Article: Transport use booms but reliability of buses queried

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From the Courier Mail click here!

Transport use booms but reliability of buses queried

Transport use booms but reliability of buses queried
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

August 07, 2009 12:00am

PUBLIC satisfaction with buses has fallen, with reliability and efficiency dropping to their lowest level in a year, says a new survey.

The latest customer satisfaction survey released publicly today, the TransLink Tracker, shows buses are considered the southeast's most unreliable and inefficient form of public transport.

A survey of more than 3000 of the southeast's commuters by TransLink, released to The Courier-Mail, shows buses were ranked lowest in reliability, frequency, accessibility and efficiency, while trains were considered the worst for ease of use and cleanliness, safety and affordability.

The survey, which did not include taxis, showed satisfaction with on-time running and frequency scored the lowest satisfaction rate for all modes except ferries.

A spokesman for TransLink said efficiency could be improved.

"Recent surveys have shown us that TransLink customers rate proximity, reliability, efficiency and ease of use as the top four areas, followed by affordability in fifth," he said.

The State Government says it is confident overcrowding on the public transport network can be tackled, despite new figures showing record numbers of Queenslanders are relying on the system.

State Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said 181.9 million public transport trips were recorded across the network last year, an increase of over 12.5 million on the previous year.

"This year's growth included 8.6 per cent for buses, 5.2 per cent for rail and 4.8 per cent for ferries," she said.

Ms Nolan admitted that the burgeoning passenger numbers were putting pressure on the network, but said overcrowding was being addressed.

"Of course, this also places more pressure on the network but we have met that demand by boosting services to allow capacity for an additional 14.5 million trips across the TransLink network, which is an incredible achievement in itself.

"Rail trips were boosted by eight new train services . . . (leading) to a decrease in train crowding during peak periods from 43 per cent to 33 per cent in the past 12 months."

Buses carried more than half of all passengers last year, while 61 million passenger trips were recorded on trains and 6.6 million trips on ferries.