Councillor queries accuracy of new Gympie bus stop signs

A Gympie councillor who poked fun at some of the city’s oddly named bus stops has been accused of ‘passive aggressive intimidation’, but he says he is only looking to have a laugh. Watch the video and vote in the poll:

Are Gympie’s bus stop names perfect for smooth navigation or confusing signs of madness?

It is a question that sparked a social media firestorm at the weekend when outspoken Gympie councillor Bruce Devereaux shared an image of the Thomas St bus stop, which was not exactly its actual location.

“Shame it’s on Mulcahy Tce lol,” Mr Devereaux said in the post.

“I’m sure there’s a reason but with the year we’re all having I’m taking the laugh while I can.”

Not everyone shared the same view: a post on the Gympie Regional Forum Positively Factual Facebook page by its creator and loyal Glen Hartwig ally, Kathy Walker, accused Mr Devereaux of “a little passive aggressive intimidation”.

“Leave staff alone please,” she said.

Mr Devereaux said the post had been looking at the funny side of the situation.

Gympie councillor Bruce Devereaux has found himself at the centre of another storm after questioning why a bus stop on Mulcahy Terrace was named for Thomas St.

“The people that agree with me are having a good chuckle about it,” Mr Devereaux said.

It is not the only bus stop with this quirk.

The stop at Langton Rd on the Monkland is named Ettie Jane St, which is about 50m east of the stop (and further away than the nearby Brisbane Rd intersection), and the bus stop at Columbia St is marked for Lucknow St, a nearby cul-de-sac which runs off Columbia St.

However, the Apollonian Vale bus stop bears the same name, while the stop near the Bruce Hwy and Hall Rd at Monkland is called Bunnings owing to its proximity to the hardware chain’s Gympie store.

There was however a question to be asked as to whether the system is easy to navigate for new residents.

“If you move to an area and want to catch a bus at say, Thomas St, you’re not going to look for it in the side streets,” Mr Devereaux said.

He had been told by nearby residents the Thomas St stop had originally been closer to the intersection and had been moved about 30m when the new sign was installed.

“When it’s closer to an intersection, I get it,” Mr Devereaux said.

A Translink spokesman said an “old naming convention” had been used in Gympie and across other regional networks but the new signs, including the Thomas St stop, were given a different approach.

“The new bus stops near Thomas Street and Ettie Jane Street were delivered by Gympie Regional Council through (Translink’s) grant program,” the spokesman said.

“The Translink naming convention was used for the bus stops as part of the upgrades.”

Are Gympie’s bus stop names perfect for smooth navigation or confusing signs of madness?

This convention “is usually the name of the street the bus stop is on followed by the name of the closest intersecting street”.

“The aim is to achieve a unique identifier for the bus stop so that it‘s easier to find for customers.,” he said.

“We also avoid naming bus stops after main roads, for example Brisbane Rd, where there may be multiple bus stops or future stops along the same street.

“Translink will also consider naming a stop after a landmark or public infrastructure including hospitals, libraries and shopping centres.”

With Smart Ticketing now on the way to the region, a new fare and zone system was being introduced.

It would include some changes to stops already on the network, including the Cooloola Private Hospital stop.

“The stop has been renamed Channon St medical precinct,” he said.

“The new name will appear on all passenger information from 26 September 2022.”