Ministerial Statement: Numbers don't stack up for CityLink service

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
26/06/2009

Numbers don't stack up for CityLink service

Taxpayer funding will not be used to prop up the CityLink bus service.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the Southern Cross Transit service between Ipswich and Indooroopilly via Karalee and Karana Downs, which started in December 2007, would not be funded by the State Government, through TransLink.

"For public transport services to provide value for money and to operate cost effectively, they must service medium to high-density areas, which is not the case for the CityLink service," Ms Nolan said.

"TransLink will consider providing urban bus services once population densities reach seven dwellings per hectare, but most suburbs on the CityLink route have a density of just 1.6 dwellings per hectare.

"Clearly, this density is not sufficient to consider a taxpayer subsidised public transport service of this nature, particularly in comparison to other areas across the TransLink network.

"TransLink will continue to monitor these suburbs and should population density in these areas increase, it will again review the services provided."

Ms Nolan said TransLink recently undertook observations of the route on two separate days and found that on average there was less than one passenger per CityLink service run over the two days.

"We cannot justify directing funding to this service based on these poor passenger numbers and low population densities in the areas it runs, some of which fall outside the TransLink network boundary," Ms Nolan said.

"People could consider bus services on TransLink routes 443 and 444 that provide a five-minute service frequency during peak times to the city from the nearby Bellbowrie bus stop.

"The State Government, though TransLink, is also investing $1.9m for a new park 'n' ride facility on Moggill Road at Kenmore and continues to investigate other enhancements to bus services west of Brisbane."

Ms Nolan said catching trains was also an option for residents in the affected areas.

"The passenger load survey for trains on the Ipswich line in March showed that the number of crowded trains in the morning peaks has decreased from 58 to 23 per cent," Ms Nolan said.

"The State Government, through QR and TransLink, is also adding extra rollingstock - roughly one three-car set each month to the network to a total of 102 new three-car rail sets and stabling by 2016.

"This increase has resulted in eight extra morning services and capacity for an additional 6000 people each weekday on the TransLink train network, which includes five new morning services on the Ipswich line.

"Passengers numbers continue to rise across the TransLink network - about 50 per cent growth over the past five years."

Ms Nolan said for more information about public transport, please visit www.translink.com.au or phone 13 12 30, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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[ozbob]

This story was published on Jan 28, 2009.

From the Westside News click here!

Service set to fold

Service set to fold

HUNDREDS of commuters in the outer western suburbs will be left stranded as the privately-funded Southern Cross busline looks almost certain to cease operations by July.

Without some form of funding, Southern Cross general manager Frank Oliveri said the firm would have to close its Indooroopilly to Ipswich busline by the end of the financial year, because it was losing too much money. ?There is no public transport service in Australia which is commercially viable on its own, they all rely on some form on funding,? Mr Oliveri said.

?If we go under there will be no other transport option besides cars for the people in outer suburbs like Karana Downs.?
The state government is refusing to provide any funding for the service, saying that while the area is within Brisbane?s electoral boundary, it is not within TransLink?s transport contract area.

However Member for Moggill Dr Bruce Flegg said the government was simply making up reasons to avoid funding the scheme.
?The Samford Valley area is very similar to this area in that both are semi-rural and low-density, and yet they have qualified for TransLink funding while the people of the outer west are being ignored,? Dr Flegg said.

A Translink spokesman said: ?Currently the services on Route 444 and 443 connect Pinjarra Hills, Bellbowrie and Moggill to Indooroopilly and the CBD and patronage levels suggest further service are not required at this stage.?

[ButFli]

If it's true that the service averages less than one passenger per run then I am not surprised funding has been cut. Having empty buses driving around is a strain on the state's bank balance and a strain on the environment for no benefit. I wonder what the highest number of passengers on a run has been?

Perhaps this area one that would benefit from that subsidised taxi scheme. The one where passengers pay the standard Tranlink fare to the taxi and the Government picks up the rest of the bill. It would have to be more cost effective than the current bus.

[ozbob]

My understanding was there were a lot more than just one passenger per run.  It may be that it was just a quiet period when they sampled.  This service has never been funded by TransLink, the operator was carrying the costs.

Southern Cross City Link  --> http://www.southerncrosstransit.com.au/newservices.htm

I just saw a 468 with no one on it. Some days are like that ...

[mufreight]

Another case of Translink fudging the figures, I have used the service to travel from Ipswich to Kenmore a number of times and there has never been less than five passengers on the bus with passengers getting on and off at various points.
The traveling time for me being about 35 minutes as against over two hours with three changes of mode, bus train walk and bus as the alternative as opposed to a recent trip on a service operated for Translink between Carole Park to Orion Town (Springfield) on which I was the only passenger and the driver informed me that he was doing his last trip of the day and that I was his third passenger.
It would seem that Translink fudges the figures to suit a misplaced case of politicial expediency, the Citylink service operated by Southern Cross operates through opposition electorates.