2018 Commonwealth Games

[achiruel]

Read somewhere this morning (I think it might have been in the comments section of the CM) that apparently after the opening ceremony, security was only allowing one bus to board at a time. I wonder if they were only allowing boarding through the front door as well, in case of fare evasion? 

[Cazza]

All transport across the Translink network (except Airtrain of course) is free for any games attendees, volunteers etc.

I don't know why they only load one bus at a time. I was down at the SCG after an AFL game last year and they were doing the same thing with the shuttles to Central only through the front doors (but I think they were boarding two buses at a time). Also, for some reason, you have to pay for transport to games and events down in Sydney. Not sure why. Luckily I had my Opal Card in my wallet as I only found out we had to pay as I went to board the bus.

[James]

A friend of mine on Facebook posted about how the queue for the bus and the "queue" to walk to Nerang Station were mixed together. People walking to Nerang station were also made to cross the road multiple times.

Perhaps this is how they prevent "crush loading" at Nerang station, but you think it would be an easy win just to let those who want to walk from the Games go off and do their own thing...

[SteelPan]

A "Mark Peters", some overpaid boffin at the GC "games" organisation, is now calling people lunatics if they think standing [at least] 1/2 the night in transport line is not acceptable - particularly when the event was in the planning for YEARS!!!!  Apparently, highly paid Mr Peters and his "games" organisation were caught by something of a surprise, when having sold [given away] 43,000 tickets to an event last night.....43,000 people showed up!!!! [Mind you, I'm kind of surprised they did too  ]

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/981743905073844224

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/981749943000956932

[Mr X]

No one is expecting 'flawless' PT but you'd think someone would have crunched the numbers wrt access to/from the opening and closing ceremonies. It's rude to call punters 'lunatics' for expecting better when people were left waiting for hours and they had been telling people to use PT..

[techblitz]

yep...makes you wonder.....they probably did crunch the numbers and knew it would collapse from day dot....but kept it under wraps so as to not create an opening ceremony anti-ticket sales panic.
Who knows....either way that comm games official is arrogant.....
I guess his comments will be kept in mind when the gold coast puts it hands up for any future large scale events.

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Commonwealth Games commuters demand money back after two-hour wait for buses

Commonwealth Games organisers have been criticised after thousands of people faced lengthy waits on their way to and from last night's opening ceremony at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Some commuters were stranded at Broadbeach for up to two hours while waiting for shuttle buses to take them to the venue, while others waited hours for buses after the ceremony, some past midnight.

Vicki and Wayne Graham said they were "p%ssed  off" by the wait and the lack of communication.

    "We actually want our money back, you know $380 a ticket," Ms Graham said.

"It's only a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us."

Michelle Martin and Beth Dias said they were tired and fed up after waiting hours for a bus.

    "We're extremely disappointed and we're extremely embarrassed because there's people here who have come long distances, and this is the best we can do? This is a fail," Michelle Martin said.

Anne Greenup from Eidsvold waited for an hour at the front of the bus queue at Broadbeach.

"There were still five, six thousand people behind us at 6pm ... There were just no buses."
Commuters still waiting after midnight

For Ms Greenup, who works on a cattle station, things only got worse afterwards.

"We left the stadium at 10:45pm, we then proceeded to wait for two hours."

"Eventually at 12:30am someone had the foresight to start loading more than one bus at a time, it was just ludicrous.

"We'd still be doing our first lot of branding from 1972 if we loaded cattle like that.

    "I've never seen such an abysmal display of logistics."

Hayley Grima said she waited more than two hours to get on a shuttle bus heading to Broadbeach after the ceremony.

"We were stuck in a line, a big group of people, we couldn't see the end of the line so no-one knew how big it was.

"At the start we thought it'd be fine because we were reassured it would only be 10 or so minutes until we'd get on a bus.

She did not get on a bus until 1:10am.

Ms Grima said the delays put a dampener on what was a great opening ceremony.

"No-one seemed too angry but people were definitely getting sick of it towards the end."

People have also vented their frustration on social media.

    "It can take up to 20mins to get in and out of Suncorp Stadium [in Brisbane] ... by the way they fit 10,000 more people [than Carrara]!!!!! [sic]" Andrew O'Brien posted on Facebook.

