but said the driver could have faced fines and lost demerit points from his licence if he continued driving beyond five hours.

Mr Matters said the driver would also have been liable had an accident occurred.

The five-hour driving limit is enforced under the Transport Operations Act.

"There are problems with scheduling with this particular bus ? the run needs to be timetabled,?? Mr Matters said.

"A lot of passengers say the bus is usually half an hour late or doesn't come at all.''

Mr Matters said bus drivers were frequently driving beyond the legal five hours because of traffic delays and because the BCC control centre was urging drivers to break road side.

"It occurs quite often where drivers take breaks beside the road,'' he said.

Chair of the transport committee Jane Prentice said the 376 bus driver thought he would have completed the route before he hit traffic.

"Usually we have arrangements in place, we would have a driver ready to step on to the bus,'' she said.

"On this occasion this didn't happen. I understand we had a back-up bus to pick up the passengers,'' Cr Prentice added.

[ozbob]

Some buses have been removed from service on the BT network this evening.
News is just breaking.  Possibly related to the gas incident the other week.

More to follow no doubt ...



Further footnote.  Apparently 30 buses have been withdrawn pending testing of gas tanks.  Seems some minor problems with previous inspection regimen.  This will have impact on a small number of services.

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

City bus services cancelled

City bus services cancelled
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Leanne Edmistone

May 02, 2008 07:50am

BUS services across Brisbane are facing disruption this morning after the city council yesterday took 33 buses out of service amid safety concerns.

This means a total of 63 buses were now off the road, following a gas cylinder explosion at a Mt Gravatt depot two weeks ago.

Councillor Jane Prentice said the latest move was a precautionary measure after it was discovered German-manufactured 727 gas pods had not been pressure tested as required.

Cr Prentice, the Public and Active Transport chair, said delays would be kept to a minimum across the city with the cancellation of one service per hour, with the BUZ upgrade zone routes most affected.

She said the pods had to be sent to a Maroochydore firm for testing, and it was hoped the affected buses would be back on the road quickly.

"We have the advantage of three days of non-peak services with Saturday, Sunday and the long weekend, so hopefully we can start re-introducing buses fairly quickly."

Cr Prentice said other vehicles from outside Brisbane were also being sought to minimise long-term effects on commuter services.

Queensland Rail stated it could not offer more services because 97 per cent of their trains were already running during peak commuting times.

[ozbob]

Reports on News.com -->  http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23655888-952,00.html

A COLLISION between two buses has been reported on the Gateway Motorway tonight.

Queensland Ambulance received an emergency call at 6.10pm saying that a man had received leg injuries in a collision between two buses on the Gateway Motorway on-ramp at Miles Platting Rd.

A police spokesman said one driver may have been injured in a crash between two buses on the South East Busway.

Fire crews reported there were no entrapments as a result of the crash, but coolant had been spilled on the road.

Ambulance crews were treating patients on the scene for suspected minor injuries.

A Queensland Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said fire crews were at the incident making the scene safe, and all persons were being treated by ambulance at the scene.

Hope all are OK. 

[ozbob]

From Brisbane mX via Courier Mail Online click here!

Council's bus squeeze crisis

Council's bus squeeze crisis
Article from: MX

Ursula Heger of mX

May 12, 2008 12:47pm

A RECORD 1800 buses were too full to pick up passengers last month, with many commuters forced to wait at least 30 minutes for another bus.

Brisbane City Council?s April figures show 700 more services than in March registered as too full to pick up passengers.

Council?s public transport chairwoman Cr Jane Prentice said the spike was a result of a different accounting system, and that the problem may have been as bad for some time.

??We don?t really believe the figures have gone up that much at all ? it?s more an issue of us now  knowing the full extent of the problem,?? she said.

A record number of commuters took the bus last month, with more than seven million trips registered across the city.

Prentice said that some of the 500 new buses planned for the next four years would be allocated to fix problem routes such as the notorious 130 bus, which registered 240 overcrowded buses, and the 150 and 111 routes, which run from Browns Plains and Eight Mile Plains to the city.

Shadow Transport spokesperson Victoria Newton said Lord Mayor Campbell Newman should implement emergency measures.

??These figures are extremely alarming as April is traditionally a quieter time of year due to university and school holidays,?? she said.

[ozbob]

I think the comments I made in an interview on 4ZZZ 10 May 2008 are even more cogent now

( Interview available here -->  http://backontrack.org/audio/zzz10may08.mp3 )

We need to ramp up rail immediately with a more structured feeder bus system.

Simply throwing more and more buses at a failing system is not going to be sustainable for the long term.

Cheers
Ozbob

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

Bus overcrowding worsens

Bus overcrowding worsens
Georgina Robinson | May 12, 2008 - 12:49PM

The number of Brisbane buses too full to pick up passengers last month has nearly tripled since the same time last year amid soaring commuter patronage.

Council buses carried a record seven million passengers in April, up 12 per cent on the same month last year.

But in bad news for faithful bus users, 1800 services were overcrowded and could not stop for more people.

That figure is nearly three times higher than the 641 full buses detected in April 2007 and also worse than February or March 2008 numbers.

More than 1100 buses could not pick up any more passengers in March and 776 buses were overcrowded in February.

