13 June 2010: SEQ: Public transport priorities ...

[ozbob]

Media Release 13 June 2010

SEQ:  Public transport priorities - sporting events versus student examinations

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has said many tertiary students have been caught out by a lack of forward planning by authorities to supply public transport to allow students to attend examinations on Saturdays (1).  Additionally major problems with the rail network have further caused students stress in attempting to make examination starts the past two weekends.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"End of semester examinations are an important part of academic programs at universities. Many universities now schedule examinations on Saturdays to to cope with the increase in student numbers.  Unfortunately public transport has not matched this demand."

"The major problem is with students needing to travel to the St Lucia campus for examinations at the University of Queensland.  Yesterday for example, students who had arrived by train at the Park Road / Boggo Road interchange discovered that there were no buses timetabled before 8am."

"According to the present timetable there there is only one 412 bus timetabled that MIGHT get students to UQ on time – it is supposed to arrive at Chancellor's Place at 7.55am.  According to Translink, the only reliable way students could have arrived by 8am from Sandgate was to leave home at 5.15am, and change to the City Cat!"

"TransLink and Government delight in laying on public transport for sporting events, surely the same support can be given to tertiary students, regular users of public transport?"


Reference:

1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3954.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion thread --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3954.0