Rona Beacall posted it was "chaos" trying to leave the stadium, even if walking.

Translink's Matt Longland acknowledged that some customers "waited longer than they would have liked".

"All of those spectators had departed Broadbeach South by about 6:40pm, the event started at 7:30 so they got to the Carrara Stadium with plenty of time to see the event and enjoy it," he said.

Mr Longland said the delays were due to there being larger crowds waiting in that area than were expected.

"We carried about 5,000 people from that venue and that led to some congestion early on," he said.

"We did see lots of pressure on the bus network and we brought extra buses on to meet that demand."

Mr Longland said the public transport plans would be adjusted on a daily basis.

"Every night and every day of the event will be different so we're managing that network in real time," he said.

Minister apologises

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said he was sorry for the delays, and changes were already being put in place to stop it from happening again.

"There were 23 extra buses dispatched as soon as the issue was identified," Mr Bailey said.

"We made adjustments based on the dress rehearsals and what we saw was 2,000 extra people go to Broadbeach South."

He said everyone from the Broadbeach South stop made it to the ceremony.

"Can we improve it for today and future days? Absolutely, and we've already done that," Mr Bailey said.

"I apologise to people who had to wait longer than we would've preferred and they would've preferred, and we're working to rectify that."

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/981761911384555521

[BrizCommuter]

GC2018 - Disgrace Shuttle!
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/gc2018-disgrace-shuttle.html

[ozbob]

GC2018 - Disgrace Shuttle!
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/gc2018-disgrace-shuttle.html

Sent to all outlets  &

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/981820345953927168

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/981805825864777729

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> From Broadbeach South to Carrara opening ceremony and back ... eventually

THE frustration of Commonwealth Games day one attendees caught in major transport delays to and from the Opening Ceremony was understandable — I was one of them.

Like 5000 others, I hit Broadbeach South station with my ticket expecting a relatively painless free bus ride out to Carrara's stadium (Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey admitted yesterday they had planned for just 3000 turning up and were caught out).

The State Government, as many would later say, had "one job". Surely they'd get it right.

But the scene on arrival just after 6pm was tense. I joined the back of a queue full of frustrated Games goers, some of whom said they had been waiting over an hour for a bus. Others were giving up and walking off to book Ubers and taxis.

This wasn't good and it got worse before it got better. A tram load of ticketholders arrived and were immediately ushered onto a bus which rolled up, sparking boos from an exasperated mob running out of patience.

A mate texted to say he'd quit where I was after two hours and went via tram to Helensvale and train to Nerang. I was starting to make alternative plans myself when a woman beside me said the far opposite side was moving quicker.

I followed her and was on a bus within minutes, feeling guilty about those who'd just told me they had been there over an hour. Our bus left with three spare seats despite our cries to the driver and officials.

Minister Bailey has admitted they planned for fewer numbers turning up at the Broadbeach South depot but the communication from those marshalling people into buses was also dire.

The communication was better after the breathtaking opening ceremony — but the wait was far worse.

I walked out of the stadium on a high from the spectacle like 35,000 others about 10.35pm. But the high had gone by 1.15am when I was still there with the final spectators to leave.

It seemed to me like there were too few access lanes to waiting buses — with thousands wanting to make the return trip to Broadbeach South funnelled into a bottleneck.

I had to agree with Mayor Tom Tate who yesterday morning speculated more "sliplanes" were possibly needed.

Whatever the reasons, it was a debacle by any measure.

Caloundra pair Kerry Richards and Leon Adams were the last two on the final bus at 1.15am. They'd also endured the two-hour wait at Broadbeach South at the start. Somehow, they were still in good spirits, with Mr Richards saying he'd be going to sleep back at their Broadbeach hotel and Ms Adams saying she'd be hitting the Surfers Paradise bars.

"I wouldn't want to judge it on this alone but it's a bit hard not too. Let's just hope it gets better," Mr Richards said.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Prince Charles and Prime Minister's motorcades contribute to transport nightmare

THREE motorcades of dignitaries — including royals — leaving the opening ceremony separately and not simultaneously as planned contributed to thousands of paying spectators stranded for hours.

Motorcades for Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Governor-General Peter Cosgrove are being fingered as part of the day one transport debacle by a high-level source.