However, a spokesperson for Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the council's conversion to digital radio on buses last month meant figures in previous months could have been under-reported.

Southbound high-frequency BUZ routes were the worst hit and most overcrowded services were concentrated in the morning peak period.

The overcrowding increase also came despite 17 new buses hitting the road in April.

Labor's public transport spokesperson, Victoria Newton, said the figures were "extremely alarming".

"The fact is patronage has jumped by 35 per cent while the Lord Mayor has budgeted only to increase the bus fleet by 16 per cent," Cr Newton said.

"The Lord Mayor promised he can do more now he should do more and build more buses to reduce overcrowding.

"Brisbane commuters deserve better," Councillor Newton said.

The Liberals' public transport chair, Jane Prentice, denied the overcrowding increase was significant.

"We don't really believe the figures have gone up that much at all - it's more an issue of us now knowing the full extent of the problem," Cr Prentice said.

Cr Newman last month promised to boost the council's bus acquisition program to 123 new buses next financial year.

The network is also under pressure following last month's gas cylinder explosion at the Mt Gravatt bus depot. More than 60 buses have been taken off the road for testing.

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!



Image from Brisbanetimes

Catch the bus? It could soon look like this

Catch the bus? It could soon look like this
Georgia Waters | May 15, 2008 - 4:10PM

Giant "superbuses" could be making their way along Brisbane's streets as early as next year as part of the State Government's bid to improve the public transport system.

Premier Anna Bligh first announced in March that the government would launch an international search for high-capacity superbuses as part of a plan to improve the carrying capacity of Brisbane's bus network.

Four companies, including one from Australia, have already expressed interest in providing vehicles for a trial, Ms Bligh told State Parliament today.

The superbuses will be able to carry up to 200 passengers, almost three times the capacity of our current buses, which is around 70.

"Translink will now assess the submissions and if viable, Queensland will be the first in the country to trial these high capacity vehicles as early as next year," Ms Bligh said.

[ozbob]

On the busways maybe, but on the streets and roads probably not!  May as well allow road trains on the loose. 

[ozbob]

From Hansard

Urban Congestion, Superbuses

Hon. AM BLIGH (South Brisbane?ALP) (Premier) (9.41 am): On the issue of public transport, I
repeat that my government is serious about tackling urban congestion and continuing to improve our
public transport system. In March I announced that we would launch an international search for high
capacity superbuses. This search was designed to find out what types of superbuses were available to
significantly boost the carrying capacity of our bus network in an economically and environmentally
sustainable way. I am pleased to advise the House today that this search has indeed been a fruitful one.
We have received submissions from four international companies?one of which is Australian
based?interested in being involved in a trial of superbuses on TransLink?s network. Preliminary advice
indicates that some of the superbuses could carry up to 200 passengers?almost three times the
number of a normal bus, which carries around 70. The vehicles also feature more doors to allow more
passengers to enter and exit the vehicle quickly, which will be particularly beneficial to our go card
users.

TransLink will now evaluate the submissions to determine if the vehicles meet the government?s
criteria, particularly in terms of economical and environmental performance, and if superbuses could be
suitable for our network. If viable, we hope to begin the Australian-first trial as early as next year. This is
another example of our government tackling congestion and planning for the future.

Lets hope the go card is working by then Premier, and there is the small problem of GPS coordinates too! 

Safety will be a major issue.  Rail safeworking practices are light years ahead of road safety.  When you have buses with 200 pax capacity there are serious safety issues to contend with.  For that reason the busways will be the best option.

[mufreight]

Road trains for passengers, not enough doors, too many passengers, so their dwell times at stops will be longer which will mean longer trip times, added to which these units will be longer than a B Double and they are restricted to specified routes.
One wonders.

[dwb]

"Superbuses' *may* be suitable for *some* routes, but as any bus passenger can attest to, most buses are already too big for our network and have trouble accessing extremely badly designed bus stops (busways excluded) and competing with general traffic.  if these buses operate on the busway, there are still problems. most of the existing stations are built at 50m long, which is long enough to take 3 buses (12.5m long each with gaps between buses).  the capacity of the busway station is therefore limited. this limit in terms of passengers can be quite high (south east busway currently carries >18k p/hr in peak direction) if the correct operational procedure is in place (ie cashless boarding as recently proven to improve boarding times at Cultural, South Bank and Mater busway stations in evening peak dramatically).  The capacity of the network is entirely dependent on the frequency and speed at which you can operate services. the quality of service is often dependent on vehicle size. too big and it can't make corners, negotiate routes mixed with general traffic, can't pull in to the stop close enough to get off, can't avoid obstacles, takes too long to board and disembark etc  Therefore, simply making the buses bigger does not necessarily address concerns *either* in regards to network capacity or customer experience (which the busways have proved is a key determinant of patronage).
I have been overseas and seen minibuses provide much more effective public transport than our existing urban buses. I mean minibuses, not even midibuses!  Smaller, more agile, quicker and carrying less passengers they offer a level of service closer to that of the car, enabling this public mode to compete with the car. Being crammed in a slow and large bus with 200 other passengers is NOT the answer. Diversifying our network is. This includes fleet sizes. However importantly this includes smaller, quicker, more demand responsive transport, not slower bigger cheaper transport.  Our community overwhelmingly indicates that cost is not the major determinant (except for low income earners). Despite that being a large 'except' it is true. Most people are willing to pay more, for better service, ie the convenience of the car. Trying to get more people to use the car less will not happen unless the service level of public transport drastically increases, or the cost of car travel drastically increases. The travelling public needs to step up and tell the government that it is not sufficient to double the size of buses in order to halve the either the frequency or the number of drivers or buses required. The government just needs to cough up and adequately fund public transport operations and infrastructure.  There is no other answer. This funding needs to come from roads. There is no where else to take it from, clearly the health and education budgets can't be reduced!

