16 jun 2012: Queensland: 'Independent' Commission of Audit - some comments ...

[ozbob]

Media release 16 June 2012

Queensland: 'Independent' Commission of Audit - some comments on Public Transport

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers notes the 'Independent' Commission of Audit's recent interim report (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Pages 161 - 171 of the report deal with transport - in particular, Queensland Rail and TransLink. Noticeably, Brisbane Transport - which has leaseback agreements with the state and carries roughly half the passengers in SEQ - has escaped review. Why? While in certain cases the bus network complements the rail system, but because the basic Brisbane bus network pre-dates TransLink it is not as efficient and effective as it could otherwise be. Refusal to install T2 lanes and other bus priority measures on major arterial and sub-arterial roads such as Coronation Drive, Wynnum Road, and Sir Fred Schonell Drive mean that extra government funds are being wasted on paying for more drivers and buses to sit in traffic so that single occupant vehicles can have their second lane, while revenue from potential extra passengers are being lost due to the degradation of service quality. The failure to separate Brisbane Transport from Brisbane City Council has also led to money-wasting inefficient proposals such as Maroon CityGliders, to the detriment of the wider network."

"Many aspects of the report perform 'cost-only analysis' (rather than cost-benefit analysis) and appear to neglect quantifying and comparing the outcomes and outputs that flow from the purpose of government - providing services in to increase the benefits to the public. For example, chart 10.6 on page 169 shows an increase in TransLink's grant revenue, but the graph is meaningless without a comparison to the purpose and outcomes of funding TransLink - increasing public transport patronage and providing coverage services. What could possibly be the purpose of a so called 'analysis' if it only analyses inputs but neglects to compare them back to outcomes and outputs?"

"Pages 169 & 170 also bemoans the fact that bus patronage is increasing but train patronage is not despite increased funding for Queensland Rail, and then wrongly recommends 'enhanced mode contestability'. It appears that the commission does not understand that, in a network, you don't want the left hand to be competing with the right hand, especially when they are both government funded. Essentially, the report implies that because the right hand (buses, ferries) is doing better than the left hand (trains), that the left hand should be cut off. For obvious reasons, we disagree. The reason for the discrepancy is very simple - buses have had a number of no-nonsense high frequency, all-day services added over the last decade (109, 66, and BUZ services 100, 120, 130, 140, 180, 196, 200, 222, 330, 333, 340, 345, 385, 412, 444, CityGlider). And what has the rail network got in that time? High frequency on the Ipswich line was extended by just two stations - from Corinda to Darra with the opening of the Richlands line. The rest of the money was poured into concrete to the neglect of services. Recast the bus network to feed trains, put on high-frequency Train Upgrade Zones (TUZ, 2) and you will solve this problem."

"The simplistic cost analysis chart 10.8 page 170 based on trips only is misleading.  Additional metrics such as passenger kilometres and trip length itself need to be properly considered.  Passenger kilometre average trip length for rail is much greater than bus, once that is properly analysed rail is actually more cost competitive and with high frequency/loading is actually cheaper. Which is why rail was chosen for the Moreton Bay Rail Link over bus. There are certainly efficiencies that can be made however with all modes."

"RAIL Back On Track looks forward to the commission's final report, and in particular, an analysis of Brisbane Transport, Maroon CityGlider, the removal of duplicative paper ticketing, and how efficiencies may be gained by recasting services around a Core Frequent Network by reducing bus-train competition and unnecessary direct services (3).

References:

1. http://www.commissionofaudit.qld.gov.au/reports/interim-report.php

2. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8127.0

3. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5173.0

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Discussion thread --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8525.0