A major bottleneck of departing ticketholders after the Commonwealth Games showpiece at Carrara's stadium on Wednesday night led to families and elderly not leaving on a final bus until almost three hours after it ended.

"Two things happened that delayed the ability for people to get away from the stadium. It took 25 minutes for the dignitary motorcades to leave.

"They were supposed to leave together. They left separately and there were required security protocols around it," the source, close to transport arrangements, said.

"The plan was for them to leave together but they left separately, which is probably not optimal.

Stranded ceremony goers still there at 1am included Weipa mum Sandy Aldcroft, holding her sleeping four-year-old Mia.

"You have to expect you are going to have to wait but not two-and-a-half hours," Ms Aldcroft said.

The dignitaries did not need the dedicated Games lanes set aside for athletes as under strict security protocols there could not be any other moving vehicles on the routes.

"Basically, they had to leave the zone first and all the athletes then had priority to get home as quickly as they can to rest and be ready for the Games and that's understandable," the source told the Bulletin.

"Once those two things happen then everyone was able to move."

Asked about revelations of the VIP motorcades going one by one, instead of simultaneously and contributing to delays, under-pressure Queensland Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey passed the buck: "That would be a matter for (Games organising committee) GOLDOC.

"We were given a time when things could move and that was out of our control."

TRAMS OVERWHELMED BY PASSENGERS FOR 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Spectators queued for buses to transport them to the Opening Ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, with some waiting two hours at Broadbeach South station — many gave up and took Uber. (AAP Image/Ed Jackson)

GOLDOC referred to the Queensland Police Service (QPS) which didn't respond directly to Bulletin questions about the motorcades going separately.

"Motorcades will be utilised to transport Internationally Protected Persons (IPPs) which will include temporarily restricting road and pedestrian access for short periods of time," a QPS statement said.

"For security reasons the QPS does not comment on specific arrangements for IPP movements. Every attempt is made to keep disruptions to a minimum."

The ceremony finished at 10.35pm but the final bus full of spectators did not depart to Broadbeach South Station until 1.15am.

On the way to the opening, some ticketholders who used the Broadbeach South transport station had to wait two hours before getting a bus. Sydney resident Leonie Curtis said: "This isn't a holiday, this is torture ... the most disgustingly organised event I could imagine."
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Mr Bailey said based on dress rehearsals, organisers planned on 3000 using the depot but 5000 descended on it off the light rail, overwhelming the number of buses allocated.

"We had 2000 extra people rolling up to Broadbeach south. But we identified that pretty quickly and immediately dispatched 23 extra buses."

Mr Bailey, who came under fire for tweeting dismissively on Wednesday night about the holdups, said yesterday Broadbeach South was cleared by 6.45pm and no one missed the 8pm opening.

"I apologise to people who had to wait longer than we would've preferred and they wouldn't preferred and we're working to rectify that."

City bus company Surfside, who missed the Games transport contract to country Victoria contractor, was called to help clear the bottlenecks, Mr Bailey admitted.

He dismissed calls by LNP Shadow Steve Minniken and Deputy Leader Tim Mander for his sacking.

"The LNP were on track for a disastrous Games on a transport front," Mr Bailey said, saying they had no plan to duplicate heavy rail from Helensvale to Coomera or build Light Rail stage 2 fast-tracked over the past 18 months.

Mr Bailey said constant improvements based on travel patterns from day one would be made to Games transport.

GOLDOC referred to the Queensland Police Service (QPS) which didn't respond directly to Bulletin questions about the motorcades going separately.

"Motorcades will be utilised to transport Internationally Protected Persons (IPPs) which will include temporarily restricting road and pedestrian access for short periods of time," a QPS statement said.

"For security reasons the QPS does not comment on specific arrangements for IPP movements. Every attempt is made to keep disruptions to a minimum."

The ceremony finished at 10.35pm but the final bus full of spectators did not depart to Broadbeach South Station until 1.15am.

On the way to the opening, some ticketholders who used the Broadbeach South transport station had to wait two hours before getting a bus. Sydney resident Leonie Curtis said: "This isn't a holiday, this is torture ... the most disgustingly organised event I could imagine."

Mr Bailey said based on dress rehearsals, organisers planned on 3000 using the depot but 5000 descended on it off the light rail, overwhelming the number of buses allocated.