Footnote. sorry for the length of the post, i did intend to keep it short, but the ludocrity (?word) of the whole notion of 'super'buses, just gets under my skin big time!!



The graph, obtained from http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/docs/pmo/pmo_program_poster_07.pdf clearly indicates that HEAPS and HEAPS of money is being spent on roads in Qld. I would strongly argue that many of these roads would not need to be built if a public alternative was in place. Compare the small budgets for public transport, with that to roads (light blue at the bottom compared to the khaki above it).... it should tell a 5 year old that something is wrong with the government's priorities!!

[Skeetbris]

It appears that as usual both the Qld Govt and BCC know better than commuters what works best in public transport. Unfortunately neither really have a clue or we wouldn't be wasting the time on these oversized human cattle trucks. They are just not the way to go and taking the cheapest option just because it is cheap doesn't necessarily mean it will end up being the right option for a fast growing city like Brisbane. Why will they spend up big on the inadequate bus, pour billions into road projects that may well be unused in ten years time or before they are even complete. But there is almost a complete and utter silence when it comes to sustainable light or heavy rail? At what point will the decision makers begin to reflect the mood in the community the answer is not more and more buses, though unfortunately we are now dependant on them despite their inherent flaws.

What really gets up under my skin is the fact we are being told these superbuses are the answer to a commuters prayers when all I can see is just something that is a lot bigger, likely to be less comfortable and there will be no safety standards to match the size of these monsters comparable to rail! If they don't adhere to stringent safety measures these big buses could end up being more trouble than they are worth, time will tell but I'd be far happier on a train with 200 people around me than in a bus. But then I'm not sure that the geniuses who have devised this "lets take the cheapest option" have any real idea how PT works in the first place! I believe if they did have some idea they would never have built the busways without a decent light rail system to be the backbone of the service. Then had the buses doing the job they would be far better suited for, taking passengers to the mass transit system not attempting to make them the mass transit system!

The amount of wasted opportunities since 1997 to get some kind of mass transit system up and running is a joke. They have probably already wasted enough on their feasibility studies etc to have rebuilt what was ripped up in the 1960's. We wouldn't be still arguing over what type of transport to use, the sheer lunacy of some of these decisions or should that be all of the damage done is still not fixed to this day because of politicians who have not got the fortitude to make some proper decisions for the very sustainable future of Brisbane. It's time to start making some so called "smart" decision making before this city degenerates into further chaos thanks to dithering at all levels of government!

I had to say that as it is obvious to me the thought process behind PT in Brisbane particularly is being driven by a flawed ideaology that has, is and will continue to fail as long as these non PT users are in control of something that is completely alien to them! The cash flow chart to PT is ludicrously small when far more is necessary to be done and when spending bigtime on road projects no-one will be able to afford to drive on is far from smart. I did try to keep this post smaller but I wasn't able to do so without being able to explain myself properly.

[ozbob]

Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
19/05/2008

Busway design proposes innovative access

The Government has encouraged the public to get out and see the new Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) designs, confident the innovations offered by winning bidder BrisConnections will enhance access to the busway for many north side residents.

With changes to station locations, alignment and tunnelling methods the BrisConnections proposal has responded whole-heartedly to the State Government's call for innovation in design.

"When the government went out to industry and requested proposals to build the Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) and Airport Link, we encouraged innovation in all aspects of delivery," Premier Anna Bligh said.

"The BrisConnections' proposal has certainly answered our call.

"Their design has offered an innovative solution that will see the busway particularly around Lutwyche busway station enhance the accessibility of public transport for a great number of users."

The Northern Busway between Herston and Kedron wil l be delivered in two parts with construction already underway on the first section between the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) to Windsor.

The Windsor to Kedron section is being delivered with Airport Link and is expected to be completed by 2012. It will run from Butterfield St in Windsor to Cremorne Rd at Kedron.

"This is a win for bus passengers and motorists. Not only will this section cut average bus travel times in half between Kedron and Royal Brisbane Hospital.

"But every bus we put on the busway also takes up to 40 cars off the road and that means reduced congestion for everyone."

The Northern Busway will ultimately connect the Inner Northern Busway at Herston to Bracken Ridge via Windsor, Lutwyche, Kedron, Chermside and Aspley.

The BrisConnections proposal sees the Lutwyche busway station located underground diagonally beneath Lutwyche Road.

"The station location, while different to that proposed during the planning p hase, addresses the strong community desire for accessibility to both the busway and surrounding areas.

"The underground station is integrated with the activities at road level via plazas providing access to Kedron Brook and the Lutwyche Centro Shopping Centre" Ms Bligh said.

