Buses in trouble in Brisbane

[ozbob]

From an article in todays Courier Mail

BRISBANE is in the midst of a public transport crisis with not enough buses and not enough CBD kerb space to handle many more.
Two out of three buses on major city routes are overcrowded during peak hours.

And the situation is only going to get worse, with the council needing to more than double its 642-strong bus fleet by 2026 if growth trends continue.

More at http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20112994-5007200,00.html

It would make sense to properly integrate suburban rail, feeder buses to intermediate railway staions.  This would then allow buses to access the city from routes where no other option.

[ozbob]

Interesting development in Brisbane City Council yesterday.  The labor majority moved to take back control of the Bus and Ferry system.  Hopefully this might be a precursor to some sensible integration with rail.  

We need increased suburban  train frequencies peak and off peak on all lines though, particularly Gold Coast, North Coast and Ipswich.  These units are already straining at the seams, particularly for peak services.  But, the only reliable way for many commuters to make the daily trek to work is rail.  Buses are just too haphazard and overloaded.

Best wishes
Bob

[Captain Sensible]

From an article in todays Courier Mail

It would make sense to properly integrate suburban rail, feeder buses to intermediate railway staions.  This would then allow buses to access the city from routes where no other option.

I can't agree more on this topic it seems to me that there is much duplication and wastage in the system.

I live in Albany Creek and our only options are to catch a BCC bus to the city yet we are right between the Ferny Grove and Strathpine rail stations. If that bus ran to either of these stations we would have a faster commute as our bus currently takes over 45 minutes to go to the city as it is usually tangled up in the traffic chaos.

To make it worse my bus route (359) only has 3 services in the morning which arrive in the city before 9:00 am and after 5:00 PM only 2 returning to the suburb. Tough if you miss the 5:50 PM bus. This is even more tragic as it is always full and regularly drives by people who try to hail it, I often wonder how those people get home.

If the bus ran to Ferny Grove or even closer Groveley station only 2 buses could cycle to the station and back 5 or 6 times giving a better service at less cost, or better yet free up a bus to run on another route.

Our transport planners only see things from their particular service, not as part of an integrated system. I lived in London for a time and while the city is congested at least they try and integrate the different transport systems.

[ozbob]

Spot on Captain.  Reports out of Melbourne are indicating very big increases in communters on trains, buses and trams.  An important component is feeder buses to railway stations.  Making it efficient and easy for folks to get around without the hassles of parking etc. etc.

Regards
Ozbob