"We had 2000 extra people rolling up to Broadbeach south. But we identified that pretty quickly and immediately dispatched 23 extra buses."

Mr Bailey, who came under fire for tweeting dismissively on Wednesday night about the holdups, said yesterday Broadbeach South was cleared by 6.45pm and no one missed the 8pm opening.

"I apologise to people who had to wait longer than we would've preferred and they wouldn't preferred and we're working to rectify that."

City bus company Surfside, who missed the Games transport contract to country Victoria contractor, was called to help clear the bottlenecks, Mr Bailey admitted.

He dismissed calls by LNP Shadow Steve Minniken and Deputy Leader Tim Mander for his sacking.

"The LNP were on track for a disastrous Games on a transport front," Mr Bailey said, saying they had no plan to duplicate heavy rail from Helensvale to Coomera or build Light Rail stage 2 fast-tracked over the past 18 months.

Mr Bailey said constant improvements based on travel patterns from day one would be made to Games transport.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Gold Coast light rail trams overwhelmed by passengers for 2018 Commonwealth Games

The Gold Coast's light rail network is under pressure on day two of the Commonwealth Games with major delays and packed trams unable to take on passengers when they pull into stations.

Passengers hoping to get on at the Northcliffe stop in Surfers Paradise this afternoon were facing at least a twenty minute wait when it usually comes through every five or six minutes.

Digital scheduling alerts were no longer correct and contain warnings the tram system is facing delays due to overcrowding.

When a packed tram heading from Northcliffe toward Southport stopped at Cavill Mall, nobody waiting there could get on.

A tram official said it was hard to say when trams would arrive as the service was now irregular — they said sometimes two would could come at once then you wouldn't see one for 20 minutes.

[SurfRail]

Excellent!  That just strengthens the case for buying another batch so we can increase the standard headway to a tram every 6 minutes 7 days a week in future.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Letters to the Editor 7th April 2018

GOLD Coast Commonwealth Games CEO Mark Peters has described spectators who encountered transport delays before and after the opening ceremony as "lunatics" (C-M, Apr 6).

Well, it has been drummed into us to use public transport to get to Games events, so shouldn't we expect the trip to be without long delays?

I live half-an-hour from Carrara but got home at 1.15am, more than two hours after the opening ceremony finished.

Maybe Peters and Transport Minister Mark Bailey should get out of their taxpayer-funded cars and try using public transport.

See how they like it.

Ken Wood, Hollywell

==

I AM visiting the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games and was one of the "lunatics" referred to by Mark Peters.

I think his comments are a disgrace.

He must have been nowhere near the Broadbeach South interchange on opening night.

It was the most chaos for an event I have ever been caught up in.

Apart from the safety aspect, none of the people who were in charge had any knowledge of what was happening, let alone how to resolve an untenable situation.

Yes, we do expect some delays, but not of that severity.

At all the events I have been to, the weak link is the shuttle buses.

On Thursday night at Coomera, after the gymnastics, it was the same problem.

I am from Perth, where we have just opened a new stadium and 60,000 people are moved out in one hour.

Peters does not deserve his job after his comments.

Khrys Thomas, Floreat, WA

==


I CERTAINLY felt a little "mad" standing in a stationary queue of thousands trying to leave the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

It was potentially very dangerous as well as uncomfortable.

So from the point of view of this fee-paying "lunatic", having the major walkway from the stadium to Nerang train station intersecting an endless stream of shuttle buses was "not smart".

An apology without the label, perhaps, Mark Peters?

David Jones, Clontarf

==


IN A classic "let them eat cake" moment, Mark Peters labelled opening ceremony spectators caught up in the bus chaos as "lunatics".

I wonder if he made this comment from his office or his limo.

Barry Davies, Cranbrook

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Embarrassing bus bungle takes athletes to Brisbane instead of Coolangatta

BEACH volleyballers bound for Coolangatta instead ended up at the cycling velodrome in Brisbane in a staggering Commonwealth Games bus bungle.

The Grenada women's beach volleyball team needed a police escort back to the Coast, and their match had to be delayed, after an out-of-town bus driver took them to the Anna Meares Velodrome at Chandler, 100km from Coolangatta.

Sources said the driver, from Bowen in north Queensland, was using a sat nav device not authorised by GOLDOC, and headed north from the Athletes Village at Southport instead of south.