The proposal also includes a pedestrian crossing located above the station but below Lutwyche Road. The crossing will be highly visible from the station platforms and plaza areas.

"Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross Lutwyche Road at the Bradshaw Street intersection without having to contend with high traffic volumes or traffic lights."

"As a whole the solution in this area offers the Lutwyche precinct excellent, free-flowing connectivity," said Ms Bligh.

Along with changes to the Lutwyche busway station, the BrisConnections bid also includes changes to the busway connections around Federation Street and the busway tunnel portal at Kedron.

Ms Bl igh acknowledged that some of the changes proposed were quite different to designs developed during planning and that it was important that the community review the new designs.

"Since its inception the local community has been heavily involved in the Northern Busway project and I would like to see this continue," Ms Bligh said.

"It is very important that they become familiar with the works proposed for their area.

"I strongly encourage the public to have a look at the new designs and get in touch with the project team if they have questions."

The new designs and a report on the changes to the concept design are available:
? online at www.airportlink.qld.gov.au
? in hard copy at the visitor information centre (109 Gympie Road, Kedron)
? by contacting the project team on 1800 99 00 38 or email info@cni.qld.gov.au

The change report will be available for public comment from Saturday, 31 May to Friday, 27 June 2008.


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

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Bus crash on Sherwood Rd leaves four in hospital

Bus crash on Sherwood Rd leaves four in hospital
Article from: AAP

May 23, 2008 12:45pm

FOUR people have been taken to hospital after a head-on crash between a car and a bus on Sherwood Rd in Brisbane's west.

A spokeswoman for Emergency Management Queensland said two women in the car had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters after the collision on Sherwood Rd at Sherwood about 9.30am.

One woman was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition and the other was in a serious condition.

Ambulance officers treated six of the eight Brisbane City Council bus passengers at the scene, and two were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The bus driver's condition was unknown.

Sherwood Rd was closed to traffic while investigations were under way.

[ozbob]

From ABC News click here!

Brisbane Council reveals more 'city glider' plans

Brisbane Council reveals more 'city glider' plans

The Brisbane City Council has revealed more details about a planned rapid transport network.

The council last year released a report into a proposed mass transit system for inner-city areas.

Public Transport chairwoman Jane Prentice says the first of the 'city gliders' are expected to service Newstead, Fortitude Valley, the CBD, Southbank and West End.

"This city glider is likely to include features such as modern high-capacity vehicles carrying up to 100 passengers, 10-minute frequencies from 7am to 7pm daily and 15 minute frequency at other times," she said.

"[It will also include] the use of smart cards and off-board ticketing and specially marked bus stops for easy identification."

[jason]

Trains are great at servicing long line haul routes, typically from the Suburbs to the CBD

Trains are not good for forward thinking town planning, including moving places of employment from CBD to outer areas.

Buses are better at servicing the wider community, allowing more passengers to travel across town with out actually entering the CBD. This is more evident with the construction of the Green Bridge, which allows more passengers to enter UQ without going into Queen St.

It seems that there seems to be some short sightedness for forum members here, there is little room for growth for the Rail network in South East QLD, only extending some of the existing passenger networks along current freight lines including to Toowoomba

The problem is that you need people wanting to move to even further reaches of SE QLD

[ozbob]

Thanks for your comments Jason   

RAIL Back On Track is very supportive of buses, in their proper role as local short haul transit and feeder services.  We are also very supportive of bus commuters. As a rail focussed organisation we are obviously interested in rail, but it may surprise you to learn that we have a number of bus drivers - present and former as members as has been indicated by their posts here.

The problem with our overtaxed bus network is that it is rapidly approaching overload with a limited capacity for further expansion.  Check out Bus Australia for confirmation. The 'glider approach' is interesting and we will all no doubt be interested in how this goes. Busways offer some increase in capacity but there is already much concern with the congestion on the SE busway and particularly as the Dutton Park busway adds more buses shortly. By increasing the frequency of our suburban and interurban rail services this will take a lot of pressure off the radial bus routes.  This expansion is independent of roads and the associated congestion.  The government obviously thinks the same as indicated by the further 58 three car sets announced in the budget.

More lateral bus routes and local feeder services to key bus and rail stations is also needed and highlights the flexibility of properly deployed buses. The parking problem though is really out of hand, just ask the local residents and businesses around these stations.  We hope to continue to suggest options for these problems. The response so far is to keep building car parks, there is a limit to this of course so other solutions must be found.

Lots of scope for expansion of the rail network, Darra to Springfield and then to Ipswich.  Quadruplication of the western line.  Robina to Tweed Heads.  Ferny Grove to Dayboro.  Increasing utilisation of the exhibition loop, underground city loop extension.  Petrie to Kippa Ring.  North coast - Caloundra and further north. In time we will see these expansions.  Cross country lines, such as the Corinda to Yeerongpilly  also offers increasing flexibility of services.  Some Ipswich to Gold Coast services via Tennyson have been run this year for the football, this is a great option for future services too.

RAIL Back On Track sees our public transport success as a properly integrated network - bus rail and ferry.
Rail, until recently has been rather neglected.  It is great to see the tide is turning!

