1 Apr 2013: Bus Review: Broken bus network reveals broken transport governance

[ozbob]

Media release 1 April 2013 (Not an April fool joke sadly ...)

Bus Review: Broken bus network reveals broken transport governance



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 declares broken the governance of Brisbane's Transport.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"BCC will conduct a bus review from 22 April, but there are larger problems than just good bus route design.

"The good governance of public transport service procurement is broken.

"Passengers, ratepayers and taxpayers can have no confidence that they are getting value for money when the supplier captures the purchaser, which is what has happened between Brisbane City Council and TransLink. With BCC ratepayers paying $400 before they even board a bus, this is paramount."

"Firstly, Brisbane Transport, a division of Brisbane City Council, declined to participate and co-operate with TransLink's review. This led to flaws in the TransLink review's route design which caused public disapproval to a report that is almost identical in it's recommendations to one that has wide public support in Auckland, NZ. Brisbane Transport is funded by state and local governments, and its public duty is to have co-operated and it has failed to do this. It is not appropriate that Brisbane City Council which owns the commercial bus operator that is Brisbane Transport draw up the bus routes and unfair on all other 15 bus operators within SEQ who, by simple virtue of their private ownership, do not have this power."

"The second failure was at State Government level. By inappropriately handing over the review, the supplier (Brisbane Transport) captured the regulator and purchaser of transport services (TransLink). In effect, the Minister has effectively abolished TransLink's bus functions within the Brisbane area and outsourced it to the BCC. He has undone a decade's worth of work to integrate Brisbane's public transport. This is unacceptable and worthy of a Queensland Auditor-General investigation in our opinion."

"It is also anti-integration and anti-public transport as BCC will never agree to having its buses running into Loganholme, the heart of Logan City Council, as was planned by TransLink's amalgamation of the 111 and 555 bus services."

"The Minister for Transport, Mr Emerson, has failed in his duty to uphold the interests of the wider people of Queensland. He should step down as Minister in our opinion."

"The first steps out of this mess is the establishment of Brisbane Transport as an arms length incorporated company with its own governing board, wholly owned but separate from Brisbane City Council."

"The State Government should move towards competitive tendering for all bus contract regions across SEQ - Sydney is saving $18 million per year as part of it's bus tendering. The Auditor General or Independent Commission of Audit should also audit Brisbane City Council and Brisbane Transport as well."

"The current Brisbane bus system is financially, operationally and politically unsustainable and is putting massive upward pressure to increase fares which are already some of the highest in the world."

References:

1. TransLink, frequent network route #20, Brisbane City to Loganholme http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/service-updates/seq-bus-network-review/Route-111.png

2. New bus contract tenders to drive improvements http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/new-bus-contract-tenders-drive-improvements

3. Do you support a call for the resignation of the Minister for Transport & MR? http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9749.0

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

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