"Something's the matter when you don't know where Coolangatta is," a transport insider said.

It is the second controversy to embroil the country Victorian bus line controversially awarded the Games transport contract, after thousands of spectators heading to Wednesday night's opening ceremony were left stranded.

"When they realised that the bus was a little of course, and time was running down, they immediately rushed to our aid and sent an escort," a Grenada team official said.

The bungle saw the team arrive late for their 12.45pm match against Scotland and they lost 2-0. Team members blamed their loss on the fact they had no time to warm up.

A GOLDOC spokeswoman said the players "arrived in enough time to warm up and take the field of play".

Games chairman Peter Beattie said: "We will review all of our systems to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Gold Coast LNP MP Jann Stuckey said last night it was another example of why an interstate bus company should not have been given the job.

"It was always a recipe for disaster," she said. "If you don't know where Coolangatta is, you shouldn't be driving a bus."

:conf

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982298117365051392

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982298300308013057

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982354858622697478

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982365175918411777

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982369037240778752

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/SmartState1/status/982377781341253632

[techblitz]

It's absolutely no surprise that mark bailey stepped up and apologized for the opening ceremony debacle.
He was the patsy who had only been in his current job for a couple of months.
Its the other clowns who had been in charge from day one who should have delivered the official apology.
But no...they would rather sit there and insult the very people who heeded the 'plan your travel early' suggestions.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982426105918275585

[ozbob]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/comm-games-live-boxer-bitten-below-the-belt-as-aussies-cement-place-on-top-of-medal-table/news-story/c01c5c78fb9faf02dddbd6bd11129b28

OFFICIALS TAKE ACTION TO AVOID MORE BUS BLUNDERS

NAVIGATORS are now riding shotgun on Gold Coast Commonwealth Games athlete buses to prevent a repeat of the embarrassing blunder where beach volleyballers were bussed to Brisbane instead of Coolangatta.

Games organisers were left red-faced on Friday after an out-of-town bus driver took the Grenada women's beach volleyball team to the Anna Meares velodrome at Chandler, 100km from Coolangatta.

The North Queensland-based driver was using a sat nav device not authorised by Games organisers.

Games boss Mark Peters said the bungle was 'not acceptable' and guides were now being placed on buses to ensure athletes reached the correct venues.

"We have to have extra people on the buses to make sure this never happens again," he said.

The Grenada team has asked to arrive two hours early for tonight's match against Australia, officials said.

[BrizCommuter]

Inside information that shuttle bus queues from the gymnastics at Coomera were quite bad the last two nights (up to 60min waits). The shuttle bus services and loading processes cannot handle the peak crowd surges, unlike for example Suncorp Stadium. Almost 100% reliance on shuttle buses at some venues does not help either.

[ozbob]

^

https://twitter.com/megandennis03/status/982390049697181696

[SurfRail]

Inside information that shuttle bus queues from the gymnastics at Coomera were quite bad the last two nights (up to 60min waits). The shuttle bus services and loading processes cannot handle the peak crowd surges, unlike for example Suncorp Stadium. Almost 100% reliance on shuttle buses at some venues does not help either.

This is the main issue.  It's the security theatrics.

[300LA]

Spent today down at the Comm Games, a few observations for anyone heading down tomorrow/next weekend:
- GC2018 Journey planner recommended me to change trains @ eagle junction (for a transfer that didn't exist). Better to transfer at Bowen Hills as most GC trains originate here not @ Airport. Despite EJ being covered in signage saying "GC trains every 10min or better". They were running every 30min (@ 6:30).
- Train left Roma st at 6:55 (ish), was pretty full by Beenleigh. By the time we got to Coomera all seats were taken and multiple people standing per carriage.
- Multi bus loading at various temp bus stops was pretty smooth when you consider thousands of people and a temporary setup.
- Queues at Helensvale for Light Rail @ 13:00 (but only a 10-15min wait). Lots of station staff employed to assist. There was a disgruntled customer complaining that staff were causing 'excessive queuing' at Helensvale because  trams departed 1/2 full. Translink staff replied that if they left full, that no one could board at subsequent stations. This was validated as we picked up significant pax at GCUH & Southport.
- No checking of tickets/GoCards, anyone could travel for free if they were so inclined. I can't see an easy way to police this without causing significant delays.
- Coming back north around 17:30, trams were *full*, between Cavil and Southport. I wouldn't say crush loading, but definitely at full capacity.
- Throughout the day, really good transitions between train-tram, tram-bus & bus-train.
- Busses must have been sourced from everywhere. We encountered busses from Logan, Glasshouse, Toowoomba and a range of private schools.

