Could converting a lane to a dedicated bus track be the answer to improve traffic flow on the South-Eastern Freeway?

A daring new plan to ease congestion on the freeway includes banning traffic from an entire lane during peak hour. Ludicrous? Or genius? Take our poll.

A lane of the South-Eastern Freeway and Glen Osmond Rd would be dedicated to buses during peak hour as part of a plan to ease traffic woes on the commute between the Adelaide Hills and the city.

Two high-frequency bus services – one from Bridgewater to the Adelaide CBD and the other from Mt Barker to the CBD – would take less than an hour for a one-way journey during rush hour.

Regional Development Australia Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island has released its key recommendations into a study on public transport for the Hills region.

It recommends running articulated buses on the South Eastern Freeway and Glen Osmond Rd via a “rapid transit lane”.

Glen Osmond Rd would use reversible lanes to increase the number of lanes in peak-hour flows with an on-street parking ban in both directions.

The bus services would operate at least every 15 minutes from 7am to 10am city-bound and 4pm to 7pm Hills-bound on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends.

The Bridgewater-to-Adelaide route would stop at Aldgate, Stirling and Crafers, while the 37km Mt Barker-to-Adelaide route would stop at Hahndorf and Verdun.

A concept map of the proposed rapid bus service between Adelaide and the Hills. Source: Regional Development Australia Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island

A further recommendation includes expanding the on-demand bus trial in the Mt Barker Council area to the Adelaide Hills Council.

Regional Development Australia Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island chief executive Damien Cook said rapid buses were the most “realistic approach” to getting more people off the road.

Artist impression the type of bus proposed for the Gold Coast Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

“Growing congestion on Adelaide Hills transport corridors is gradually eroding quality of life for residents and visitors, and productivity for businesses and services,” Mr Cook said.

“While we recognise and value existing work of government in this space, we cannot rest on our laurels because population growth, particularly around Mt Barker, is adding to congestion every day.

“We hope the (report) … will provide sound guidance for consideration by all decision-makers involved in ongoing improvements in these areas.”

Mr Cook said while buses would provide a solution to address population growth in the immediate future, consideration should be given to investigate a business case to passenger rail.

It is a notion supported by the SA Transport Action Group, which will host a public transport forum on passenger rail at Wallis Cinema in Mt Barker on October 11.

The group’s chairman John Hill said he did not believe that buses alone could meet the transport demands of a rapidly growing Mt Barker.

The town is home to around 39,000 residents but is expected to attract a further 12,000 by 2036.

“The take-up public transport is important and I just don’t think that they will convert the same amount of people as they would with passenger rail,” he said.

“So what we’re saying is that if the State Government is serious about public transport in the area, then both forms of transport should be considered as rail is such an obvious solution and significant part of the commuter task here in the Hills.

“It can move more people in the same amount of time...whereas buses will not be able to cope with the growth (in population).

Transport Minister Corey Wingard said a state government study was also underway to investigate the possability of a high performance Bus Rapid Transit system between the Hills and the CBD.

“Included in this body of work is the consideration of additional Park ‘N’ Ride facilities in the area,” Mr Wingard said.

“The department has (also) advised that public rail to the Hills would cost roughly $12 billion and the journey would take around 80 minutes.”