Cheers
Ozbob

[ozbob]

Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
30/06/2008

Bus brings whole new meaning to "big as a whale" term

The term "as big as a whale" will take on a whole new meaning for one Brisbane City Council bus next week when it becomes the life-size representation of a humpback whale.

As part of a Tourism Queensland promotion to announce the 2008 Hervey Bay whale watching season, a Brisbane CBD bus will become a moving promotion as it is fully wrapped in the image of a humpback whale.

Premier Anna Bligh said the "whale bus" would spend 12 weeks travelling the Brisbane CBD city loop as part of a $300,000 cooperative campaign between Tourism Queensland, Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism, Fraser Coast Regional Council and industry to promote the Hervey Bay whale watching season.

"Around 8000 whales travel along the east coast of Australia each year and an estimated third of these enter Hervey Bay," Ms Bligh said.

"The whales love the bay's sheltered waters, particularly when they have calves travelling with them. Hervey Bay is the birthplace of Queensland's professional whale watching industry and has a range of quality operators that offer fantastic trips in what are some of the best whale-watching conditions in the world."

"The whale bus will be constantly on the road during the day in Brisbane's highest visibility area.

"As the bus travels the city circle route it will be on show to thousands of pedestrians, CBD workers, shoppers and drivers for 12 weeks," Ms Boyle said.

"The 11.5 metre long bus is around the same size as an adult humpback and until you actually see one of these magnificent creatures up close, you don't realise just how big they are."

"Coming face-to-face with a living creature that size is an awe-inspiring experience guaranteed to stay with you forever and there are many whale-watchers who go back time and again."

Ms Bligh said in addition to the 'whale bus' the whale-watching campaign includes billboards in high-traffic positions around Brisbane, 200,000 Hervey Bay w hale season brochures inserted in Brisbane and Sunshine Coast press, radio and television advertising and a dedicated website www.whalesherveybay.com.au.

"For the first time this year, from mid-July the whale watching website will include updated reports on whale watching conditions, sightings and photos from local operators during the season, which runs from July until early November," Ms Boyle said.

"Humpback whales are some of the world's most magnificent creatures and we are fortunate that they choose Hervey Bay as one of their favourite spots to stop off as they travel the long journey north each year.

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

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
01/07/2008

Green light for Kan Go bus service

Hervey Bay's innovative Kan Go flexible bus service has breezed through its 12-month trial and will be continued.

After his visit to Hervey Bay, the Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations, John Mickel can announced that the "smart bus" had boosted patronage on its route by 45 percent in its first year.

"Kan Go is a wonderful new service for Hervey Bay, and the local community has embraced it, so it will be continued," he said.

"And the smart bus is set to get even smarter, with an investigation underway to enable people to book the bus by SMS or on the web. We hope to have those systems in place later this year, but for now people still need to ring to make a booking.

"Kan Go has been especially popular among older passengers because of the flexibility it has to pick them up and deliver them to their own homes," Mr Mickel said.

The Minister said Kan Go used state-of-the-art technology developed in Queensland to direct the driver by GPS to pre-booked pick up sites, such as private homes. It provides 11 weekday and Saturday return trips between Point Vernon and Centro via Pialba and the City Loop.

"For 25 percent of its route - around the City Loop - it is a normal fixed route bus, but once it leaves the city it becomes a flexible service that can take people to their homes," Mr Mickel said.

"A computer determines the best route from bookings made by passengers and delivers that information to the driver while the bus is on its way.

"It's popular because this bus comes to the people, rather than the other way around. It's a real boon to people who have mobility problems," he said.

"Kan Go has brought a bus service to new housing estates that previously had no service.

"It serves an average 64 passengers each day, with up to 90 on Thursdays and Fridays, compared with only 40 daily for the fixed route service it replaced.

"In a passenger survey, 81 percent of respondents said they preferred Kan Go to the fixed route service it replaced." Mr Mickel said.

The Minister said Kan Go was part of a mix of improved bus services in Wide Bay that delivered on the government's election commitment to improve public transport in the Region.

For more information about Kan Go, contact Steve Johnson, Principal Advisor, Bus and Ferry Management, Queensland Transport, phone (07) 3167 4523.

1 July, 2008

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

[haakon]

Something like this as a rail feeder would make for an interesting experiment. What area would you think would make a good test?

[ozbob]

Hervey Bay is well suited to this sort of operation, particularly as a lot of retired folk.

I have my thinking cap on as to a suitable location down here.  There was a trial with Maxi-cabs, the so called Personalised Public Transport by BCC, I think it has been dropped in most places.  See --> here!

Thinking locally, perhaps a Kan Go bus service into Ferny Grove?

Pick up senior residents to feed into Indooroopilly station?

I think it might get quickly swamped if used for mainstream commuter use, perhaps these are best done by dedicated station buses running fixed routes and use Kan Go type buses for certain specific groups eg. the less mobile, seniors and so forth?

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

Bus full: 1500 times in one month

Bus full: 1500 times in one month
Georgina Robinson | July 8, 2008 - 5:10AM

Almost 1500 buses were too full to pick up more passengers last month, according to the latest Brisbane City Council figures.

The statistics, which represent less than one per cent of total council bus journeys made in June, are an improvement on the 1982 full buses registered back in May.