Overall, transport worked well. Only critism was some of the pickup/departure stops seemed in odd locations (i.e. 400-500m from their respective venues)

[ozbob]

^ thanks for that.  Seems to have settled down a bit now.   

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Commonwealth Games 2018: Organisers admit they scared visitors away

COMMONWEALTH Games bosses have admitted they scared people off with fears of traffic chaos and have launched a desperate bid to lure visitors to what was meant to be Australia's biggest party.

A social media blitz spruiking the Gold Coast's world-class dining scene will kick off as an added incentive for people in the daytrip catchment area to hit the Glitter Strip.

It is understood Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is unhappy with the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) for a traffic management plan that scared people away altogether.

While the event has seen world records tumble in front of packed crowds, other parts of the Gold Coast have resembled a ghost town.

Speaking to The Sunday Mail, GOLDOC Chairman Peter Beattie said the strong messaging about transport plans had scared people off.

"We were worried about the traffic, of course we were," he said.

"I think we probably did (go too far) and I accept responsibility for that. That's not the government, that's me.

"What we are now saying is that the traffic plans have worked really well and we want to encourage people to come down, eat at local restaurants, enjoy this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Anyone who was apprehensive about coming, don't be."

Games Minister Kate Jones met with Mr Beattie on Saturday and channelled her inner Price is Right host to urge people to head for the coast, where hotels have slashed prices.

"Come on down," she said.

"What we would hate is for Queenslanders to wake up in a couple of weeks and think they should have gone.

"Even if it was before your time, we grew up with the memories of Brisbane in '82 (hosting the Games).

"Now it's our time."

Crowds at the sporting events have been exceptional, but the mass exodus after sessions has left many local businesses out in the cold.

Free entertainment precincts and Games hubs were designed to prevent bottlenecks for trams and buses after events finished, but so far attendances in those precincts have been mediocre.

Main Beach cafe owner Michael Furnell said business was picking up as the Games built momentum.

"Come down and experience it," he said.

"There's plenty of parking, the traffic is probably better than it is on any normal weekend."

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

8th April 2018

Rail - heavy and light going well for GC2018

Good Morning,

Day 4 of the Games.  Queensland Rail is doing a good job with the heavy rail service on the Gold Coast line.  So far reliable and generally on time, and high frequency.  It is sad though the rest of the SEQ rail network is lumbered with such poor service frequency.  A good thing though is that service disruptions have been minimal on the wider network so far.  Be great if Queensland Rail would carry this momentum on after the Games hey?

Light rail is carrying a lot more passengers than was anticipated. They are still however managing well although some short waits at times.

The Surfside route bus network appears to be working well.  The only real concern is the long wait for some of the games bus shuttles, particularly after events.  This is to be expected to a minor degree, buses are not trains or trams.  A particular trouble spot has been at the Gymnastics venue at Coomera, shuttles leaving from there. Long waits, which appear to be exacerbated by poor loading processes.  These should be reviewed in an attempt to speed things up a little.

Well done so far to all.

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982651121121378304

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982738980457205760

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/982715463846191104

[BrizCommuter]

Heading to the Games today (2pm Athletics session) with MrsCommuter and 3xMiniCommuter. Using the Yatala Park'n'Ride, not going anywhere near trains! Will report back on the fun tonight (including estimate time comparison vs if we had used the train from home).

No surprise about the lack of business in Gold Coast. The whole Park'n'Ride and Rail based network means that most visitors mainly avoid the entertainment/eating precincts.

[ozbob]

^ hope it goes well.  Look forward to hearing the outcomes. 

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/PommiePaulyB/status/982441976443191296

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/GetSet2018/status/982744851581161472

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/GetSet2018/status/982772534214094848

https://twitter.com/GetSet2018/status/982758685800845322

[BrizCommuter]

M1 is busy at Beenleigh but still moving at 90-100kph.