13 May 2013 SEQ: Transport Cost of Living Affordability Bombshell

[ozbob]

Media release 13 May 2013

SEQ: Transport Cost of Living Affordability Bombshell



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 says we are in an affordability crisis.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Public Transport in SEQ is caught in a 'death spiral' of increasing fares, which causes falling overall patronage, which causes political band aid solutions and vacillation, which further causes even more problems."

"We have just had the worst quarter this year for public transport patronage for over 5 years!"

"The inefficient network design and refusal to make proper changes to the bus network have caused a cost explosion at Brisbane Transport. This pushes up fares across all modes because TransLink must charge uniform prices across all modes of travel. Trains are worst affected because not only are buses competing with trains for passengers, but the low frequency of trains means cost increases have an even greater impact on passengers to leave the system."

"Even Brisbane's Lord Mayor says the situation now is 'not sustainable'."

"Embarrassingly, Perth trains now carry more passengers than Queensland Rail does. Their trains are cheaper and twice as frequent as those in South East Queensland. Ironically, they run identical trains to those used by QR. TransPerth's cost recovery is also better."

"The BCC Bus Review refuses to address any of the major systemic issues with the BT bus network. Indeed, their latest review proposes international worst practice such as non-clockface, impossible-to-remember 50 minute timetables on some routes. Any savings identified by the Lord Mayor are likely to be wiped out in the following year by cost increases; such is the scale of cost increases."

"What is not sustainable shall not be sustained. We are now in an affordability crisis and subsidy blowout."

References:

1. Brisbane Transport Bus cost explosion 'not sustainable' says Lord Mayor Quirk http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=9754.msg125996#msg125996

2. TransLink Customer Satisfaction Monthly Snapshot
http://translink.com.au/resources/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/open-data/2013-mar-snapshot.pdf

3. Patronage for the 13 weeks to 31 Mar 2013: 42,159,483
Patronage for the 13 weeks to 31 Mar 2012: 43.97 million
Patronage for the 11.7 weeks to 31 Mar 2011: 39.3 million (Adjusted upwards to 13 weeks = 43.6)*
Patronage for the 12.85 weeks to 31 Mar 2010: 43.2 million (Adjusted upwards to 13 weeks = 43.68)
Patronage for the 12.85 weeks to 31 Mar 2009: 44.0 million (Adjusted upwards to 13 weeks = 44.5)

* Note: Tracker estimates flood impact of 6 million, taking 12.85 week patronage to 45.3
million

4. http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/public-transport/buses/bus-network-review
/route-198/index.htm

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

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