The worst-affected routes were again the high-frequency BUZ services travelling to and from the southern suburbs of Brisbane, including the Parkinson 130 and Browns Plains 150.

Wednesdays were by far the worst day to travel and morning and evening peak times were repeatedly the most congested times of day.

Public and Active Transport chair Jane Prentice said she was determined to wittle the bus full numbers down further.

"While we have seen a moderate improvement in June, we've still got a long way to go before we can make up for years of Labor neglect," Cr Prentice said.

"This is why the Lord Mayor is spending record amounts on public transport in Brisbane over the next four years, including $200 million this financial year."

Labor Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton said the council's bus acquisition program had not matched an upsurge in commuter bus use since 2004.

"Since the Translink agreeement was signed, bus patronage has increased by 35 per cent, but the Lord Mayor has only budgeted to increase the fleet by 16 per cent," Cr Sutton said.

"So we will continue to see these kinds of bus full figures until the lord mayor invests more money in public transport."

Cr Prentice said Lord Mayor Campbell Newman had put a record 330 new buses on the road during his first term, compared to former Labor Lord Mayor Jim Soorley, who could only deliver 60 new buses over a five year period in the late 1990s.

In addition to that, the Lord Mayor has committed to another 500 new buses by 2012.

Cr Sutton said the university exam period should have taken some pressure off the bus network.

"That's still a lot of services to be reporting full loads in June," she said.

"Given that June includes the uni exam block periods, it's understandable the number of full loads may be down a little."

[ozbob]

http://servicechanges.translink.com.au/db/servicechange.php?id=153

Additional bus services for Mt Gravatt - effective 21 July 2008 see above link

[ozbob]

From Southern Star click here!

Explosion leads to safety review

Explosion leads to safety review

BRISBANE City Council has pledged swift action to lift the safety of its bus refuelling depots after a damaging report on a gas explosion at its Mt Gravatt bus depot three months ago.

A preliminary report on a probe into the blast by the State Government Mines and Energy department has raised a number of safety concerns, but found no definite cause for the rupture.

Delivered this week, the report has criticized council for failing to fully follow-up on defects identified in the natural gas cylinder four years before it exploded.

It blames "confusing and ambiguous" relations between the gas cylinder supplier and council for Brisbane Transport?s practice of carrying out visual testing only of the cylinders.

The explosion of one of the six natural gas cylinders in the roof of the bus during refueling in the early hours of April 21 hurled debris up to 100m and tore apart the then-empty bus, but caused no serious injury to nearby workers.

According to the report, council had repaired a crack in the gas cylinder four years ago, but "follow-up actions and recommendations arising from the defects found in 2004 were not fully actioned.??

The report also found; problems with the braces holding the cylinders had existed since 2001, ad hoc training of staff, no emergency stop buttons to halt refuelling, exposure of a number of gas cylinders to the sun and concerns over the filling time and pressure of tanks.

Council Deputy Mayor and Acting Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the 60 buses taken off the road since the explosion had been vigorously tested and given the green light to be put back into service.

Cr Quirk said the recommendations of the report would be acted upon, included the lowering of refuelling pressure and a probe into the design of the cradles holding the gas cylinders in place.

He cited a second independent report that also failed to find a primary cause for the explosion.

"Both reports link to an extraordinary situation with the one cylinder - it was one of those freakish situations..?? Cr Quirk said.

"The buses are safe because we have undertaken testing on every single cylinder in those 60 buses,?? Cr Quirk said.

"Each bus has six cylinders and we have undertaken that water pressure test on each of them,?? he said.

A final report into the incident is expected by the State Government in six months.

[ozbob]

Visited Woolloongabba bus station today.  Short ride from Mater Hill to the Gabba.

Few photographs.








I wonder how long the Moreton Rubber sign will remain?



Photographs R Dow 28 July 2008

[Otto]

I wonder how long the Moreton Rubber sign will remain?

Till the day the building gets demolished... I think it is heritage listed and the Moreton Rubber sign is part of the listing.

[ozbob]

From ABC News click here!

Bligh pressures Translink to deal with stranded children issue

Bligh pressures Translink to deal with stranded children issue

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says the public transport authority, Translink, should use its legislative powers to ensure bus companies are meeting their contract requirements.

Parents on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane's bayside have complained that bus drivers failed to pick up children waiting at school bus stops.

Ms Bligh says children should never be left behind.

She said she met the new board of Translink yesterday and told them customer service had to be a priority.

"We contract private buses out in places like Ormiston where there isn't a public bus company and I expect them to live up to their contracts," she said.

"If they're not, we've given them the legislative teeth and the grunt to make sure that we can use those contracts to enforce the appropriate behaviours.

"Children should never be left behind at bus stops waiting on dedicated school routes that we're subsidising.

"I actually met with the new board of the new Translink authority yesterday, said to them that one of my key priorities was for Translink to have a much much better customer focus."

[ozbob]

Planning for the future extension of the South East Busway, from Eight Mile Plains busway station to Springwood has commenced.

--> http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/project_southeastbusway_extension

[ozbob]

From BCC Newsroom click here!

Seven point plan to boost public transport
8/8/2006       
   

BRISBANE Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and Transport and Major Projects Chairperson Councillor Graham Quirk have today unveiled a seven point plan to boost Brisbane?s public transport and help deal with the ongoing increases in patronage.

Councillor Newman said there had been a 24 per cent growth in bus usage in the last two years with patronage growing from 48 million to 60 million passengers.

"This is the highest public transport growth in Australia, it is quite unprecedented in Brisbane, and we need to make sure we have enough buses to cope with this increase," Cr Newman said.

"That is why today we have unveiled a seven point plan to build on our record budget commitment to improve our buses and ferries."

Seven point plan;

   1. Relocate and expand Toowong bus build facility
   2. Place an order for an additional 21 new articulated buses, on top of the nine being purchased in the budget, this financial year (articulated buses carry 100 passengers, rather than a normal bus which carries 65)
   3. Investigate the location of a new bus depot on the south side of Brisbane
   4. Refocus existing articulated buses to routes of highest demand
   5. Review existing bus routes where passenger pick-up is low and consider use of taxis or personalised public transport instead (freeing up buses for busier routes)
   6. Purchase 40 Mercedes buses currently leased by Council (to ensure they remain in service and are not lost from the fleet)
   7. Purchase a new CityCat every year for the next three years

Cr Newman said even though recent research revealed bus commuters were more satisfied with Council?s bus operations now than any time since 1994 it was important to continue improvements.

"I am committed to creating a world class public transport system and over the last two years there has been unprecedented action by Council in investing and building public transport infrastructure, as well as improving bus services and facilities," Cr Newman said.

"The seven point plan will ensure even more buses and ferries are built and operated by Council. We are in an amazing period of growth and our focus is on making sure we continue building up our public transport system to meet the needs of Brisbane residents.

"Currently there is a new environmentally friendly bus on the road of Brisbane every four working days."

[ozbob]

Reported in mX 14 August 2008 that 2419 full buses Brisbane Transport were recorded for July 2008. This is yet another record unfortunately for the bus commuters left standing at stops. There are promises of more buses but the real solution is bulk capacity increase on rail fed by integrated local feeder buses.

More trains not lanes! 

Cheers
Bob

[Otto]

I would expect that the figures for full buses would be higher and more accurate now that all the buses have been fitted with the new digital radios. Drivers only need to press a button on their radios to automatically record a full bus where before they had to fill out a log at the depot which I know a lot of drivers would not bother about at the end of their shift.

[ozbob]

Buses lining up at the Cultural Centre bus station early afternoon peak.



Photograph R Dow 14 August 2008

[jason]

Hey bob

sorry don't understand the point of this photo

i kind of gathered it was to try and prove a point about something about bus queueing at Cultural busway station, but i have a similar photo from Melbourne about trams queuing at inner city stops

[ozbob]

No point at all actually other than capturing public transport in action. I was walking over the bridge and just took a photograph as I do.
Similar photographs in this thread and elsewhere.

Cheers
Bob

[jason]

Cool,

the cultural station does get congested during peak hour, but has greatly improved since they introduced pre-paid only during peak periods.

I think that the precint needs to be redesigned after Hale Street Link is opened.

The intersection of Melbourne and Grey Streets needs to be closed to all cross traffic, with vehicles heading south bound from cbd diverted only along Grey Street East Bound towards South Bank, with all other approaces of Grey Street and Melbourne Streets closed off.

This would allow for buses to have uninterrupted access to the city, and provisions for additional platforms including dedicated stops for services such as Queens Street and King George Square Stations.

Also think that there are too many different services that travel along the Busway (ie 111, 160, 133, 555) from Garden City and Beyond to the City,
I think that all these services should be combined into one service travelling from the HyperDome to the City (currently 555 route).

We constantly hear about something like 1500 services a month that are "full", but in reality only is 0.5% of total scheduled services provided. Often on the Busways only certain services including the 111 are full where is the 160 and 555 aren't. the problem is that the problem is where the originate from and terminate at. one route allows all passengers the same access to services.

I change buses at Garden City from home to work in Spring Hill, and often amazed how when it arrives into Garden City as the 136 is a banana buss is full of school students but when it leaves it has on average 10 to 15 people only.

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

New City Glider service provides buses every 10 minutes

New City Glider service provides buses every 10 minutes
Tony Moore | September 3, 2008 - 11:59AM

A $2 million study to begin early next year will finalise new routes for Brisbane's first mass transit bus service, which will provide buses every 10 minutes between West End, the Cultural Centre, the central city and Newstead.

The new "City Glider" service, to start at the end of 2009, could be run by a private transport company.

Cr Jane Prentice, chair of Brisbane's Public and Active Transport committee, told Brisbane City Council last night the City Glider service would have large "rigid" buses every 10 minutes between 7am and 7pm. The City Glider service will go to tender in the second half of 2009.

"We will go to tender, so it is not automatic that Brisbane Transport will run it," Cr Prentice said.

"What we have said to Translink is that we will go to tender so that they know, so that we are all confident, that we are getting the most effective and most efficient system."

A mass transit task force in September 2007 estimated it could cost $93 million to start - including new buses and capital costs - and around $3.1 billion a year to run.

A light rail network would cost about five times as much and cost $7.8 billion to run.

However, it has estimated net benefits of $3.4 billion, made up of fewer car trips and a reduction in congestion and road accidents.

Cr Prentice said two important technical studies had identified areas in Adelaide Street and along the proposed route to Newstead that needed further research.

"In the last two months, two important technical studies have been completed," she said.

"Firstly a Route Alignment Options Study, which has given consideration to the route between West End and Newstead, most appropriate to the characteristics of the service.

"This includes route options along the West End, CBD and the Valley to Newstead sections.

"And secondly, an Adelaide Street Technical Analysis which has looked into solutions to accommodate the City Glider along Adelaide Street.

"Both these studies concluded there is no significant barriers to the implementation of the system."

The $2 million study - funded equally by Brisbane City Council and the State Government - will now look at the detailed planning along the route.

"It will look in detail at the transport planning, the road use management, environmental and social impacts of this proposal," Cr Prentice said.

The study should be finalised in the first half of 2009 and then the proposed route will be put out for consultation.

"I will be meeting with relevant stakeholders in the next few weeks to brief them on Council's investigations so far into route alignments and to get their feedback on the proposal," Cr Prentice said.

Brisbane City Council plans to introduce the scheme into two stages - over the existing Victoria Street Bridge in the short-term - and then directly into Adelaide Street from Melbourne Street at South Brisbane if a second Victoria Street Bridge is built, as proposed by the State Government.

The Federal and State government have been asked to contribute to the costs.

This project was included in Brisbane City Council's new Transport Plan 2008-2026, which was adopted at last night's council meeting.

It lists $67 billion worth of road, rail, cycling and walking initiatives over the next 18 years, of which $10.5 billion would be financed by Brisbane City Council.

[ozbob]

Click here BCC Mass Transit Report

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Overcrowded buses leave passengers behind

Overcrowded buses leave passengers behind
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Alison Sandy

September 05, 2008 02:17pm

TWO in five bus users say they were left behind at a bus stop because the buses were too full last year, a Brisbane City Council passenger survey has revealed.
Of those, almost three-quarters had to wait longer than 15 minutes for the next bus.

The 2007 Bus Satisfaction Final Report also found that just over half of more than 1000 respondents were very happy with the council's bus service, and most of those were older passengers.

Key issues identified in the report included frequency of service, reliability, security, bus standards, information availability and driver relations.

"Bus users have experienced consistently delayed buses on routes they travel on frequently, causing inconvenience and long waiting periods," the report said.

"The timetable is thus often considered not useful and a better information system is needed to let the user know if the bus is late or has already been."

Passengers perceived one of the major concerns was lack of security personnel and cameras at bus stops, followed by the lack of adequate lighting at stops, particularly interchanges which are quite isolated.

"With regard to the issue of personal safety, it appears that safety concerns centre principally on safety at bus stops and interchanges, rather than on the bus itself, and this should be kept in mind when looking at areas for possible improvement," the report said.

The council recently announced it would install CCTV security cameras on buses.

[ozbob]

I fear this is more stop gap short term penny pinching solutions at work. 
Line transit is best provided by high capacity rail, light (or heavy).  Buses are not trains!
Buses have a particular role as does rail.

This is a non sustainable outcome which will cost dearly in the years to come ...  IMHO 

From Courier Mail click here!
Rapid bus riverside network plans for Brisbane

Rapid bus riverside network plans for Brisbane
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Alison Sandy

September 10, 2008 12:00am

A VIADUCT over the the Brisbane River running next to Kingsford Smith Drive may be part of a rapid bus transport network linking Hamilton and the CBD.
The proposal, in Brisbane City Council's Mass Transit Study, connects Hamilton's Northshore development to Newstead and would complement a high-frequency bus service running through West End, South Brisbane, the CBD and Newstead.

Announced by public and active transport chairwoman Jane Prentice last week, the new "City Glider" service is expected to be on the road by the end of next year.

"We're already getting on with the job of delivering a bus rapid-transit route from West End to Newstead, with a $2 million implementation study," she said.

"This City Glider is likely to include features such as modern, high-capacity vehicles carrying up to 100 passengers, 10-minute frequencies from 7am to 7pm daily, and 15-minute frequency at other times."

The Mass Transit Study suggested the buses use the viaduct.

"The Australia TradeCoast and the planned Northshore development will create significant public transport demand," the report said.

"In the future, the corridor could include a 'green' viaduct adjacent to Kingsford Smith Drive with improved provisions for pedestrians and cyclists."

A raft of developments are proposed in the area, with 20,000 people expected to move in due to growing employment opportunities at Australia TradeCoast, near the Brisbane airport.

The council's planning committee yesterday voted unanimously in favour of supporting an application by Multiplex for a Portside expansion at Hamilton, which included a unit and office block of up to 15 storeys

and which would force the relocation of the CityCat terminal at Brett's Wharf.

But the Lord Mayor's office yesterday handballed the decision on a viaduct to the State Government, despite claims by Labor that the bus service would be ineffective without it.

Opposition planning spokesman Milton Dick said the proposal wouldn't work on its own because Kingsford Smith Drive was already too congested.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman refused to comment, but a spokesman said $200 million was being spent upgrading Kingsford Smith Drive and the private sector would contribute.